Response of Robust Munitions to Secondary Fragmentation

Abstract : Sympathetic detonation (SD) criteria is being developed for the design of walls to prevent the propagation of accidental explosions. Magazines are being evaluated for increasing storage limits without compromising explosive safety. This can be accomplished via the installation of non-propagation walls to separate munitions and reduce the maximum credible event. Special walls, developed and certified under the High Performance Magazine program, will insure mitigation of SD. However for standard reinforced concrete walls, e.g. standard dividing walls, secondary fragments could result in SD of adjacent munitions. Criteria for prevention of sympathetic detonation between adjacent magazines is also being studied. Prevention of sympathetic detonation is currently feasible for robust, albeit sensitive, acceptors such as the MK82 bomb and the M107-155mm projectile in adjacent non-standard earth-covered magazines (with separation distances based on standard magazines). Robust acceptor munitions were first numerically analyzed for peak explosive fill pressure and deformation from single concrete fragment impact.