Fluid Structure Interactions for Blast Wave Mitigation

The dynamic response of a free-standing plate subjected to a blast wave is studied numerically to investigate the effects of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) in blast wave mitigation. Previous work on the FSI between a blast wave and a free-standing plate (Kambouchev, N., et al., 2006, “Nonlinear Compressibility Effects in Fluid-Structure Interaction and Their Implications on the Air-Blast Loading of Structures,” J. Appl. Phys., 100(6), p. 063519) has assumed a constant atmospheric pressure at the back of the plate and neglected the resistance caused by the shock wave formation due to the receding motion of the plate. This paper develops an FSI model that includes the resistance caused by the shock wave formation at the back of the plate. The numerical results show that the resistance to the plate motion is especially pronounced for a light plate, and as a result, the previous work overpredicts the mitigation effects of FSI. Therefore, the effects of the interaction between the plate and the shock wave formation at the back of the plate should be considered in blast wave mitigation.