Abstract
A boundary integral formulation for the numerical calculation of an underwater explosion bubble’s expansion and collapse is presented. The formulation makes use of first-order three-dimensional panels and adapts the methodology specifically for the simulation of an underwater explosion bubble. These simulations include a free field bubble as well as a bubble’s interaction with a nearby fixed surface. A number of explosion bubble codes have been written using the boundary integral formulation and are discussed throughout the three-dimensional formulation. Specifically, a spherically symmetric code, an axisymmetric code for simple geometries, and a first-order three-dimensional code was developed. The validity of the three-dimensional code presented is established through direct comparisons with the previously validated axisymmetric code (Wilkerson, 1989).
