Underwater explosive bubble interaction with an adjacent submerged structure

Abstract

An experimental and computational investigation was conducted to study the interaction between bubbles generated by an underwater explosive (UNDEX) and a nearby steel plate structure. The experiments were performed for different standoff distances to investigate the interaction between the gas bubble and the rigid structure. High-speed photography was utilized to capture the underwater explosive gas bubble’s behavior, and a series of pressure transducers were used to record the emitted pressure histories. The numerical simulations were performed with the Dynamic System Mechanics Advanced Simulation software, which is a full y coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian fluid–structure interaction code. The numerical simulations were validated with the experiments in terms of the detonation pressure, structural surface pressures, and UNDEX gas bubble growth and collapse. Results show that the UNDEX standoff distance greatly influences the gas bubble’s shape, migration speed, bubble jetting behavior, and loading into its adjacent structure. Moreover, the impulse generated by the shock wave on the plate surface proved to be small in comparison to the impulse generated by the collapse of the UNDEX gas bubble. The magnitude of impulse depends on standoff distance, collapse symmetry, and relative collapse location.