Blast Testing a High Strength Steel Containment Vessel

An extensive series of tests have been carried out on an explosive containment vessel. The vessel geometry and the blast and overload tests are described, covering the experimental set up and instrumentation. Strains in the vessel are compared to calculated values using the AUTODYN explicit finite element software, showing good correlation over the first few cycles and generally good prediction of maximum strains. Leakage measurements using a carbon monoxide detector have shown that in all these tests the glass encapsulated DG O’Brien electrical penetrations through the vessel inner closure performed well. A modified version of this penetration to allow exhaust gases through the wall has also performed well and offers an alternative to NPT tapered thread connections.