When an explosion blast-wave hits the ground, part of the blast pressure is converted to kinetic energy. Following the impact, the incident blast front moves over the terrain surface and generate a thin boundary-layer. When hitting a granular surface such as sand or dust this boundary layer induces particle lifting (often referred to as lofting). Under certain conditions blast waves can loft significant amounts of dust into the air. In this study, we aim to analyze and characterize the resulting suspension.
To study the phenomenon of dust lofting, we employ experimental and theoretical methods and use a shock tube facility with an attached experimental chamber. Experimental results are obtained by an optical diagnostic system together with pressure measurements.
When a shock wave propagates through the shock tube it moves into the experimental chamber and over a sandy surface which is flush with the bottom of the shock tube. The burst of air trailing the wave generates a turbulent boundary-layer over the sand surface.
Numerical and analytical models have been developed, using the OpenFOAM platform, and have been compared quantitatively to measurement results. These equation models are based on turbulent terms such as the widely used k- model and analytical boundary conditions describing the boundary layer.
