Preshock Desensitization Phenomena during Initiation of Covered Heterogeneous Explosives by Shaped Charge Jets

The initiation of heterogeneous explosives by shaped charge jets is discussed. A reactive flow model, specially modified to account for the desensitization effects due to preshocking in heterogeneous explosives, is used to investigate the initiation of explosives by a shaped charge jet. Previously reported shaped charge jet initiation experimental setups are simulated using hydrodynamic software LS-DYNA with the desensitization model implemented as a user-defined equation of state. The simulation results indicate that the desensitization effects caused by the shocks preceding the jet play a significant role in determination of the run to detonation distance for covered explosives initiated by jets. The failure in initiation in the first explosive sample that is in contact with the steel plate and initiation of the second sample separated further by an air gap during penetration of the jet can be explained on the basis of desensitization phenomena. The simulation qualitatively reproduces various shock interaction phenomenon occurring in explosives during penetration by a shaped charge jet.