Research on standardized application of digital electronic detonators in drilling and blasting design for pumped-storage power stations

With digital electronic detonators (DED) progressively replacing non-electric millisecond detonators (NMD) in hydropower tunnel blasting operations, this study quantitatively investigates their consumption variance to improve the estimation accuracy of detonator consumption. Through comparative analysis of blasting network designs, we identify the external-hole relay detonation mechanism inherent in NMD systems as the fundamental cause of consumption differences. An adjustment coefficient P per , is established to quantify DED substitution metrics, theoretically derived as 0.85. Theoretically, the adjustment coefficient P per is primarily determined by the structure of the blasting initiation network and does not have a direct analytical dependence on rock grade or excavation cross-sectional area, correlating solely with the number of bound detonation transmission tubes. Field data from pumped-storage power stations were analysed using a Least Squares Support Vector Regression (LSVR) model optimised by an improved Cultural-Genetic Algorithm (CGA), yielding an empirical P-value of 0.826. The empirical adjustment coefficient obtained from the engineering data is 0.826, which shows a deviation of less than 3% from the theoretically derived value of 0.85, indicating good agreement between the theoretical analysis and the measured engineering data. This coefficient provides a critical operational parameter enabling precise calculation of DED material requirements post-NMD replacement. The findings help clarify the detonator-consumption relationship under typical tunnel blasting conditions regarding detonator consumption equivalence during technological transition, providing a preliminary quantitative basis for blasting quota adjustments and investment optimisation in hydropower infrastructure projects. The established framework may support the standardised adaptation of next-generation initiation systems in rock excavation engineering.