Propane Blast Wave Interface

Users' Guide (Revised 2019/09/06)

Introduction
The Propane Blast Wave Interface (ProBlast7.1) provides the physical properties of blast waves
generated by centred, surface-burst propane explosions. The data provided by the Interface were
obtained from the analyses of measurements made of the blast wave from a 20 ton
propane/oxygen explosion described by Dewey (2005) and Dewey & Dewey (2014). In those
publications it was assumed that the gas/oxygen mixture was stoichiometric. Subsequent analysis
has shown that this was not correct and that there was sufficient oxygen in the mixture to
detonate only 57% of the available propane. The propane blast wave interface in version 7.1 has
been modified to correct this error. The modified version now correctly reproduces the blast
measurements of the 20 ton explosion using the propane charge mass and assuming 57%
consumption. The output from the Interface has also been evaluated by comparing its output
values with measurements of the blast waves generated by the explosions of 644 mg
stoichiometric propane/oxygen charges carried out by Prof Sochet at INSA, Bourges, France
(Sochet & Maillot, 2017).
The results from the analyses of Dewey (2005) and Dewey & Dewey (2014) were based on the
total mass of the propane plus oxygen. For the Interface, these results have been rescaled to the
mass of propane alone, because for many propane explosions only the mass of the propane is
known, and the amount of oxygen or air that is mixed with the propane is unknown.
Most of the cells of the Interface have been locked so that they cannot be changed. Only the
input cells, indicated by their solid borders, are accessible by a user.
The numerical values displayed in the spreadsheets can be selected, copied and pasted into other
worksheets created by the user, or into programs such as Mat Lab© or Sigma Plot© for plotting
and further analysis.
The Interface was developed using Excel 2013©, and has not been tested using earlier or later
versions of this program. However, Excel was chosen as the format for the Interface because
experience has shown that Excel programs usually migrate to more advanced operating systems
without difficulty. This has not been the experience with intelligent data bases using other
formats, e.g. AirBlast and EBlast, and Access© data bases.

Input Values
The first worksheet of the Interface allows the user to input the amount of propane, and the
ambient atmospheric pressure and temperature at the time and location of the explosion. The
mass of propane in kilograms can be input in C5, or the volume in litres can be input in G5.
Only one of these cells should be used and the other left blank.
In the cases of most accidental propane explosions, the percentage of propane that mixes with
oxygen and detonates is not known. The estimated percentage of propane consumed in the
detonation can be input in L5. For a stoichiometric explosion this value should be 100%. The
validity of the results when a lesser percentage is used is the subject of ongoing evaluation.
The ambient atmospheric pressure in kiloPascals can be input in C6, and the ambient
temperature in Celsius in C7. If these values are not known, or cannot be estimated, it is
suggested that the NTP values of 101.3 kPa and 15 C be used, respectively.

