Propagation Behavior and Mitigation of Shock Wave Along the Water Inside a Rectangular Tube

Abstract

This report presents our numerical study of a simple system in which a shock wave generated by the explosion of 10 mg of AgN₃ propagates through water inside a rectangular tube. In such a system, the reflection of the shock wave from the water surface and from the tube wall can be neglected, facilitating the discussion of how water mitigates the shock wave. The shock wave propagates through the tube and compresses the fluid adiabatically. The high-temperature air in the shock wave makes thermal contact with the ambient-temperature water, allowing thermal energy to transfer through the air-water interface. The simulation results show that the speed of the shock wave inside the tube is significantly decreased when water is present. The results show that (i) thermal-energy transfer at the interface between water and air is a dominant factor in mitigating the shock wave, and (ii) water absorbs approximately 10–30% of the energy released by the explosion inside the tube.