Response estimation of cylindrical shells subjected to deep-water explosions

Cylindrical shells are widely used as pressure-resistant components in deep-sea vehicle, and accurate assessment of their damage under deep-water explosive loading is of critical importance. Hydrostatic pressure in deep water contributes directly to the deformation of the cylindrical shell and indirectly by intensifying the water jet. These effects are not incorporated into existing assessment models developed for shallow-water conditions. Consequently, these models are inadequate for deep-water applications.This study integrates high-speed imaging from deep-water explosion experiments with numerical simulations to examine the response mechanisms of cylindrical shells subjected to shock waves, water jet, and hydrostatic pressure, and to identify the key physical parameters governing their deformation. The results indicate that within approximately (Formula presented), water jet dominates the deformation and has a greater influence than the shock wave. The shock-wave and water-jet response phases are decoupled to capture these depth-dependent effects. Dimensional and correlation analyses are employed to introduce a bubble-pulsation correction factor and a water-depth correction term that describe the role of hydrostatic pressure in cylindrical shell deformation. Based on these findings, an engineering evaluation model for predicting cylindrical shell damage under deep-water explosive loading is established, accounting for water depth, charge mass, and standoff distance. The proposed model demonstrates favorable applicability and provides valuable guidance for damage assessment of deep-sea structures.