Peak Values
The second worksheet of the Interface displays the physical properties of the blast wave
immediately behind the primary shock, the peak values. The displayed results are derived from
the analysis of Dewey (2005) using the measured times-of-arrival to determine the velocity, and
therefore the Mach number of the primary shock.
The results are displayed for a series of radii from the centre of the explosion. The results for an
intermediate radius can be displayed in Row27 by inputting the radius in cell A27. Only radii
between the maximum and minimum values in cells A5 and A24 provide valid results. Input of
values outside that range will generate an out-of-range warning, OOR.
The following physical properties of the blast wave, and their units, are displayed for each
radius: time of the shock arrival, TOA, (ms); shock Mach number; hydrostatic overpressure (atm
& kPa); dynamic pressure (atm & kPa); overdensity (atm & kg/m3); density (atm & kg/m3);
particle velocity (relative to the ambient sound speed, m/s & as the local Mach number);
temperature (absolute value relative to the ambient value and overtemperature in Celsius);
reflected overpressure (atm & kPa), and total overpressure (atm & kPa).
The values of the physical properties are derived in terms of the shock Mach number using the
Rankine-Hugoniot relationships presented in Dewey (2017). The time-of-arrival and shock
Mach number were obtained from the analysis of Dewey (2005).
The physical properties are defined as follows.
Hydrostatic Pressure
The hydrostatic pressure is the pressure measured by a transducer moving with the flow, or the
pressure measured by a transducer that is side-on to the flow such that it senses no component of
the flow normal to the transducer. It is the pressure caused by the vibrational motion of the gas
molecules, only. Some texts refer to this as the static pressure, but here the term hydrostatic
pressure is used to emphasize the difference from the total or stagnation pressure. The hydrostatic
pressure in excess of the ambient pressure is the hydrostatic overpressure.
When describing blast waves, hydrostatic pressure is usually measured in units of kiloPascals
(kPa), pounds-weight per square inch (psi) or non-dimensionally in atmospheres (atm). An
informal tripartite (US, UK and Canada) agreement recommended that the standard atmosphere to
be used when describing blast waves is that at NTP (Normal Temperature and Pressure), viz. 15 C
(288.16 K) and 101.325 kPa (14.696 psi).
Dynamic Pressure
Dynamic pressure is defined as one half the gas density times the square of the particle velocity,
i.e. ½ ρ u2. Dynamic pressure is a scalar mathematical* property of the gas, and since gas is a
compressible fluid, is not equal to the stagnation or total pressure exerted on a surface at which the
gas is brought to rest, for which see below. For blast wave applications, such as the Interface, the
dynamic pressure is redefined as ½ ρ u|u| so that it is a vector quantity, parallel to the particle
flow. Although the dynamic pressure does not represent the pressure exerted on any surface in the
blast wave, it is a useful measure of the relative importance of the drag forces produced by the
wave as compared to the hydrostatic forces. The drag forces on a structure can usually be
calculated as a drag coefficient times the dynamic pressure.
* For a compressible fluid, dynamic pressure is a mathematical rather than a physical property of
the flow because it cannot be directly measured such as hydrostatic and total pressure, temperature,
density and particle velocity, but it can be calculated using the simultaneous measurements of
hydrostatic and total pressures.
Density
Density is the mass per unit volume of a gas, measured in units of kilograms per cubic metre (kg
m-3), pounds-mass per cubic foot (lb ft-3) or pounds-mass per cubic inch (lb in-3). Non-
dimensionally, it may be measured relative to the ambient density of air, which at NTP is
1.225 kg/m3 (0.076475 lb/ft3, 4.4256 x 10-5 lb/in3). When a gas is traversed by a shock, there is a
rapid increase of the density. For an ideal gas with a ratio of specific heats of γ = 1.4, there is an
upper limit of 6.0 for the ratio of the densities, ρS/ρ0, across an infinitely strong shock. In practice,
very strong shocks produce other changes to the gas so that the ratio of specific heats, γ, does not
remain constant, and larger density changes can occur. Overdensity is the value of the density
above the ambient value.
Particle velocity
Particle velocity (u) is the translational velocity of the gas within a blast wave, measured in meters
per second (m/s) or feet per second (ft/s). Non-dimensionally, the particle velocity may also be
quoted relative to either the sound speed in the ambient gas (a0), or the sound speed at the location
of the gas particle (a). u/a0 is not a Mach number, but a dimensionless quantity that is useful in
scaling blast waves for different charge sizes and atmospheric conditions. The particle velocity in
terms of the sound speed at the same position in the blast wave, u/a, is a true Mach number, and is
known as the local Mach number of the flow. When considering blast interaction with a structure,
it is important to know if the local Mach number is less than or greater than one. If the local Mach
number is greater than one, i.e. supersonic, a bow shock forms around the structure and this further
changes the properties of the gas before it can interact with the structure, as described below.
Temperature
Temperature is a measure of the vibrational kinetic energy of the molecules of a gas. Absolute
temperature (T) is the temperature of a gas measured from the absolute zero, -273.16 C, in Kelvin
(K). The absolute temperature at NTP is therefore 288.16 K. The overtemperature is the
temperature above the ambient value, and in the Interface is expressed in Celsius (C).
Reflected Overpressure
Reflected overpressure is the overpressure exerted on a plane surface face-on to the shock front,
immediately after the shock reflection. If the plane, reflecting surface is finite in size, the reflected
overpressure will be relieved by a rarefaction wave generated as the reflected shock diffracts
around the boundary of the reflecting surface.
Total Overpressure
Total overpressure or stagnation overpressure, is defined as the increase of pressure sensed by a
transducer or a surface which is face-on to the flow, as a result of the flow being brought to rest
isentropically. Work is done both to bring the gas to rest and to compress it adiabatically. The
total overpressure is not the same as the reflected overpressure or the dynamic pressure, defined
above.
Time Histories
The third worksheet displays the time histories of the blast wave at a radial distance selected by
the user. The selected distance can be input in cell C7, and must be between the minimum and
maximum distances shown in cells I5 and L5. The time-of-arrival of the primary shock at that
distance is displayed in G7, and the Mach number of the shock in K7.
The blast wave properties are displayed at a series of times measured from the time-of-arrival of
the primary shock and extending into the negative phase.
It will be noted that two values are displayed at time zero. These are similar, but not identical.
The first value was determined from an analysis of the shock velocity, only, as described by
Dewey (2005). The second value was determined from the piston-path analysis described by
Dewey & Dewey (2014). Both analyses were based on the same experimental measurements,
and the differences, which are normally less than one percent, are an indication of the
experimental and analysis errors.
Most of the physical properties displayed in this worksheet are the same as those defined above
in Peak Values, but there are some additional properties displayed as time histories, viz. energy
density; work density; energy flux, and work flux, as defined below.
Energy Density
Energy Density, as used in the Interface, is the increase of energy per unit volume of the ambient
gas due to the presence of the blast wave, defined as

