Re-Entrant Jet Measurement During Large-Scale Gas Bubble Collapse
Navy SBIR FY2015.3


Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2015.3
Topic No.: N153-133
Topic Title: Re-Entrant Jet Measurement During Large-Scale Gas Bubble Collapse
Proposal No.: N153-133-0115
Firm: Dynaflow, Inc.
10621-J Iron Bridge Rd.
Jessup, Maryland 20794
Contact: Georges Chahine
Phone: (301) 604-3688
Web Site: http://www.dynaflow-inc.com
Abstract: When a payload exits a submerged launch tube, pressurized gas follows the ejected projectile into the surrounding water and expands between the tube and the upward moving projectile. The gas cavity behind the moving body then deforms and pinches off from the tube and then collapses with the formation of a strong upward reentrant jet. The impact of the high-speed reentrant jet on the projectile presents a threat of damage and imparts an unwanted force to its motion. Previously attempted high speed photography of the reentrant jet has not been successful due to the highly opaque and turbulent bubbly region surrounding the cavity. In order to alleviate this deficiency, we propose in this SBIR to combine high speed video observations of the cavity dynamics with pressure measurements in the water at several locations and impact pressure measurements on the projectile base. The optical method will provide the exterior shape of the evolving cavity, while the acoustic method, combined with a CFD computation of the cavity shape evolution for different input conditions, will enable reconstruction of the reentrant jet shape evolution in space and time using inverse problem optimization techniques that process both the acquired video and the acoustic information. The system will be tested and validated in Phase I using an available small scale uncorking setup in a vacuum tank and then scaled up for the field tests.
Benefits: The new instrumentation system with sensor suite and processing software tool can monitor the size, shape, and velocity of a reentrant jet from the collapse of a large cavity formed behind a moving body. This instrumentation system will provide much needed detail information for the U.S. Navy to improve their systems. The developed instrumentation system could also be used to monitor the evolution of underwater explosion bubbles and resulting reentrant jets. The new procedure will result in a PC-based data acquisition and analysis system, which would find many commercial field and laboratory applications as well. Potential applications can be found where bubbles deform in turbulent environment such as submarine escape, projectile entry into water, underwater explosion monitoring, cavitation study, air entrainment in flow

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