A blast wave generator in MARTEL facility to simulate overpressure induced by solid rocket motor at lift- off

The ignition of the solid rocket motor of heavy lau nch vehicles induces a strongly impulsive wave at lift-off, which may generate constraints on the pay load and the equipments. To implement research studies in the field of blast wave, it was decided to develop in the MARTEL facility a system able to simulate this blast wave. The objective is to chara cterize the phenomenon, to validate numerical methods and to assess reduction systems. This paper describes the blast wave generator principle and its capabilities obtained in free field and in pres ence of a trench.