Experimental and numerical investigation of the dynamic response of structures subjected to underwater explosion

The propagation of the shock wave and the bubble pulse of an underwater explosion and the dynamic response of a cylindrical shell were examined in a water pool. Numerical simulations of the experimental model were performed using the MSC.DYTRAN software, which included a developed subroutine that defined the initial conditions of the fluid field. A fluid-structure interaction method was introduced to define the interaction between the water and the cylindrical shell. The finite element models were built according to the experimental models, and the calculated results were compared with the experimental data. It was found that the artificial bulk viscosity had a significant effect on the peak pressure of the shock wave. The peak pressure of the shock wave, the period of the bubble pulse and the deformation displacement of the cylinder were consistent between the experiment and the finite element analysis. The effects of the length-to-diameter ratio and the angle to the peak pressure of the shock wave for a cylindrical explosive were discussed. Different plastic deformations were measured at different standoff distances, obtaining generalising curves.