3D numerical simulation on fluid-structure interaction of structure subjected to underwater explosion with cavitation

In the underwater-shock environment, cavitation occurs near the structural surface. The dynamic response of fluid-structure interactions is influenced seriously by the cavitation effects. It is also the difficulty in the field of underwater explosion. With the traditional boundary element method and the finite element method （FEM）, it is difficult to solve the nonlinear problem with cavitation effects subjected to the underwater explosion. To solve this problem, under the consideration of the cavitation effects and fluid compressibility, with fluid viscidity being neglected, a 3D numerical model of transient nonlinear fluid-structure interaction subjected to the underwater explosion is built. The fluid spectral element method （SEM） and the FEM are adopted to solve this model. After comparison with the FEM, it is shown that the SEM is more precise than the FEM, and the SEM results are in good coincidence with benchmark results and experiment results. Based on this, combined with ABAQUS, the transient fluid-structure interaction mechanism of the 3D submerged spherical shell and ship stiffened plates subjected to the underwater explosion is discussed, and the cavitation region and its influence on the structural dynamic responses are presented. The paper aims at providing references for relevant research on transient fluid-structure interaction of ship structures subjected to the underwater explosion.