Development and Application of the New Explosive Loading Experimental System of Digital Laser Dynamic Caustics

Abstract The new explosive loading experimental system of digital laser dynamic caustics was developed by replacing the conventional multi-spark point source light and the previous multi-frame film camera with the solid-state laser and the digital high-speed camera, respectively; namely, a new caustics experimental system of high-speed photography system using a combination of solid-state laser and digital high-speed camera was created. This new experimental system was used to conduct the crack propagation test of single-borehole explosion with defective medium and the double-boreholes explosive loading experiment to obtain the clear digital caustics photos. If compared with the conventional optical photos, these digital photos were found to be clearer with more reliable results and longer recording time, which demonstrates that the new system can meet the requirements of ultra-dynamic fracture problems such as blasting. The new optical system is simple, user-friendly, which ensures a low experimental cost, short cycle, and the continuous observation throughout the fracture process.