Numerical Simulation on Response of Foam Core Sandwich Panels Subjected to Underwater Explosion

Abstract

Sandwich panel structures, which consist of two thin faces and low relative density cores, can significantly mitigate the possibilities of panel fractures. In the present paper, numerical simulations are conducted to study the deformation and fracture modes of sandwich structures under near-field underwater blasts and contact underwater blasts. Two different core materials are employed, namely aluminum foam and PVC foam. Main focus of this paper was placed to (i) study the failure mechanisms and energy absorption characteristics of sandwich structures in typical conditions, (ii) to demonstrate the benefits of such structures compared with solid plates of equal weight, and (iii) to obtain the properties of withstanding underwater explosion for single core material sandwich panels. In addition, the effects of panel thickness configuration and core height on deformation and energy absorption of the plates were explored. Results indicated that sandwich structures showed an effective reduction in the maximum panel deflection compared with a monolithic plate of same mass. The design parameters have great impacts on the results.