Numerical investigation of cellular core sandwich panels subjected to UNDEX: The constant shock factor case

Underwater Explosions (UNDEX) produce high-pressure shock waves that can disrupt the ship’s structural integrity and trigger catastrophic failure. One innovative approach to improving resistance to shock loads is the use of sandwich panels, which utilize specific core configurations to absorb energy and limit deformation. This study investigates the mechanical response of sandwich panels with four cellular core configurations — S-core, U-core, X-core, and Y-core — to UNDEX shock loads under a constant Shock Factor (SF) scenario. Simulations were conducted using a finite element-based acoustic-structural analysis method to model shock wave-structure interactions in the fluid domain. The results show that, with the same SF, the performance of the sandwich panel differs slightly, along with the differences in Trinitrotoluene (TNT) mass and stand-off distance.