Influence of Initiation Modes in the Bundle-Series Initiation of a Large Number of Shock Tubes by Detonators

Abstract

The bundle-series initiation is currently used as the method for simultaneously transmitting blast signals from a detonator to a large number of shock tubes for blasting using shock tubes and its initiation modes affect the ability and probability of signal transmission. A numerical study of the influence of initiation modes on the pressure impulse generated by detonators and transmitted to a large number of shock tubes has been undertaken with ANSYS AUTODYN code and validated through experimental results of signal transmission probability of shock tubes. Numerical simulations and experiments used lateral and frontal bundle-series initiation modes for a large number of shock tubes. For a bundle of many shock tubes, peak pressures of pressure impulses affected within all shock tubes beside the first layer around a detonator, and signal transmission probabilities were higher for frontal bundle-series initiation mode than for lateral bundle-series initiation mode. The magnitude of a numerically obtained pressure impulse to a bundle of shock tubes shows a good correlation with the experimentally obtained signal transmission probability of shock tubes. Finally, the results are employed in the application of a frontal bundle-series initiation mode with the simultaneous bundle-series initiating a large number of shock tubes for blastings in mining and construction.