Internal Temperature and Pressure and the Rate of Mass Loss from Hand Thrown Smoke Grenades

Abstract

The functioning of commercially available coloured smoke grenades were analysed and compared to the underlying physical processes occurring within the pyrotechnic device. Measurements of exit and external temperatures mirrored data acquired of internal temperatures, leading to a strong qualitative correspondence between the sets of measurements. Simple modelling qualitatively describes the burning process, yielding back‐engineering information regarding the types of dyes used within the coloured smokes and shows that these are a good benchmark against which other typical studies ought to be developed. Measurements of internal pressures, coupled with those of the internal temperatures are used to model the mass loss of the grenade. This more complex simulation shows good quantitative correspondence with the experimental mass loss and promises to be the basis for more rigorous studies in the future for any type of pyrotechnic based smoke system.