How does a bomb blast work?

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 00:19:02 -0500

This picture depicts the phases which occur during a bomb blast.

Response by MAJ Rene De La Rosa made Jan 12 at 2016 12:23 AM

MAJ Rene De La Rosa — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 00:23:32 -0500

Nice graphics; this helps to explain the TBI process and what occurs when an IED goes off.

Response by COL Charles Williams made Jan 12 at 2016 12:49 AM

COL Charles Williams — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 00:49:15 -0500

I do... The best training I ever attended, was the Security Design course conducted by the US Army Corps of Engineers, which teaches you haow blast waves actually act, and how to mitigate them via proper security construction measures. CPT Private RallyPoint Member

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Jan 12 at 2016 2:42 AM

Capt Seid Waddell — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 02:42:27 -0500

I never knew that the shrapnel was sucked back in - I thought its momentum sent to outward only.
Very interesting.

Response by TSgt David L. made Jan 12 at 2016 2:53 AM

TSgt David L. — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 02:53:02 -0500

This is an overly simplified explanation but cuts to the chase. For those with no background it is an generic "ACME" heads up.

Response by PO2 Mark Saffell made Jan 12 at 2016 7:00 AM

PO2 Mark Saffell — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 07:00:36 -0500

Cant say I have thought about this for many years. In the Navy my "C" School was Radiac Maint and decom. In school we had huge pictures of the test blast at Bikini Atoll. The vacuum of the blast and the sucking back in is what causes the mushroom cloud as all that force has to go someplace.

Response by SPC George Rudenko made Jan 12 at 2016 3:21 PM

SPC George Rudenko — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 15:21:36 -0500

From the science dude. Think about it from energy. First a gigantic release of energy that creates high pressure, heat, sound. That energy is projected out in all directions (like a ball or sphere) . But then, IF the explosive is big enough, there is an extreme low pressure valley created in the center. That causes the backwards wave. This happens in any explosion that is exothermic(releasing heat and energy). There is a great video of an atomic blast where the pressure wave makes trees go forward and back ahead of heat wave.