Patent ID: 7946149

Claim:
An apparatus for testing absorbency of an object with respect to energy associated with an explosion, the apparatus comprising: a shield characterized by an aperture having a horizontal periphery; a load transducer including an upper transducer structure and a lower transducer structure, said upper transducer structure being characterized by a recess having a horizontal recessed surface; a base on which said lower transducer structure is mounted; a housing securing said shield and said base; an upper interface member that is conformal with said aperture; and a lower interface member that is conformal with said recess; said apparatus being combinable with a specimen so that: said specimen is sandwiched between said upper interface member and said lower interface member; said upper interface member is in a horizontal position in said aperture; said lower interface member is in a horizontal position in said recess and adjoining said recessed surface; upon detonation of an explosive device that is distanced above said upper interface member, a quantity of explosive energy is encountered by said specimen so that a first portion of the encountered explosive energy is absorbed by said specimen and a second portion of the encountered explosive energy is not absorbed by said specimen and is transmitted to said load transducer; said load transducer measures loading associated with said second portion of the encountered explosive energy; said loading measurement by said load transducer is indicative of the amount of said second portion of the encountered explosive energy.