Computer simulation of shock waves transmission in obstructed terrains

Generation and transmission of blast waves in real terrains is of major importance for risk analysis procedures involving accidental explosion scenarios. The problem arises from the impact of overpressure wave on people and structures that may be lethal or catastrophic under certain conditions. In this paper, a CFD simulation of shock wave propagation in obstructed terrain is attempted. Overpressure histories as well as a series of critical parameters, namely the positive and negative peak overpressure, the arrival time, and the positive and negative phase duration at specific points within the domain were obtained during the simulation. Their comparison with experimental measurements from field-scale high explosive blast tests performed by HSE showed a reasonably good agreement indicating that CFD computer programs provide reliable tools for estimating explosive shocks in complex terrains.