Ces travaux de thèse présentés dans ce mémoire concernent l’évolution d’onde de souffle en milieu non-idéalisé. L’évolution d’une onde de souffle en champ libre peut être décrite par divers résultats empiriques disponibles dans la littérature ou par des formulations théoriques. Pourtant, dès qu’il est question d’approuver les résultats d’un code de simulation décrivant l’évolution une onde de souffle dans un milieu complexe, les connaissances sur le développement des ondes en milieu idéalisé ne suffisent plus. Dès lors, il faut acquérir de nouvelles données expérimentales afin de valider les différents outils de simulation du CEA. Les résultats de ce mémoire s’inscrivent dans ce projet. Des essais à petite échelle ont été dimensionnés afin de correspondre à un scénario avec une nature d’explosif différente de celle employée au laboratoire. La charge utilisée est gazeuse et est constituée de propane-oxygène en proportion stœchiométrique. Pour mesurer les différentes caractéristiques des ondes de souffle et d’acquérir de nouveaux résultats, deux systèmes de mesure ont été utilisées. Des capteurs de pression ont été installés au sol, couplés à un système de visualisation avec une caméra rapide dont le montage se rapproche de l’ombroscopie. Plusieurs configurations ont permis d’avoir une base solide sur les grandeurs définissant les ondes incidentes et réfléchies en champ libre. L’étude porte essentiellement sur la réflexion de Mach. Par la suite des obstacles isolés ont été installés sur le parcours d’une onde incidente ou de Mach afin de représenter des effets de surface. Les résultats ont montré une modification des caractéristiques et de la morphologie des ondes à l’aval des obstacles. / The study presented in this thesis concerns the evolution of a shock wave in a non-idealized environnment. The evolution of a free-field shock wave can be described by various empirical results found in the literature or by theoretical formulations. However, as soon as it is a question of approving the results of a simulation code describing the evolution of a shock wave in a complex environnment, knowledge about the development of waves in a free-field is no longer sufficient. Therefore, new experimental data must be acquired to validate the different simulation tools in-house. The results of this thesis are part of this project. Small-scale tests have been sized to fit a scenario with an explosive nature different from that used in the laboratory. The source used is gaseous and made of propane oxygen at a stoichiometric proportion. To measure the different characteristics of a shock wave and to acquire new results, two measurement systems were used. Pressure sensors have been installed on the ground, coupled with a visualization system with a high speed camera whose is close to shadowscopy. Several configurations allowed to have solid basis on the characteristics defining the incident and reflected shock waves in free field. The study focuses on Mach's reflection moreover on Mach stem. Subsequently isolated obstacles were installed on the path of an incident wave or Mach’s reflection to represent surface effects. The results showed a change in the characteristics and morphology of the waves downstream of the obstacles.

In Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, explosions accounted for 81% of all injuries; this is a higher casualty percentage than in any previous wars. Blast wave overpressure has recently been associated with varying levels of traumatic brain injury in soldiers exposed to blast loading. Presently, the injury mechanism behind primary blast brain injury is not well understood due to the complex interactions between the blast wave and the human body. Despite these limitations in the understanding of head injury thresholds, head kinematics are often used to predict the overall potential for head injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate head kinematics, and predict injury from a range of simulated blast loads at varying standoff distances and differing heights of bursts. The validated Generator of body data multi-body human surrogate model allows for numerical kinematic data simulation in explicit finite element method fluid structure interaction blast modeling. Two finite element methods were investigated to simulate blast interaction with humans, an enhanced blast uncoupled method, and an Arbitrary Lagrangian Eularian fully coupled method. The enhanced blast method defines an air blast function through the application of a blast pressure wave, including ground reflections, based on the explosives relative location to a target; the pressures curves are based on the Convention Weapons databases. LBE model is efficient for parametric numerical studies of blast interaction where the target response is the only necessary result. The ALE model, unlike classical Lagrangian methods, has a fixed finite element mesh that allows material to flow through it; this enables simulation of large deformation problems such as blast in an air medium and its subsequent interaction with structures. The ALE model should be used when research into a specific blast scenario is of interest, since this method is more computationally expensive. The ALE method can evaluate a blast scenario in more detail including: explosive detonation, blast wave development and propagation, near-field fireball effects, blast wave reflection, as well as 3D blast wave interaction, reflection and refraction with a target. Both approaches were validated against experimental blast tests performed by Defense Research and Development Valcartier and ConWep databases for peak pressure, arrival time, impulse, and curve shape. The models were in good agreement with one another and follow the experimental data trend showing an exponential reduction in peak acceleration with increasing standoff distance until the Mach stem effect reached head height. The Mach stem phenomenon is a shock front formed by the merging of the incident and reflected shock waves; it increases the applied peak pressure and duration of a blast wave thus expanding the potential head injury zone surrounding a raised explosive. The enhanced blast model was in good agreement with experimental data in the near-field, and mid-field; however, overestimated the peak acceleration, and head injury criteria values in the far-field due to an over predicted pressure impulse force. The ALE model also over predicted the response based on the head injury criteria at an increased standoff distance due to smearing of the blast wave over several finite elements leading to an increased duration loading. According to the Abbreviated Injury Scale, the models predicted a maximal level 6 injury for all explosive sizes in the near-field, with a rapid acceleration of the head over approximately 1 ms. There is a drastic exponential reduction in the insult force and potential injury received with increasing standoff distance outside of the near-field region of an explosive charge.