Flashover Modeling For Direct Course

Item

Title
Flashover Modeling For Direct Course
Report Number
CONF-8305107, p. 189-194
Creator
Martin, Stan
Hughes, Pete
Corporate Author
Los Alamos Technical Associates
Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Date
1983
Date Issued
1983-07
Extent
6
Identifier
ADA132780
Format
1 online resource (6 pages)
Abstract
The current fire defense doctrine for nuclear attack preparedness is possibly erroneous. The guidance to local planners has been strongly influenced by the concept that fires started by the thermal pulse of the nuclear fireball are initially feeble and quite susceptible to airblast extinction. This concept ignores a potentially crucial observation made during the days of atmospheric nuclear testing, that has since been termed an anomaly. Nevertheless, this observation may provide the explanation for some of the puzzles -- the contradictions of experimental tests vis-a-vis historical fact -- that have for years persisted about the incendiary consequences of nuclear explosions in or near urban complexes. Operation DIRECT COURSE offers an opportunity to resolve a part of the quandary. The question to be answered is whether fires of the rapid fire-growth-·to-flashover type·, as associated with nuclear thermal-pulse scenarios, are as susceptible to extinction as the current doctrine supposes. This paper describes an experiment designed to gain an answer to that question.
Description
The current fire defense doctrine for nuclear attack preparedness is possibly erroneous. The guidance to local planners has been strongly influenced by the concept that fires started by the thermal pulse of the nuclear fireball are initially feeble and quite susceptible to airblast extinction. This concept ignores a potentially crucial observation made during the days of atmospheric nuclear testing, that has since been termed an anomaly. Nevertheless, this observation may provide the explanation for some of the puzzles -- the contradictions of experimental tests vis-a-vis historical fact -- that have for years persisted about the incendiary consequences of nuclear explosions in or near urban complexes. Operation DIRECT COURSE offers an opportunity to resolve a part of the quandary. The question to be answered is whether fires of the rapid fire-growth-·to-flashover type·, as associated with nuclear thermal-pulse scenarios, are as susceptible to extinction as the current doctrine supposes. This paper describes an experiment designed to gain an answer to that question.
Conference Proceeding
No
Distribution Classification
1
Distribution Conflict
No
DTIC Record Exists
No
Illinois Tech Related
No
Photo Quality
Not Needed
Report Availability
Full text available
Type
article
Is Part Of
Proceedings: 17th Asilomar Conference on Fire and Blast Effects of Nuclear Weapons
Media
article28

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