On the constitutive description of the microinteractions concept in steam explosions Original Research Article

This paper elaborates on the constitutive description of the `Microinteractionsʹ model used by the computer code ESPROSE.m to simulate the propagation phase of steam explosions. The approach is based on a series of experiments, in the SIGMA-2000 facility, involving molten drops of tin caused to explode under sustained pressure fields, an environment similar to that of a fully developed large-scale detonation. The experimental ranges cover shock pressures of up to 204 bar and melt temperatures of up to 1800°C; a series of isothermal runs, using gallium drops, are also included. The results indicate that, to a first approximation, the basic form of the constitutive laws hypothesized in the original formulation of ESPROSE.m is appropriate. Moreover, through detailed comparison of data with numerical experiments, certain parameters appearing in these laws could be identified quantitatively.