This electronic flyer highlights our capabilities and activities in Blast Containment Design. Please sign our guestbook. For additional information, e-mail P. A. Cox, Southwest Research Institute®.

Blast Containment Design 

Containment structures are required for explosives processing, testing and demilitarization. Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®) has the expertise in blast effects, field testing, numerical modeling, fabrication, and environmental monitoring needed to solve unique blast containment problems. The Engineering Dynamics Department staff can handle a containment problem from conceptual design through fabrication, proof testing, and installation.

Capabilities

  • Blast-resistant design
  • Explosives testing
  • High-speed data recording
  • High-speed photography
  • Design-build capability
  • Dynamic finite element analysis (FEA)
  • Hydrocode analysis
  • Heavy structural fabrication

CAD model of portable blast chamber for munitions disposal

Experience

  • Design, fabrication and testing of portable demilitarization container
  • Design, fabrication and testing of 22-lb high explosives (HE) test chamber
  • Chamber life extension studies
  • Containment design for melt-pour HE production facilities
  • Development of TOW missile shields for Bradley fighting vehicle

Facilities

  • Ballistics and explosives test ranges
  • Remote test sites
  • Testing up to 1000 lbs HE
  • Fabrication and machine shop facilities
 

 

 

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) blast chamber
 

 

FEA grid of LANL spherical test vessel

The SwRI Engineering Dynamics Department provides solutions for blast containment problems including blast-resistant design, fabrication, and verification testing. SwRI engineers also address environmental concerns related to explosions such as noise abatement and pollution control.


This flyer was published in April 2009. For more information about Blast Containment Design, contact P. A. Cox, (210) 522-2315, or Scott A. Mullin, (210) 522-2340, Mechanical Engineering Division, Southwest Research Institute, P.O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, Texas 78228-0510.

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