Abstract
Underwater machinery usually involves waterproof problems. An inflatable waterproof system, a type of waterproof equipment for underwater shaking tables is studied in this paper. The inflatable waterproof system used an air cushion, made of rubber-coated woven fabric reinforced composites, to cover the gap between the shaking table and the floor and provide sealing and waterproofing. The water load is borne by the pressure air inside the closed flexible membrane structure. The mechanism of the movement process of the air cushion was analyzed, and the differential equations are obtained through theoretical analysis. The evolution in air pressure of the air cushion and the velocity potential in the shaking water are the necessary conditions for solving the motion equation. Based on this, a 1:4 scaled model was made and tested. The finite element model combining the CEL(Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian) method and fluid cavity method was verified by the test results, which provides a research method for the problems involving the coupling of liquid-solid-gas. The motion equation was solved and verified by the test and simulated results. The results show that the air cushion is in the state of force balance in the moving process and the change of force of the air cushion is related to the evolution of the cross-section profile of the air cushion, the evolution of air pressure, and the velocity potential of the shaking water. The velocity potential of the shaking water can be ignored in the horizontal motion. The cross-section profile of the air cushion is related to the inflation pressure and can maintain a stable circular-arc shape when the inflation pressure is greater than 35.00 kPa under 3.0 m water. The inflation pressure of the air cushion should be 35.00 kPa-40.00 kPa under 3.0 m water in consideration of safety and stability. The research results reference the design and application of the waterproof air cushion for underwater shaking tables and other underwater machinery.
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