A new finite element formulation of shock-induced hull cavitation Original Research Article

A new formulation for non-linear, elastic wave propagation, based on the pressure and density, is introduced. The formulation accounts for a non-linear relation between speed of sound and density. The pressure and density are interpolated by identical shape functions between the nodes. The equation of state is introduced in the discretized system, hence the non-linearity is enforced point-wise. This procedure concentrates on proper interpolation of the balance equations by relaxing the non-linear constitutive relation between the nodes. A standard finite element procedure focuses on the constitutive equation and thereby produces a less consistent representation of the balance equation. In addition, the formulation accounts for fluid-structure interaction.