  In this paper, we introduce techniques for animating explosions and their
effects. The primary effect of an explosion is a disturbance that causes a
shock wave to propagate through the surrounding medium. This disturbance
determines the behavior of nearly all other secondary effects seen in
explosions. We simulate the propagation of an explosion through the surrounding
air using a computational fluid dynamics model based on the equations for
compressible, viscous flow. To model the numerically stable formulation of
shocks along blast wave fronts, we employ an integration method that can handle
steep gradients without introducing inappropriate damping. The system includes
two-way coupling between solid objects and surrounding fluid. Using this
technique, we can generate a variety of effects including shaped explosive
charges, a projectile propelled from a chamber by an explosion, and objects
damaged by a blast. With appropriate rendering techniques, our explosion model
can be used to create such visual effects such as fireballs, dust clouds, and
the refraction of light caused by a blast wave.
