Review of water entry with applications to aerospace structures

Abstract

The paper reviews work undertaken in the field of water entry between 1929 and 2003, providing a summary of the major theoretical, experimental and numerical accomplishments in the field. The review commences with an outline of early theoretical and experimental investigations into water entry between 1929 and 1959. During this period, the first physical models and mathematical detailing of the problem enabled the calculation of water impact forces. Work on the application of such theories to spacecraft water landing is then reviewed commencing with theoretical and experimental analysis of the first manned spacecraft, followed by further applications including early water impact analysis of the space shuttle solid rocket boosters and water landing characteristics of the orbiter. Following the work on the water landing of spacecraft, more recent developments in the theoretical, experimental and numerical modelling of water impact are reviewed. Recent research on the applications, in particular, numerical modelling techniques, to the water impact crashworthiness of aerospace structures is then reviewed. This part of the review highlights the particular problems encountered with the validation of numerical models. Finally, future directions for research in the field of water entry are discussed including the development and validation of numerical modelling techniques and analysis of the failure of both metallic and composite materials during water impact.