Containment of explosions in cylindrical shells

An experimental and theoretical investigation of the high explosive containment ability of circular cylindrical shells is presented. Approximate expressions for final circumferential strain or radial displacement as a function of cylinder length are developed in terms of elementary functions, based upon an assumed rigid-plastic material relation for the containment vessel. The material relation includes strain hardening and approximate strain-rate sensitivity. The expressions are presented in a form convenient for containment design purposes and are shown to be in reasonable agreement with experimental results for several container materials and radius-to-thickness ratios.