Parametric Study of Blast Wave Formation in a Shock Tube

Blast waves are formed when there is a sudden release of energy from a point in space, like, from an explosion. These waves propagate through air, come into contact with structures or human beings, and proceed to cause fatal or irreversible damage. Many methods have been developed to attenuate blast waves. However, to conduct physical experiments, the use of real explosives is for the risk of collateral damage. Thus, shock tubes are utilized to create blast waves within a confined region so that they can be studied safely. When the diaphragm bursts, a shock wave is formed in the driven section of the tube and, eventually, the pressure profile of the wave changes to that of a blast wave. The paper focuses on a parametric study of the variation of driver section length and pressure in the formation of blast waves in a shock tube. The distance at which the blast wave forms increases with increasing driver section pressure and length. The experimental results show that the pressure wave closely matches with that of Friedlander waveform at higher driver pressures.