Blast mitigation strategies have been changing in the last few decades as explosions are no longer confined to the battlefield. In this talk, Dr Obed Isaac will be presenting different strategies and techniques that have been employed to design structures to protect lives and infrastructure, and how they are currently adapting to address the threats of urban terrorism. From the no-brainer solid barrier as a safety structure to the use of mist fountains and even foliage, blast mitigation methods have come a long way. Our recent research work on pre-fractal obstacles for blast mitigation will be presented as an illustration of this transformation.
The Terrorism Risk Assessment, Modelling and Mitigation Seminar Series (TRAMMSS) is a virtual seminar series focused on technical topics related to terrorism risk assessment, and modelling, including blast modelling and response; IEDs; vehicles as weapons; CBRN; big data for risk assessment, security and screening; and associated mitigation measures.
Speakers
Dr Obed Isaac is a Research Associate at the Therapeutics Research Lab in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science at Duke University in the USA. He is currently working on a NIH sponsored project to develop a new lithotripter device that can have a steerable focal region, which will result in reduced tissue damage while treating urolithiasis patients. His graduate research, carried out at the Laboratory for Hypersonic and Shockwave Research, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, was on characterising blast waves from a non-electric detonation cord (Nonel tube). He then worked on his PhD dissertation at the same laboratory where he worked on adapting a compressed gas shock tube to generate blast waves of varying positive durations. A geometric variant of the conventional shock tube was conceptualised and successfully demonstrated, for the first time, to show impulse loading on metal plates using compressed inert gas. He was a post-doctoral associate at the Blast & Impact Dynamics Research Laboratory at the University of Sheffield, UK, where he worked on blast mitigation using pre-fractal shaped obstacles. Prior to his stint at Sheffield, he worked on several industrial applications of shock waves.
Who should attend
This seminar is open to guests from outside Cranfield, who may work in academia, research, or industry. Due to the potentially sensitive nature of this seminar series, guests should be able to show that they are affiliated with an appropriate bona fide organisation.
Cost
The event is free of charge, but participants must register for the TRAMMSS mailing list in advance.How to register
To attend this seminar, you must register for the TRAMMSS mailing list via the online form.
Further information on the TRAMMSS community can be found on the TRAMMSS web page.
