A closed form solution to the early-time underwater explosion (UNDEX) response of a rectangular air-backed ship hull panel

Abstract

Often times during the early stage design process associated with a new ship, the Navy conducts underwater explosion testing of ship hull panels. These tests typically accompany the introduction of either new materials and/or new structural design concepts associated with panel dimensioning and stiffening details. In the planning of such dynamic panel tests, it is of great value to have available tools that enable rapid estimation of panel peak responses to UNDEX loads such that parametric studies can be achieved. This paper documents the development of one such analysis tool, which involves an analytic solution of the early UNDEX response of an air-backed panel bay. This solution strategy applies a separation of variables technique to a classical two dimensional flat rectangular plate with a dynamic loading function applied as an enforced initial velocity field. This velocity field is determined by applying Taylor's theory for computing the UNDEX-induced initial kickoff velocity of an infinite air-backed flat plate. The resulting analytic solution provides accurate estimates of the stress, velocity and displacement fields of the idealized flat rectangular plate representing the ship panel bay. Verification comparisons are made with actual experimental data, and guidelines for the applicability of the method are provided. © The Society for Experimental Mechanics, Inc. 2012.