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