DETONATION CHAMBER FOR END OF LIFE WARHEADS DISPOSAL IN FULLY CONFINED CONDITIONS: FROM DESIGN TO PROOF TESTS

Abstract

This paper deals with the design and proof tests of a 60kg NEQ TNT detonation chamber dedicated to end of life warhead disposal in a fully confined environment. This chamber, is intended to replace open air, semi-confined temporary setup structures [1], buried or undersea destructions. By this, it minimizes drastically the human footprint on environment but also decreases safety distances when dismantling because everything (blast and fragments) stay control and confine for easy post-treatments. The challenging steps followed to ensure chamber integrity are detailed to explain how they ensure dismantling of reformed and not transportable stockpile of missiles (warhead and propellant). This work illustrates the methodology used and results obtained. The first part reminds the various steps followed to sustain blast and multi-fragments impacts from threat analysis to initial destruction [2][3]. The second part details how the inner protection shielding was optimized by numerical simulations after the first test.