A transportable explosion chamber and method of operation for containing, controlling and suppressing explosive detonations, including the explosion surface hardening of impact-hardenable rail components. The apparatus comprises an elongate cylindrical steel containment vessel having an access door for introducing workpieces and a vent door for discharging explosion products. Both doors extend convexly into the vessel to facilitate the dissipation of explosion shock waves. Orificed vent pipes penetrate the vessel walls to controllably release explosion products into one or more exhaust manifolds. The vessel is surrounded and enclosed by steel skins supported by spaced octagonal steel support ribs fabricated by welding from interlocking elements. The hollows formed between the containment vessel and steel skins are filled with granular shock-damping silica sand which is introduced through filler openings at the top of the apparatus. To lighten the apparatus for transport, the shock-damping material may be drained through dump valves beneath the apparatus.

An explosive container positioning saddle for munition demolition includes a base having a first surface defined by a portion of a cylindrical shape with a longitudinal axis. The base includes a second surface opposing the first surface. Sleeves are coupled to the second surface of the base and extend away therefrom. Each of the sleeves has a longitudinal axis and is oriented such that the longitudinal axis associated therewith is aligned to intersect with the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical shape.

A head of an electrohydraulic discharge device of the invention comprises: —an end of a power cable having a first conductor and a second conductor, —an explosive wire comprising multiple segments assembled in a series, and —means for connecting each of the ends of the explosive wire to the end of the power cable.

A head of an electrohydraulic discharge device of the invention comprises: —an end of a power cable having a first conductor and a second conductor, —an explosive wire comprising multiple segments assembled in a series, and —means for connecting each of the ends of the explosive wire to the end of the power cable.

A compact energetic-breaching apparatus is provided. The compact energetic-breaching apparatus is configured to receive energetic materials for use in energetic breaching. The compact energetic-breaching apparatus may comprise a housing body with a receptacle to receive energetic materials. The compact energetic-breaching apparatus may further comprise a tamping material. The compact energetic-breaching apparatus may further comprise a metal liner which collapses upon detonation to form a cutting jet.

A compact energetic-breaching apparatus is provided. The compact energetic-breaching apparatus is configured to receive energetic materials for use in energetic breaching. The compact energetic-breaching apparatus may comprise a housing body with a receptacle to receive energetic materials. The compact energetic-breaching apparatus may further comprise a tamping material. The compact energetic-breaching apparatus may further comprise a metal liner which collapses upon detonation to form a cutting jet.

Particles of a fluorine-containing polymer used as a transparent solid material in an artificial transparent frozen soil is provided. The fluorine-containing polymer is poly[4,5-difluoro-2,2bis(trifluoromethyl)-1,3-dioxole-co-tetrafluoroethylene], with a refractive index of 1.31 and a density of 2.1-2.3 g/cm.sup.3. The particles have a particle diameter of 0.25-2.0 mm or a particle diameter 0.074 mm, and have irregular shapes. When particles of the fluorine-containing polymer are used as a transparent solid material for preparing a transparent frozen soil, the prepared transparent frozen soil has high transparency, low price, no toxicity and no harm, good similarity with the properties of a natural frozen soil body, can substitute natural frozen soil, is used for simulating complicated geological conditions, and is effectively used in model tests in geotechnical engineering.

Particles of a fluorine-containing polymer used as a transparent solid material in an artificial transparent frozen soil is provided. The fluorine-containing polymer is poly[4,5-difluoro-2,2bis(trifluoromethyl)-1,3-dioxole-co-tetrafluoroethylene], with a refractive index of 1.31 and a density of 2.1-2.3 g/cm.sup.3. The particles have a particle diameter of 0.25-2.0 mm or a particle diameter 0.074 mm, and have irregular shapes. When particles of the fluorine-containing polymer are used as a transparent solid material for preparing a transparent frozen soil, the prepared transparent frozen soil has high transparency, low price, no toxicity and no harm, good similarity with the properties of a natural frozen soil body, can substitute natural frozen soil, is used for simulating complicated geological conditions, and is effectively used in model tests in geotechnical engineering.

A method for preparing a charging plan for rock cavern excavation, in which plan drill hole locations for a round to be drilled in a tunnel face are determined in a predetermined coordinate system by using a drilling plan created by means of a computer-assisted design program. The method determines pull-out of a round on the basis of the locations of the hole ends and the topography of the rock remaining after a round blast, and designs or modifies a charging plan for a subsequent round on the basis of the thus determined pull-out.

A method for preparing a charging plan for rock cavern excavation, in which plan drill hole locations for a round to be drilled in a tunnel face are determined in a predetermined coordinate system by using a drilling plan created by means of a computer-assisted design program. The method determines pull-out of a round on the basis of the locations of the hole ends and the topography of the rock remaining after a round blast, and designs or modifies a charging plan for a subsequent round on the basis of the thus determined pull-out.