Reduced Formula of Explosive Safety Quantity Distance (ESQD)

for Field Ammunition

XUAN Zhaolong, YI Jianzheng & DUAN Zhiqiang
(Department 3 of Mechanical Engineering College, Shijiazhuang 050003, Hebei, China)

Abstract: The quantity distance (QD) is the distance to which explosion hazards extend from the detonation location, expressed as a function of the quantity of

explosive material involved. The current explosive safety quantity distance (ESQD) calculation is too inconvenient to carry out in the field condition. In this

paper the reduced formula of ESQD for field ammunition was discussed which based on some hypothesis including mass detonation, no barricade and so on. It

can shorten the period of deciding the distribution of field ammunition in the war which is very important to improve our support capability effectively.

Keywords: quantity distance (QD); ammunition; safety; explosive; field magazine

1 Introduction
Explosive material, an inseparable component in ammunition and ordnance, is essential to military weapon system production
and use. Explosive also have an inherent hazardous nature. The explosive properties of ammunition make it necessary for restriction
in logistic function like handling and storage that are unlike all other commodities used by the military. Thus the commodity that is
most crucial to combat readiness is also governed by the most stringent safety standards for its storage, transportation, and
distribution. In the past years, a number of significant explosive incidents have occurred which resulted in the evolution of Explosive
safety quantity distance (ESQD) arcs. These ESQD arcs are at the core of current explosive safety standards and focus on minimizing
exposure of personnel and facilities to ordnance storage and handling. The distances of these safety arcs are expressed as a function
of the quantity of explosive material at any location and the area that would be affected in the event of detonation [1-2].
There is no question that establishment of explosive safety standards and quantity distance criteria has reduced the risk and
enhanced personnel safety. Calculating ESQD arcs is not a problem if you have sufficient time. However, there was not enough time
to calculate by rule and line in the battlefield that has made it more difficult to carry out strictly. Maintaining strict calculation is
costly and at times inefficient. For example one of complicated problem not easy to solve is the calculation of NEW (net explosive
weight) because there are all kinds of ammunition. So the QD calculation is complicated and often inhibits effective ammunition
logistics and can actually slow the flow of munitions to the war. In this paper we seek redress for maintaining explosive safety while
enhancing ordnance logistics and combat readiness by establishing a “reduced” formula of calculating ESQD for field ammunition.
2 Illation of Reduced Formula of ESQD
2.1 Type of Formula
The “current” QD’s are determined based on the current U.S. and NATO safety standards. They are based on 3 principle factors.
The first is the amount of explosive in a given storage unit, called the net explosive weight (NEW), if measured in pounds, or the net
explosive quantity (NEQ), if in kilograms. The second factor is related to the type of storage; i.e., open storage, storage in a light
structure, in an earth-covered magazine, etc. The third factor is the level of risk that is acceptable, such as a one-percent probability
of a casualty for exposed personnel. The risk factors in turn, are used to establish hazard criteria, such as a maximum level of airblast
pressure or a maximum number of fragment impacts per unit area [3].
Throughout these standards, NEW is used to calculate distance by means of formula of the type D=K·W1/3, when D is the
distance in feet, K is a factor depending upon the risk assumed or permitted, and W is the NEW in pounds. When metric units are
used, the symbol Q denotes NEQ in kilograms. In the formula D=K·Q1/3, the distance D is expressed in meters. Thus, the respective
units of K are ft/lb1/3 and m/kg1/3 in the 2 systems[4]. The value of K in English units is approximately 2.5 times its value in metric
units. For example, if D(m)=6·Q1/3, then D(ft)=15·W1/3. In this paper we follow the metric units.
In addition the QD computations sometimes are expressed as D=K·W1/2 in some reference. Of course the value of K is modified
accordingly. So the essential and principle of the 2 formulas above go all the way actually. Thus we continue to use the idiomatic
“cube root” formula.
2.2 Value of K
In the QD calculation K is a variable adapt to relevant explosive and depot. We can take a constant extremum replace the
coefficient in order to reduce the complicated process of calculation.
60
 We know that the principal hazards of concern may be airblast, fragments (primary fragments are from munition casings;
secondary fragments or debris are from items, material, or structures around the detonation source), or ground shock. Among all
factors the airblast is the most important to bring hazard. It has been proved by many testing results that person will be flesh
wounded, and the common building and airplane will be destroyed when the blast overpressure reaches 0.2-0.3 kPa. The person will
be grievous bodily harm or died, and the concrete building will be broken down, and the landmine will be detonated when the blast
overpressure reaches 0.5-1.0 kPa.
In order to reduce the complicated process of calculation we should select the appropriate value of K on some assumption at
first. For example we take no account of the tropism of magazine and the barricade placed near a donor or acceptor unit to intercept
fragment and/or defect airblast loads. In addition we consider that the type of field magazine belongs to the mass detonating items. To
field magazine without barricade we calculate the intermagazine distance based on the floor level of the blast overpressure ( ≤0.5
kPa), here the value of K is 4.4 when mass detonates. Because the value aims at the condition when the blast overpressure is lower
limit and the sympathetic detonation of most ammunition can’t occur when the blast overpressure is lower than it. In addition the
ammunition packaging has some fence performance. So it has surplus that we decide the value of K as 4.4 and it can ensure the safety
of field ammunition avoiding propagation. The decision is accordant to the experiment result of ground magazine without barricade
in US correlative standards.
In the same way we can get the assurance coefficient to calculate the inhabited building and public traffic route distances.
Separation distances required from standard earth-covered magazines and other types of ground magazines must satisfy some
request. For example the missionary of magazine and the conveyance must keep appropriate distance to ammunition magazine. On
the one hand they should be near to magazine in order to response as soon as possible when meet emergent accident. On the other
hand they should be safe enough in order to continue to carry out task after some blast accident. In this paper we decide the value of
K as 9.6 when calculate the inhabited building and public traffic route distances. It is corresponding to the blast overpressure as 0.16
kPa. The distance gives some attention to both safety and reaction of person and vehicle contemporary.
2.3 Determination of NEQ
The first step in defining the QD’s for mixed loads of ammunition is to determine the total NEQ in each load [5-6]. NEQ is the net
explosive quantity, in kilograms, of a unit of explosive material. The unit referred to may be a single round, a stack, a container load,
a storage area, etc. The usual modus operandi is to calculate the NEQ of every kind of munition’s explosive and change it for
equivalent weight of TNT. The formula is showed in follow.
W=WI·QV /QT (1)
W — equivalent TNT weight of explosive
WI — quantity of explosive, kg
QV — explosive heat of explosive, kJ/kg
QT — explosive heat of TNT, kJ/kg
In fact the kind of ammunition and explosive is so various that the calculation becomes much complicated, especially in
battlefield. In order to reduce the process we classify and compute the quantity of all kind’s of ammunition’s explosive. The
statistical data is analyzed synthetically then we can find the correlation coefficient of the quantity of ammunition and the equivalent
TNT weight of explosive. Thus we can calculate the equivalent TNT weight quickly when only know the quantity of ammunition.
The formula is showed as
W′= α·WD (2)
W′— equivalent TNT weight of ammunition
α — coefficient converting into equivalent TNT weight
WD — quantity of ammunition (including packaging)
We classify all ammunition based on the calculation result of the equivalent TNT weight of ammunition and the quantity of
ammunition (including packaging). This includes the 4 principal divisions in Table 1. They are “non-robust” munitions, “robust”
munitions, rocket ammunition, recoilless ammunition and grenade et al. Of course the data in Table 1 are worked technically in order
to keep secret.

