Modeling mitigation effects of watershield on shock waves

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Shin, Y.S. | Lee, M. | Lam, K.Y. | Yeo, K.S.

Affiliations: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA 93943, USA Tel.: +1 408 656 2568; Fax: +1 408 656 2238; E‐mail: yshin@ me.nps.navy.mil | School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Sejong University, 98 Kunja‐Dong, Kwangjin‐Gu, Seoul, 143‐747, Korea Tel.: +82 2 460 0135; Fax: +82 2 460 0491; E‐mail: mlee@ kunja.sejong.ac.kr | Mechanical & Production Engineering Department, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 0511 E‐mail: mpelamky@ leonis.nus.sg

Abstract: The object of this analysis is to investigate mitigation effects of watershield on air blast waves. To examine the water mitigation concept, features of the free‐field detonation process are studied from a series of one‐dimensional simulations using a multimaterial Eulerian finite element technique. Five different shock Hugoniots for water are compared, and the most accurate data are suggested. To verify the numerical procedure, results are compared with available experimental data for UNDEX problem and analytical predictions for air shocks. For the case of contact watershield, the magnitude of peak pressure generally decreases and the shock arrival time increases with increasing thickness of watershield. The total pressure impulse is reduced significantly at near field. Non‐contact watershield was also examined, and was found to provide a better design criterion based on the further decay of peak pressure.

Journal: Shock and Vibration, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 225-234, 1998