Shipboard shock environment and its measurement

Abstract

The design and acceptance of machinery and equipment for shipboard use requires knowledge of the shock environment produced by noncontact underwater explosions. Structural and response considerations preclude accurate prediction of this environment without experimental confirmation. The Navy has conducted many experiments to measure shipboard shock environment and its effect on internal items. This data and results from dynamic analyses yield a general understanding of the shipboard shock environment, but this understanding is restricted to ships resembling those for which experimental data exists. This paper discusses the varied types of shock environment which may be expected on small and large ships. An important factor for response studies is the dynamic interaction between a machine and the ship structure. The kinds of shock measurements and the means of interpreting these data are outlined and the results of several underwater‐explosion test series against operating ships are summarized. These data are discussed in terms of the types of shock environment and the interpretive analyses of the shock measurements. A concluding section reviews capabilities for predicting shock environment of present and variant ship designs.