61
 Table 1 Coefficient of converting into equivalent TNT weight
Name Value range of α Authentic value of α
cartridge 0.02-0.10
signal shell, flares, smoke rounds, etc. 0.02 0.10
grenade 0.01-0.05
mortar shell 0.08-0.14
0.16
breech-loading ammunition 0.10-0.16
rocket ammunition 0.16-0.26
0.26
rocker launcher shell 0.12-0.26
recoilless ammunition 0.14-0.20
0.20
hand grenade 0.09-0.18

2.4 Reduced Formula of ESQD

From the determination of assurance coefficient and NEQ we get the ESQD of field ammunition as follow.
n 1
Rs = 4.4( �aiWDi ) 3
(3)
i =1

n 1
Rd = 9.6( �a iWDi ) 3
(4)
i =1

Rs — QD prevent sympathetic detonation (i.e. the intermagazine distance)

Rd — QD prevent detonation damage (i.e. the inhabited building and public traffic route distances)
αi — coefficient converting into equivalent TNT weight of some ammunition
WDi — quantity of some ammunition (including packaging)
From the formula we can calculate the ESQD quickly on if we know the quality of all kinds of ammunition in magazine when
design and deploy the field magazine or pile. In the reduced calculation ESQD has enough safety for the follow reasons. 1) We have
a hypothesis that the field ammunition (magazine, stowage or load) belongs to mass detonating items. 2) We think the explosion is
under the condition of no barricade. 3) We adopt the upper limit of K and α.
Based on the regulation that the capability of filed magazine can’t exceed 30 T, the max ESQD according to reduced formula
should be 87.3 m when we adopt the max coefficient 0.26 converting into equivalent TNT weight. The least ESQD according to
reduced formula should be 63.5 m when we adopt the least coefficient 0.10 converting into equivalent TNT weight. The calculation
result is reasonable by contrast with the fact. Of course the ESQD should reduce properly when there is barricade such as hill
between the magazines.
3 Conclusions
The requirements of the current QD are a constant equation between 2 variables. The first variable describes effects of an
explosion, and the second, more constant variable defines the permissible exposures for personnel. To decide the ESQD of field
ammunition, many factors must be considered and the calculation is very complex [7]. The reduced formula based on the hypothesis
including mass detonation and no barricade has security to deposit field ammunition which according to upper value. The
consolidated formula from the effects of explosions and the permissible exposure for personnel allows for the determination of safe
distance arcs for any given quantity and type of explosive. The reduced formula is very feasible to distribute the field magazine in a
normal field condition. It can shorten the period of deciding the distribution of field ammunition in the war which is very important
to improve our support capability.

References

[1] Yi Jianzheng. Safety Handbook of Managing Ammunition. Beijing: PLA Press, 1995. 48(in Chinese)

[2] Wang Peilan, Li Guiming. Safety Technology of Exploder and Pyrotechnical. Beijing: Beijing Institute of Technology Press, 1996. 102(in Chinese)

[3] Naval Ordnance Center. Report on the Independent Review, Analysis, and Recommendations of JODWAR-97,1998

62
[4] The Secretary of Defense, DoD 6055.9-STD, DoD Ammunition and Explosive Safety Standards. Washington, D.C., 1997

[5] Sensitive Munitions Office. Sensitivity of munitions refers to the amount of outside influence required to detonate an explosive. Naval Sea System

Command, SEA 05M, 1999

[6] Department of Defense. DOD Ammunition and Explosives Safety Standards. DOD 6055.9-STD, 1997

[7] Michael C Herb. The Explosives Safety in Operational Logistics. School of Advanced Military Studies Command and General Staff College. Kansas,

2001

63