Sequentially-Coupled Hydrodynamic and Structural Analysis of Radiographic Windows in Blast Confinement Vessels for Proton Radiography of Physics Experiments

Abstract

Abstract Characterization of shock-driven materials via radiography is critical to the success of Los Alamos National Laboratory’s (LANL) mission. Radiographic experiments with both hazardous material and high explosives (HE) require a two-part pressure vessel containment system (PVCS) composed of an inner pressure confinement vessel (IPCV) and an outer pressure containment vessel (OPCV). A new PVCS developed for LANL’s Proton Radiography facility (pRad) will enable a suite of experiments with up to 1.06 ounces (30 grams) TNT-equivalent HE. The critical component of the IPCV is the beryllium radiographic window, which must withstand the blast pressures from the HE while minimizing radiographic blur. Because the amount of HE used in the suite of experiments will vary, the IPCV is designed to be modular, such that for each experiment a new radiographic window may be optimized and installed into the IPCV. Each radiographic window design must undergo an HE over-pressure test (OPT) per ASME specifications for impulsively-loaded pressure vessels. To optimize each window’s structural performance and radiographic blur, and to establish confidence that the window will survive the OPT, a sequentially-coupled hydrodynamic and structural analysis workflow has been automated, facilitating design-by-analysis starting at initial concept development and extending through pre-test predictions for qualification tests of a component under extreme environments.