A brief comparison of the frequency spectra from the Hussar 2011 and Priddis 2012 test shoots and the theoretical predictions of the Sharpe Hollow Cavity Model

Christopher Craig Petten, Gary F. Margrave

This paper provides a brief investigation of the frequency spectra from the Hussar 2011 and Priddis 2012 test shoots conducted by CREWES and the theoretical predictions in regards to the Sharpe Hollow Cavity Model (SHCM), with the intended purpose of testing the viability of this model to predict the nature of elastic waves emitted by an explosive pressure source. It was found that the overall form of the frequency spectra predicted by the SHCM coincided with that of the data obtained in both Hussar and Priddis. The dominant frequency in each study decreased with increased charge size and there was also a loss in high-frequency content with smaller charges, which were two observations predicted by the SHCM. The data from Hussar however showed significant variation in the high-frequency content for all charge sizes compared to the frequency spectra obtained from Priddis. There was also a low-frequency roll-off in both field studies which was consistent with the frequency spectra resulting from the pressure pulse chosen for the SHCM in a previous study. Overall this data suggests that the SHCM can provide a viable theoretical framework for predicting the nature of elastic waves emitted from explosive pressure sources.