Blast Waves in a Room: Impact on Standing Behind Large Machine

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the effects of blast waves from multiple stun grenades detonating in a confined space, specifically considering the experience of a person positioned behind a large machine in a room. The scope includes theoretical implications of blast wave behavior, reflections, and the protective qualities of the room's dimensions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant wonders about the protective effect of the room's dimensions against blast waves from stun grenades, questioning whether being behind a machine would provide sufficient safety.
  • Another participant references a historical event involving Adolf Hitler, noting that while some individuals were killed, Hitler sustained only minor injuries, suggesting that structural factors may influence blast effects.
  • A follow-up comment emphasizes that in the historical case, the walls did not remain intact, which could have affected the blast wave reflections, contrasting it with the current scenario where the walls are present.
  • Further clarification is provided regarding the explosive power of stun grenades compared to plastic explosives, indicating that the former has a significantly lower explosive yield.
  • Another participant explains that modern stun grenades are designed to contain the blast within the casing, with specific openings for sound and light, which could impact the experience of individuals in the room, particularly regarding auditory and visual effects.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the protective effects of the room and the nature of the blast waves. There is no consensus on the overall impact of the stun grenades or the comparison to historical events involving larger explosives.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various factors that could influence the effects of the blast waves, such as room clutter, wall materials, and the specific design of stun grenades, but these factors remain unresolved in the discussion.

GTOM
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No i don't want to blow up anything, just wonder about story possibilities, solely for writing.
Lets suppose that dozen stun grenades blows in a room, that is at least 10m long, 5m wide, 4m tall, with a large machine(generator) in the middle, the majority of the grenades not so far from the entry door.
What would someone at the other end of the room, behind the machine, experience?
While no shrapnels could hit him, but blast waves reflects from the walls, and stun greandes operates with blast waves. Could the sizes of the room be enough protection, or it would be similar to standing next to a detonating grenade?
 
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newjerseyrunner said:
Something very similar happened to Adolf Hilter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_July_plot 4 of the people in the room were killed, Hilter only suffered some minor injuries and a blown out ear drum.
In this case, the walls didnt stand, so no reflected waves, although it is still useful, that some wood was enough to protect from worst of the blast.
 
newjerseyrunner said:
Something very similar happened to Adolf Hilter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_July_plot 4 of the people in the room were killed, Hilter only suffered some minor injuries and a blown out ear drum.

In that case there was over a kilo of plastic explosive in the room. GTOM is talking about multiple (for some reason) stun grenades. Their explosive power is a lot lower.
 
Ryan_m_b said:
In that case there was over a kilo of plastic explosive in the room. GTOM is talking about multiple (for some reason) stun grenades. Their explosive power is a lot lower.

Attackers are a police force they don't wield HE usually. Although probably escapees blow their own bomb near to the entryway when they break in.
 
The casing of modern stun grenades doesn't fragment when the grenade explodes. The blast is mostly contained within the casing, and holes are cut out of the casing so that sound and light from the explosion can escape. So anyone in the room but out of LOS will still experience a deafening sound and may be blinded for several seconds depending on how well the walls reflect the light, how cluttered the room is, and a number of other details.
 

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