Explosion record

Tables 2.1 and 2.2 show that theory enables detonation velocities to be calculated in close agreement with those observed experimentally. This, unfortunately, is not a critical test of the theory as velocities when calculated are rather insensitive to the nature of the equation of state used. A better test would be to calculate the peak pressures, densities and temperatures encountered in detonation, and compare these with experimental results. The major difficulties here are experimental. Attempts to measure temperatures in the detonation zone have not been very successful, but better results have been obtained in the measurement of densities and pressures. Schall introduced density measurement by very short X-ray flash radiography and showed that TNT at an initial density of 1 -50 increased 22% in density in the detonation wave. More recently detonation pressures have been measured by Duff and Houston using a method (introduced by Goranson) in which the pressure is deduced from the velocity imparted to a metal plate placed at the end of the column of explosive. Using this method, for example, Deal obtains the detonation pressures for some military explosives recorded in Table 2.3. More...

Task-dependent procedures for signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement of earthquake and explosion records... 

Forensic scientists work with physical evidence, ie, "data presented to a court or jury in proof of the facts in issue and which may include the testimony of witnesses, records, documents or objects." Physical evidence is teal or tangible and can HteraHy include almost anything, eg, the transient scent of perfume on the clothing of an assault victim the metaboHte of a dmg detected in the urine of an individual in a driving-under-the-influence-of-dmgs case the scene of an explosion or bullets removed from a murder victim s body. 

The literature of chemistry and associated fields has iacreased enormously siace 1980. Kstahlishment of subspecialties and newly defined disciplines as well as iacreased research output have led to an explosion of journals, books, and on-line databases, all of which attempt to capture, record, and disseminate this plethora of knowledge (1). Tertiary reference tools ia chemistry and technology (eg, KJrk-Othmer, 4th ed.) help track the primary Hterature. Excellent references that discuss basic chemical information tools are The Titerature Matrix of Chemistry (1), Chemical Information Sources (2), and Mow to Find Chemical Information (3). 

The lower volatihty of JP-8 is a significant factor in the U.S. Air Force conversion from JP-4, since fires and explosions under both combat and ordinary handling conditions have been attributed to the use of JP-4. In examining the safety aspects of fuel usage in aircraft, a definitive study (15) of the accident record of commercial and military jet transports concluded that kerosene-type fuel is safer than wide-cut fuel with respect to survival in crashes, in-flight fires, and ground fueling accidents. However, the difference in the overall accident record is small because most accidents are not fuel-related. 

But probably the most serious barrier has been the paralysis that overtakes the inexperienced mind when it is faced with an explosion. This prevents many from recognizing an explosion as the orderly process it is. Like any orderly process, an explosive shock can be investigated, its effects recorded, understood, and used. The rapidity and violence of an explosion do not vitiate Newton s laws, nor those of thermodynamics, chemistry, or quantum mechanics. They do, however, force matter into new states quite different from those we customarily deal with. These provide stringent tests for some of our favorite assumptions about matter s bulk properties. 

Explosion of TNT at Ashton-under-Lyne, Ref. No. MUN7/37 XC/B/8909, Public Records Office, London. 

Lewis, D. J. 1980. Unconfined vapor cloud explosions—Historical perspective and predictive method based on incident records. Prog. Energy Comb. Sci., 1980. 6 151-165. 

What happened on tlie final sliift will never be known because all tliose in tlie control room were killed and all iiistrmnentation and records were destroyed. The equivalent force of tlie explosion was estimated to liave been at least 15 tons of TNT. 

The total consumption type of burner consists of three concentric tubes as shown in Fig. 21.5. The sample solution is carried by a fine capillary tube A directly into the flame. The fuel gas and the oxidant gas are carried along separate tubes so that they only mix at the tip of the burner. Since all the liquid sample which is aspirated by the capillary tube reaches the flame, it would appear that this type of burner should be more efficient that the pre-mix type of burner. However, the total consumption burner gives a flame of relatively short path length, and hence such burners are predominantly used for flame emission studies. This type of burner has the advantages that (1) it is simple to manufacture, (2) it allows a totally representative sample to reach the flame, and (3) it is free from explosion hazards arising from unbumt gas mixtures. Its disadvantages are that (1) the aspiration rate varies with different solvents, and (2) there is a tendency for incrustations to form at the tip of the burner which can lead to variations in the signal recorded. 

According to Haber (loc. cit., p. 131) the results of Langen are probably correct to 3 per cent, even at 2,000°. Pier, in his recent explosion experiments, has shown, however, that the maximum pressures were not obtained by the previous observers, on account of the oscillations of their manometers, He used a steel plate with very high frequency of vibration, and registered the distortion by reflecting a beam of light from a mirror attached to the manometer disc on to a revolving drum of sensitised paper. The recorded curves show a well-defined maximum pressure, and his results are probably accurate to 1 per cent. Values of Gv ... 

Eng 20, 470-477 (1919) (Description of ammonia oxidation process beginning with Kuhl-mann s method of 1839 and ending with the cyanamide process at Muscle Shoals) 7) C.L. Parsons, 1EC 11,541 (1919) (Oxidation of ammonia to nitric acid as well as the prepn of nitric acid from Chile saltpeter) 8) F.C. Zeis-berg, ChemMetEng 24, 443-45 (1921) (Manuf of nitric acid from Chilean saltpeter brief description) 9) G.B. Taylor, IEC 26,1217-19 (1922) (Some economic aspects of ammonia oxidation) 10) Ministry of Munitions, Manufacture of Nitric Acid from Nitre and Sulfuric Acid , London (1922) (Book No 7 of Technical Records of Explosives Supply, 1915—1919)... 

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