Abstract:
This paper reviews historical and contemporary efforts at the Naval Postgraduate School to model and simulate the response of a surface ship subjected to close‑proximity underwater explosions (UNDEX). It summarizes one‑ and two‑dimensional validation studies and then focuses on three‑dimensional finite‑element analyses using LS‑DYNA/USA, examining how much surrounding fluid must be included to capture cavitation effects accurately. Using TrueGrid for mesh generation, it investigates nodal velocity responses as a function of fluid mesh depth in a barge‑like model and presents a second‑generation full‑ship fluid‑structure model of the USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53). The objective is to determine whether high‑fidelity simulations can supplement or reduce costly live shock trials by providing early‑design decision data and extrapolating to realistic threat conditions.
