The TNT equivalent is a measure of the energy release of high-energy events, expressed in the amount of TNT ( trinitrotoluene , TNT) that releases an equal amount of energy during an explosion.
The specific energy of the explosive decomposition of trinitrotoluene, depending on the conditions of the explosion, varies in the range of 980–1100 cal / g. For comparison of different types of explosives, conventionally accepted values are 1000 cal / g and 4184 J / g.
Content
Derived Values
- 1 gram of trinitrotoluene emits 1000 thermochemical calories , or 4184 joules ;
- 1 kilogram of TNT = 4.184⋅10 6 J = 4.184 M J;
- 1 ton of TNT = 4.184⋅10 9 J = 4.184 G J;
- 1 kiloton (ct) TNT = 4.184⋅10 12 J = 4.184 T J;
- 1 megaton (MT) TNT = 4.184⋅10 15 J = 4.184 P J;
- 1 gigatonne (Gt) TNT = 4.184⋅10 18 J = 4.184 Oe J.
Usage and Examples
These units are used to estimate the energy released during nuclear explosions , explosions of chemical explosive devices, falls of asteroids and comets, explosions of volcanoes, etc.
In particular, the TNT equivalent can characterize the power of a nuclear explosion . It is equal to the mass of a TNT (trinitrotoluene) charge, the energy of which during an explosion would be equivalent to the explosion energy of a given nuclear weapon. For example, the energy released during the fission of all the nuclei contained in one kilogram of uranium-235 or plutonium-239 [1] (~ 80 TJ) is approximately equal to the explosion energy of 20 thousand tons of TNT.
Thus, according to various estimates, the energy of the explosion of the Malysh nuclear bomb over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 is from 13 to 18 kt TNT, which corresponds to the complete conversion of approximately 0.7 g of matter into energy:
- E = mc 2 = 0.0007 kg (3⋅10 8 m / s) 2 = 63⋅10 12 J ≈ 15 kt TNT.
For comparison, the total world electricity consumption in 2005 (5⋅10 20 J) is equal to 120 Gt TNT, or on average 3.8 KT TNT per second.
The energy release during the fall of the Tunguska meteorite is estimated at 10-30 Mt TNT. The explosion of the volcano Krakatau in 1883 released about 200 Mt of energy in TNT equivalent. The total energy released in the Indian Ocean earthquake that caused a catastrophic tsunami on December 26, 2004 (magnitude 9.3 points) is equivalent to 9600 gigatons ( 4 · 10 22 J ) [2] , but the energy released on the surface of the ocean floor was hundreds thousand times smaller and equivalent to only 26 megatons [3] .
TNT explosive equivalent
The TNT equivalent of explosives is a coefficient that indicates how many times stronger or weaker a given substance is compared to TNT [4] [5] (occasionally a similar comparative coefficient may be introduced relative to other widely used substances)
- TNT - 1.0
- Tritonal - 1.53
- RDX - up to 1.3-1.6
- TEN - 1.39
- Ammonal - 0.99
- Gunpowder - 0.55-0.66
- TNRS - 0.39
- Tetrile - 1.15-1.25
- EGDN - 1.6
- Octogen - 1.7
Notes
- ↑ On fission of one nucleus 235 U or 239 Pu, an average of about 200 MeV (~ 3.2 · 10 −11 J ) of energy is released; the number of nuclei of these isotopes in one kilogram is about 2.5 · 10 24 pieces .
- ↑ USGS, Harvard Moment Tensor Solution . National Earthquake Information Center, US Geological Survey (December 26, 2004). Date of treatment August 12, 2010. Archived January 17, 2010.
- ↑ USGS Energy and Broadband Solution . National Earthquake Information Center, US Geological Survey. Date of treatment August 12, 2010. Archived April 4, 2010.
- ↑ Course "Belarusian Railways: Defense in emergencies and civil defense"
- ↑ John Pichtel, Terrorism and WMDs: Awareness and Response - CRC Press, 2011, ISBN 9781439851760 , page 255—257 Box 6.5 Relative effectiveness factor for explosives.
Links
- TNT equivalent - an article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia . (unavailable link) Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- US Army Explosives and Demolitions Handbook 2013, page 6 “Section II. Military explosives and special charges, 4. Definitions. d "
- Explosives 101: RE Factor , Dixon Hill, 2012