This paper presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to investiagate the effect of expansion chamber on overpressure reduction in protective tunnels subjected to detonation of high explosives. A commercial CFD code, Viper::Blast, was used to model the blast waves in a protective tunnel with a length of 160 m, width of 8.9 m and height of 7.2 m. Blast scenarios and simulation matrix were establihsed in consideration of the design parameters of expansion chamber, including the chamber lengths of 6.1 m to 12.1 m, widths of 10.7 m to 97 m, length to width ratios of 0.0 to 5.0, heights of 8.0 m and 14.9 m, and ratios of chamber to tunnel width of 1.2 to 10.9 m. A charge weight of TNT of 1000 kg was used. The mesh sizes of the numerical model of the protective tunnel were determined based on a mesh convergence study. A parametric study based on the simulation matrix was performed using the proposed CFD tunnel model and the optimized shape of expansion chamber of the considered tunnel was then proposed based on the numerical results. Design recommendations for the use of expansion chamber in protective tunnel under blast loads to reduce the internal overpressures were finally provided.

In all larger hardmetal workshops furnaces for dewaxing, vacuum sintering or vacuum and overpressure sintering are today's standard. The furnace technology is well established. Equipment specifications such as operating overpressure, determine sintering cost, product quality, safety and reliability of the furnace and ultimately influence the competitiveness of the hard metal procucer in the global market. Essential furnace requirements are an efficient utilization of the furnace, an environmental friendly dewaxing system, high temperature uniformity, metallurgical treatment with process gases, as well as reduced cooling time by means of rapid cooling. Examples of reduced sintering costs are described achieved using a new design of vacuum sintering furnace with an improved rapid cooling device, cooling times are reduced by up to 45%. Additionally, a cost comparison of two different designs of vacuum overpressure sintering furnaces are included.