Experimental study of load characteristics caused by underwater explosion bubble collapsing in the neighborhood of a rigid wall

Abstract

In this paper, a series of underwater explosion (UNDEX) experiments were carried out in a cubical explosion tank, to investigate the complex behaviors of one bubble collapsing near a vertical rigid wall. The evolution of the bubble was captured by a high-speed camera and the pressure caused by both the primary shock wave and the bubble collapse on the surface of the wall was measured by several sensors installed on the wall surface. Experimental results of the measured wall pressure and the resultant load impulse are compared with theoretical results that are calculated from the corrected empirical formula. A good agreement between the experimental and theoretical results is achieved. On this basis, the effects of the bubble-wall distance on the bubble behaviors and the corresponding explosion load characteristics on the rigid surface are analyzed and discussed. The result aims to provide a feasible reference for the study of near-field UNDEX bubble dynamics and the resultant load on structures nearby.