Shock induced porous barrier flows, with underlying wall pressure amplification

Abstract

The flow field resulting from the impact of a shock wave on a variety of sheets of permeable material is studied. Earlier studies examined the flow through stationary sheets. It has, however, been found that if the sheet is placed a short distance in front of a surface, and can move under the shock loading, the pressure on the surface is amplified following shock impact, compared to the pressures that would be experienced with no covering. An important application to consider is the effect that textile clothing may have on a persons body when exposed to a blast environment. Single and multiple layers of a range of textiles have been tested. It was established that the heavier, more impermeable textiles such as Kevlar can amplify the shock wave pressure by as much as 400%. Experiments were also done with the textiles placed at an angle to the incoming shock wave and the mechanism for the amplification established through schlieren photography and pressure measurements.