Rommel Maldonado (he/him)

Research Project Title: Developing methods to reduce the quasi-static pressures generated by explosions in confined spaces

When explosives detonate in a confined space, repeated reflections of the initial shockwave on the walls and other obstacles lead to the development of a long term quasi-static pressure (QSP). In an oxygen-rich atmosphere, such as air, the detonation products mix with their surroundings and undergo afterburn reactions, which represents an additional energy release that further increases the pressure inside the space. High pressure loading from confined detonations poses a risk of severe structural damage and loss of life.

Empirical methods to estimate the peak QSP for particular explosives in geometrically simple spaces are available in the literature, but research is currently directed to understand the energy mechanisms within confined explosions, and developing fast-running tools to estimate the QSP for a range of scenarios. Therefore, this research project aims to characterise these mechanisms and develop methods to reduce the explosives’ effects through the understanding of how the energy release is affected when mitigation materials are used in the confined space, particularly for cases of complex geometry or where it is not possible to completely surround the explosive threat.

Supervisors: Dr Andrew Barr, Dr Dain Farrimond

- Blast engineering
- Infrastructure design
- Computational mechanics
- Mitigation measures and protective design