VENTED SUPPRESSIVE SHIELDS (VSS) AS PROTECTIVE BARRIERS FOR EXPLOSIVE OPERATIONS

THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO INVESTIGATE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY AND COST EFFECTIVENESS OF VENTED SUPPRESSIVE SHIELDS (VSS) PROTECTIVE BARRIERS FOR EXPLOSIVE OPERATIONS. VSS WILL FUNCTION AS OVERPRESSURE, FRAGMENT AND THERMAL SUPPRESSORS TO PREVENT PROPAGATION OF CONFLAGRATION OR DETONATION WITHIN AND BETWEEN TEMPERATURE CONDITIONING UNITS, THEREBY IMPROVING THE SAFETY OF OPERATIONS IN THE VINCINITY OF THE TEMPERATURE CONDITIONING UNITS AND ALLOWING FOR SAFE REDUCTION OF QUANTITY-DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS. IN PHASE I, VSS ENCLOSURE AND SEPARATOR CONCEPTS WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR TEMPERATURE CONDITIONING UNITS FOR AMMUNITION TESTING. TWO LEVELS OF SUPPRESSION WILL BE CONSIDERED:(A) SUPPRESSION OF ROUND-TO-ROUND PROPAGATION TO MINIMIZE THE MAXIMUM CREDIBLE EVENT, AND (B) PREVENTION OF PROPAGATION BETWEEN TEMPERATURE CONIDITIONING UNITS. INFORMATION FROM PRIOR INVESTIGATIONS OF SUPPRESSION WILL BE APPLIED TO DESIGN AN EXPERIMENT TO DETERMINE SEPARATOR DESIGN PARAMETERS TO MITIGATE ROUNT-TO-ROUND PROPAGATION. VSS DESIGNS CAN BE ENCLOSURES OR BARRICADES DEPENDING ON THE OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS. DESIGNED VSS WILL BE MODULAR TO FACILITATE RECONFIGURATION, IF THE OPERATION IS CHANGED.