High-Speed Infrared Radiation Thermometer for the Investigation of Early Stage Explosive Development and Fireball...

Area of Science:

• Explosives engineering
• Thermodynamics
• Measurement science

Background:

• Accurate characterization of blast loads is crucial for designing explosion-resistant infrastructure.
• Traditional pressure gauges infer temperature, but this method has limitations under extreme conditions.
• Existing experimental data on blast loads is often insufficient for comprehensive analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of high-speed infrared radiation thermometers (IRTs) for measuring early-stage explosive fireball temperatures.
• To compare IRT temperature measurements with those inferred from pressure gauges during confined blasts.
• To establish a robust methodology for characterizing transient temperature phenomena in explosions.

Main Methods:

• Employed a high-speed infrared radiation thermometer (IRT) to measure emitted radiance from an explosive fireball.
• Conducted experiments involving confined blasts to capture early-stage explosive development and fireball expansion.
• Corroborated IRT temperature data against measurements inferred from a standard pressure gauge.

Main Results:

• The IRT successfully measured the transient temperature of the explosive fireball based on its emitted radiance.
• IRT and pressure gauge measurements converged from the quasi-static pressure (QSP) point onwards.
• Prior to the QSP, the IRT provided an average fireball temperature over a wide field-of-view (FOV), distinct from pressure gauge shock data.

Conclusions:

• High-speed IRTs are effective for measuring early-stage explosive fireball temperatures.
• Combining IRT and pressure gauge measurements offers a more comprehensive understanding of blast load dynamics.
• This dual-instrument approach provides an invaluable technique for characterizing the development and expansion of fireballs.