1 1
𝐸= (𝑃 − 𝑃0 ) + 𝜌𝑢2 ,
𝛾−1 2

where γ is the ratio of specific heats, P the hydrostatic pressure, P0 the ambient pressure, ρ the
density and u the particle velocity. The energy density can be expressed in units of atm/m3,
kPa/m3 or kJ/m3.
Work Density
Work density is the amount of work that can be done by the increased energy in a unit volume of
a gas. The maximum amount of work that can be done is given by the energy multiplied by the
Carnot efficiency, defined as
 𝑇2 − 𝑇1
𝜖= ,
𝑇2

where T2 and T1 are the source and sink absolute temperatures, respectively. In the case of a
blast wave the Carnot efficiency can also be expressed as

𝑃⁄ − 𝑃0⁄ 𝑃0 𝜌
𝜌 𝜌0
𝜖= =1− ,
𝑃⁄ 𝑃𝜌
𝜌 0

where P, ρ, P0 and ρ0 are the hydrostatic pressure and density, and their ambient values,
respectively.
Energy Flux
The energy flux of a moving gas is the amount of energy per second passing through a unit area
normal to the flow direction and has units of atm/m2/s or kJ/m2/s.
Work Flux
The work flux is the maximum amount of work that can be done per second by the gas passing
through a unit area normal to the flow direction and has units of atm/m2/s or kJ/m2/s.
Positive Phase Durations
The durations of the positive phases of the physical properties are displayed in Row33. It will be
noted that each physical property has its own positive phase, although it is the positive phase of
hydrostatic overpressure that is normally quoted when describing a blast wave. The positive
phase durations of total overpressure, energy density, work density, energy flux and work flux
cannot be directly calculated, and the values shown in Row 33 are derived using the Excel
INTERCEPT function. This function uses linear regression to interpolate non-linear data and
gives only an approximate value. A more accurate value for the positive phase durations of these
properties can be obtained by taking the approximate values from Row33 and inserting them in
A36, as described below in Input Times, and iterating the value in A36 until a zero value for the
property is displayed for the appropriate column in Row33.
For temperature in M33 and N33 the positive phase durations are marked as N/A because the
expanding blast wave from a centred explosion leaves the air in a state of increased temperature.
After the passage of the wave the hydrostatic pressure quickly returns to the ambient value
because pressure differences are relieved at the local sound speed. The elevated temperature
means that the density will be less than the ambient value and the resulting buoyancy produces
the long stem of the mushroom cloud.
Intermediate Times
Any time intermittent between those displayed in A11 to A31 can be input into cell A36 and the
corresponding values of the physical properties will be displayed in Row36.
“Impulse”
The integral of each physical property over its positive phase is displayed in Row39, with the
appropriate units displayed in Row40. In the case of pressures, these integrals are the positive
phase impulses. The integrals of some properties may have little physical significance, but are
displayed for completeness. In contrast, some of the integrals may have particular significance.
This is especially true in the case of work flux. The integral of the work flux is possibly the best
single indicator of the damage capability of the blast wave, and is the subject of ongoing
investigation.

