Towards a fast-running method for blast-wave mitigation by a prismatic blast wall

Abstract A procedure aimed at developing a fast-running method for blast-wave effects characterization behind a protection barrier is presented. Small-scale experiments of a hemispherical gaseous charge (stoichiometric propane–oxygen mixture) without and with a prismatic protective barrier are used to validate the use of an in-house CFD code for gaseous detonation. From numerical experiments, pressure loss of a blast wave at a corner is quantified. These fits, in conjunction with TM5-1300 reflection charts, are used to estimate the maximum overpressure around a protective barrier through geometrical and empirical laws. The results show good agreement with numerical and experimental data from the ANR-BARPPRO research project.