Experimental Studies of Flow-Structure Interactions in Blast/Shock-Driven Complex Flows

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Parker Richard Zieg (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: Blast waves, which are generated by the sudden energy release in a finite space, are encountered \nin various situations. As the blast/shock waves propagate, any object in its path can be damaged by the combination of significant compression behind the shock front and the subsequent complex flow-structure interactions. Insufficient protection from blast loads has led to a significant loss of human lives and \nenormous structural damage and economic loss, highlighting the importance of developing effective \nblast/shock mitigation technologies. However, due to the lack of fundamental knowledge in the flow-structure interactions in various blast/shock conditions, the conventional methods of mitigating \nblast/shock have relied on the brutal use of various cladding rigid/soft materials where the coupling \nbetween the flow and structures is usually ignored. Challenges remain in understanding the complex \nflow-structure interactions driven by the rapidly-evolving nonlinear blast/shock waves. In this thesis, a\nseries of experiments were carried out in the East Carolina University Advanced Blast Wave Simulator \n(ECU-ABWS) to characterize the flow-structure interactions (particularly the flow-airfoil interactions) \nunder various blast/shock conditions. While the incident (side-on) pressures at multiple locations along \nthe blast propagation were measured by using a temporally-resolved multi-point pressure sensing system, \nthe time-evolutions of blast-airfoil interactions were also qualitatively revealed by using a high-speed \nSchlieren imaging system. A high-accuracy force/moment measurement system was also developed and \nused to determine the aerodynamic responses of the airfoil structure under various blast conditions. The \nunderstanding of these interactions allows for the further development of more efficient blast/shock \nmitigation techniques.

Additional Information

Publication

Thesis

Language: English

Date: 2023

Subjects

shock waves, blast waves, flow-structure interaction, supersonic, aerodynamics, blast/shock mitigation

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