WAVE PROFILES
The physical properties of blast waves are usually displayed as the peak values immediately
behind the primary shock as functions of the radial distance from the centre of the explosion and
as time histories at specified radii. This is because most measurements of blast wave properties
are made at fixed locations. Blast wave properties can also be displayed as wave profiles at
specified times, although little data is available in this format. The physical properties of the
blast wave from a propane explosion are displayed as wave profiles in the fourth work sheet of
the Interface.
In this work sheet a time after detonation it can be in put in C7. The minimum and maximum
times are displayed in cells D9 and F9, respectively. If a time outside of this range is input a
warning will be displayed. The shock radius and the Mach number at the input time are
displayed in G7 and K7, respectively.
The physical properties of the blast wave at the selected time are displayed in A13 to A33 at a
regular series of radii from the radius of the primary shock to a point in the negative phase. Two
values of the properties at the shock radius are displayed in Rows 13 and 14, the first calculated
from the shock velocity (Dewey, 2005), and the second from the piston path analysis (Dewey
and Dewey, 2014).
The physical properties displayed in this worksheet are the same as those displayed as Time
Histories, except that instead of energy flux and work flux the displayed values are now the
energy and work per steradian, viz. the energy or available work in a cone centred on the centre
of the explosion and sustaining a unit solid angle.
Positive Phase Lengths
The lengths of the positive phases of the properties, ∆R+(m), are displayed in Row 35.
The values displayed in O35 to X35 cannot be directly calculated and are derived using the
Excel FORECAST function which uses linear regression to interpolate non-linear data, and are
therefore only approximate values. A more accurate value for each property can be obtained by
inserting the displayed ∆R+(m) + the radius in A14 into A38 and iteratively adjusting the value
until the displayed physical property in Row38 is zero. The length of the positive phase of the
wave profile is obtained by subtracting the value in A14 from the iterated value in A38.
Intermediate Radii
The properties at any intermediate radius between those listed in A13 to A33 it can be displayed
in Row 38 by inputting the intermediate radius in A38. (If one of the radii listed in A13 to A33
is input into A38 the displayed values of the physical properties may not be identical to those
shown in table. This is because the displayed radii have been rounded to 2 decimal places, but
the displayed properties are calculated using a larger number of decimal places.)
Positive Phase Integrals
The integrals of the wave profiles over the positive phases are displayed in Row 39.
It may be noted that the integrals of the work density and work per steradian in Columns U, V,
W and X do not show a negative phase. This is because the negative phase of a blast wave is
also able to do work, albeit by sucking instead of blowing, but is very small compared with the
work capability of the positive phase.
The integrals of the energy/steradian in Columns S and T, and the work/steradian in Columns
W and X when multiplied by 2π give a measure of the total energy and the work capability in the
positive phase over the whole of the hemispherical blast wave. Unfortunately it is difficult to
relate this total energy to the energy released from the explosion because the reduced energy in
the negative phase has not been accounted for (Dewey and McMillin, 1985).

EVALUATION
Questions about, or difficulties encountered by users, may be addressed to jdewey@uvic.ca.
Results of comparisons between measurements of blast waves generated by gaseous explosions
and the values displayed by the Propane Blast Wave Interface would be welcomed.
Results of measurements or estimates of the properties of blast waves generated by BLEVEs
would be especially appreciated.

REFERENCES
Dewey, J. M., 2005, The TNT equivalence of an optimum propane-oxygen mixture, J. Phys. D:
Appl. Phys., 38, 4245-4251.
Dewey, J. M., 2017, The Rankin-Hugoniot equations: their extensions and inversions related to
blast waves, in Blast Effects, ed. I. Sochet, Springer Nature, doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-
70831-7-2
Dewey, M. C. & Dewey, J. M., 2014, The physical properties of the blast wave produced by a
stoichiometric propane/oxygen explosion, Shock Waves, 24:593–601, DOI 10.1007/s00193-
014-0521-8
Dewey, J. M. & McMillin, D. J., 1985, Efficiency of energy conversion using shockwaves, J.
Can. Phys., 63, 3, 339-345
Sochet, I & Y. Maillot, 2017, Blast wave experiments of gaseous charges, in Blast Effects, ed.
I. Sochet, Springer Nature, doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70831-7-6