Study on the cavitation effects induced by the interaction between underwater blast and various boundaries

Abstract

The load of cavitation collapse is one of the main input loads to the structure subjected to underwater explosion. The cavitation effects near different boundaries are of particular importance in understanding the load mechanisms and designing the protective structures. In present study, a numerical model that couples a Runge Kutta Discontinuous Galerkin method, a finite element method and an isentropic one-fluid cavitation model is developed to study the cavitation effects induced by underwater explosion near different boundaries. The boundaries of a rigid plate, a steel plate, a rubber coated plate and a foam coated plate are investigated in detail, after validating the coupled numerical model by a case of 1D cavitating flow in an open tube, an experiment of a water-backed plate subjected to water blast and an experiment of underwater explosion near a circular plate. The evolutions of the cavitation region, the pressure profile near the structure and the responses of the structure are comprehensively discussed. The results are beneficial for guiding the design of the protective structures.