Enhancing blast mitigation in tunnels with expansion chamber subjected to high explosives detonations for protecting underground facilities

Abstract

This paper presents a numerical investigation into the effect of expansion chamber in mitigating overpressures and impulses in protective tunnels subjected to detonation of high explosives. Blast shockwave propagation in a protective tunnel, with dimensions of 160 m in length, 8.9 m in width and 7.2 m in height, was simulated using a computational fluid dynamics code, Viper::Blast. The design parameters of the expansion chamber cover a broad spectrum chamber lengths between 6.1 and 12.1 m, widths spanning from 10.7 to 97 m, length-to-width ratios from 0.0 (indicating no chamber) to 5.0, heights of 8.0 and 14.9 m, and chamber-to-tunnel width ratios in the range of 1.2 to 10.9 m. Two charge weights of 1000 and 2000 kg of TNT were employed to assess their influences. To ensure the reliability of the CFD model, mesh sensitivity analysis, overpressure stability assessments, and validation studies were undertaken. A parametric analysis was then conducted using the validated model to derive an optimal design for the expansion chamber within the specified tunnel. Recommendations for incorporating an expansion chamber into protective tunnels under blast events are provided.