Efficient Semi-Analytical Methodology for the Pre-Design Analysis of the Shock Response of Marine Structures

We introduce a robust and computationally efficient methodology for numerical simulation of shock-structure interaction. The methodology is based on the use of some of the classical methods of mathematical physics, with the subsequent coupling between the fluid dynamics and structural parts using the finite-difference methodology. In order to demonstrate the versatility of the approach, we apply it to two rather different practically important problems of the interaction between shock waves and submerged cylindrical structures, aiming at providing insights that would be useful to engineers at the pre-design stage. We first consider a submerged cylindrical shell subjected to two consecutive shock waves, and analyze the effect of such loading in the context of both hydrodynamic fields and the structural stresses it induces. The most important result of this analysis is the observation, for certain values of the distance between the wavefronts, of a very significant increase of the maximum stress observed in the structure. Then, we consider a submerged cylindrical shell subjected to a single shock wave, but employ a more advanced shell theory than the one traditionally used, namely, the Reissner-Mindlin theory instead of the Kirchhoff-Love one. We demonstrate that such an advancement of the model not only leads to a very significant improvement of the accuracy of the respective simulations, but also allows for modeling relatively thick shells.