Monday  |  Lakeshore A  |  02:20 PM–02:40 PM

#19221, Underwater Implosion Behavior of 3D-Printed Structures

This study experimentally investigates the failure behavior of 3D-printed tubes during underwater implosion. Implosion is a prevalent failure mechanism in the underwater domain, and the adaptation of new technology, such as 3D printing, allows for the rapid manufacturing of pressure vessels with complex geometries. This study analyzes the failure performance of 3D-printed structures to aid in the future development of pressure vessels. The tube specimens, fabricated with unique geometries, were submerged in a pressure vessel and subjected to increasing hydrostatic pressure until implosion failure occurred. High-speed photography and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) were employed to capture the collapse event and obtain full-field displacements. Local dynamic pressure histories during failure were recorded using piezoelectric transducers. The findings highlight that the 3D-printed structures underwent significant deformation and failed at localized points due to material failure. The fracture of the specimens during failure further emphasizes the chaotic nature of the failure. Notably, the energy flow analysis revealed that the proportion of energy released via the pressure pulse was lower than in traditional aluminum structures. These findings contribute to our understanding of the behavior of 3D-printed structures under hydrostatic pressure conditions.

Thomas Winnard   The University of Rhode Island
Nathan Grantham-Coogan   The University of Rhode Island
Helio Matos   The University of Rhode Island
Arun Shukla   The University of Rhode Island