Pressure loading on a luggage container due to an internal explosion

Abstract

The Federal Aviation Administration has experimentally determined the explosive loading on a unit load device luggage container) resulting from a bomb detonated within the luggage. A steel test fixture was constructed with the intemal dimensions of LD-3 luggage containers, as specified in the IATA Technical Manual. This test fixture was instrumented with nine Endevco piezoresistive and three PCB piezoelectric pressure transducers and eight temperature transducers. Ten tests were conducted using C-4 explosive with locations varying from the top bag to the third bag down into the luggage. Tests were conducted with the fixture 50% full of luggage and repeated with the fixture 75% full of luggage, with the piece of luggage containing the explosive located in the same relative positions. Two tests were conducted to determine the effects of venting in the LD-3 containers. One test was conducted with the rear panel removed to allow the test fixture to immediately vent. The other test was conducted with a rear panel constructed of plywood, allowing the test fixture to vent after a small time delay. The results quantify the dynamic and quasi-static loading on the LD-3 container. The peak pressures show a 35% reduction from bare charge values when the explosive is in the top piece of luggage and a 99% reduction when the explosive is in the third piece of luggage from the top. The quasi-static overpressure shows a 40% and 98% reduction from bare charge values for the respective cases above.