Numerical study of submarine launch

underwater vehicle

Name: Muhammad Zubair Zahid

Department: Chemical (Process)
Roll Number: PE-09
Mobile Number: 0300-0757525
Email: mzubair_1992@[Link]

Supervisor Dr. Muhammad Ismael

Co-supervisor Dr. Muhammad Nadeem

Pakistan institute of engineering and

applied sciences
Introduction:
A forward movement of Navy in weapons is the development of such missile which can be
launched from underwater via submarine so it can across water media and on coming into
open air atmosphere missile rocket’s motor turned on and ballistic push comes into play which
navigate the missile to its target. This technology has advantage of un-detectability, good
tracking, spotting its target and devastation. this technology termed as “cold launched of
missile” [1] Projectile is pushed by high pressure gas from the tube of submarine and moves
through the water until it comes out of sea water, this launching process consist of three stages
which is listed below [2]

1. tube-exit stage
2. water moving stage
3. water-exit stage
Stage of tube-exit is the most important stage for its complex mechanical environment. when
projectile comes out of the tube, gas behind it expands into water then it shrinks and finally it
breaks into two parts one part moves toward tube and other part remain attach at the
projectile bottom until it comes out of water, water moving stage leaves behind a zig-zag
pattern of air bubbles.

Natural Cavitation form around the missile shoulder due to high speed, which effects missile
material strength. Pressure profile at the bottom of missile, pressure is high in the centre of
bottom than average pressure of bottom, it may cause instrument damage at this point.
Pressure fluctuate on the deck takes place due to cavity formed by interaction of gas and water
so mechanical strength of launching pad is important concern. There are many parameters
which can effect trajectory, pressure requirement at gas inlet and material strength of missile
and launching pad which are listed below as

1. Cavitation at shoulder of missile

2. Flow of water

3. Shape of missile

4. Gas cavity at bottom of missile

5. Pressure of gas

6. Mass of projectile

7. Length of projectile

when the static pressure is less than vapour pressure at certain location, vapour condense back
to liquid when it reaches a location with pressure higher than vapour pressure known as
cavitation phenomena it is avoided in the design of machines such as turbines or propellers,
since the shock waves formed by collapse of the voids are strong enough to cause significant
damage to moving parts. [3]
Cavitation is undesirable. As velocity of projectile increases, pressure at nose increases as it is
facing the liquid flow and low pressure on the behind forming an air bubble. Flow get separated
a little bit and drag on missile increases.

In static water field projectile moves almost with no trajectory deviation, with the increase in
flow of water, trajectory is affected, speed of projectile fluctuates and distance travelled in
water changes [4] similarly shape It cause the variation in Drag force and spinning of projectile
might occur if cavity at shoulder grow large causing lift force, with which trajectory of projectile
changes [5]

Increasing pressure in tube, increases the speed of projectile in water hence cavitation length at
shoulder increases which in turn have effects on drag force and strength of missile at this
location.

Mathematical model
It’s 2D planar and transient problem so for multiphase fluid (Gas, liquid and air) mixture model
following equation will be solved to capture the dynamics of missile launching process

 Continuity equation

 Momentum equation

 Appropriate Turbulent model

 Cavitation model equations

Continuity equation
For liquid
𝜕(𝜌𝑚 𝛼𝑙 )
+ 𝛻. (𝜌𝑚 𝛼𝑙 𝑉𝑚 ) = 0
𝜕𝑡
For vapor

𝜕(𝜌𝑚 𝛼𝑣 ) − +
+ 𝛻. (𝜌𝑚 𝛼𝑣 𝑉𝑚 ) = 𝑚𝑙→𝑣 − 𝑚𝑣→𝑙
𝜕𝑡
Where,
 − √𝑘 2 𝑃 −𝑃
𝑚𝑙→𝑣 = 𝐶𝑒 𝜌𝑙 𝜌𝑣 √ 𝑣 (1 − 𝑓𝑣 − 𝑓𝑔 )
𝜎 3 𝜌𝑣

+ √𝑘 2 𝑃−𝑃𝑣
𝑚𝑣→𝑙 = 𝐶𝑐 𝜌𝜌√ (𝑓𝑣 )
𝜎 𝑙 𝑙 3 𝜌𝑣

For air

𝜕(𝜌𝑚 𝛼𝑔 )
+ 𝛻. (𝜌𝑚 𝛼𝑔 𝑉𝑚 ) = 0 [2]
𝜕𝑡

Momentum equation

𝜕(𝜌𝑚 𝑉𝑚 )
+ 𝛻. (𝜌𝑚 𝑉𝑚 𝑉𝑚 ) = −𝛻𝑃 + 𝐹̅ + 𝜌𝑔 + 𝛻. [𝜇𝑚 (𝛻𝑉𝑚 + 𝛻𝑉𝑚𝑇 )] [6]
𝜕𝑡

Transport equation for k:

𝜕(𝜌𝑘) 𝜇𝑡
+ div(𝜌𝑘𝑈) = div [ grad 𝑘] + 𝑃𝑘 + 𝑃𝑏 − 𝜌𝜀 − 𝑌𝑀 + 𝑆𝑘
𝜕𝑡 𝜎𝑘

Where

1
C 
U *k k2
Ao  As  t  C 
 
transport equation for dissipation rate, 

D   t    2 
        c1S  c2  c1 c3 Gb
Dt x j    x j  k   k
Cavitation Model (Zwart-Gerber model)

𝜕(𝜌𝑣 𝛼𝑣 )
+ 𝛻. (𝜌𝑣 𝛼𝑣 𝑣𝑣 ) = 𝑅𝑒 − 𝑅𝑐
𝜕𝑡
 3𝛼𝑛𝑢𝑐 (1−𝛼𝑣 )𝜌𝑣 2 𝑃𝑣 −𝑃
If 𝑃 ≤ 𝑃𝑣 𝑅𝑒 = 𝐹𝑣𝑎𝑝 √3
𝑅𝐵 𝜌𝑙

3𝛼𝑣 𝜌𝑣 2 𝑃−𝑃𝑣
If 𝑃 > 𝑃𝑣 𝑅𝑒 = 𝐹𝑣𝑎𝑝 √3 [7]
𝑅𝐵 𝜌𝑙

Methodology
Ansys Fluent software will be used to perform CFD simulations. UDF (user defined function) file
will be used for following purpose

1. Varying pressure inlet profile of air

2. To calculate the force on missile and then update its velocity

Until now develop the udf for both above listed purposes, for varying pressure profile as fallow
according to [2]

16

14

12
Pressure (Bar)

10

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5

time (sec)
It’s a one degree of freedom problem (ODF), In process of submarine launch forces including
gas and liquid on the bottom of missile are represented by following differential equation

𝑑(𝑚𝑉)
= 𝐺 + 𝐹𝑔𝑎𝑠 + 𝐹𝑙𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 [2]
𝑑𝑡

These forces will update the velocity of projectile at every time step. Its udf is as fallow
Results
I run the simulation for 6500kg mass of missile and found the following results to validate [2]
my setup procedure, volume fraction contour when the cavitation begins to start are as fallow
Velocity and acceleration variation with time is as fallow

35 100
Velocity
30 Acceleration
80

Acceleration (m/sec )
2
25
60
Velocity (m/sec)

20
40

15
20
10
0
5
-20
0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0

time (sec)
Results of [2] with which it validate are as fallow
Summary and future work
Until now following work has been done

1. Develop the udf for both

a. Pressure inlet boundary condition
b. To calculate the forces on missile body which will update its velocity
2. Run the simulation
3. Make the results mesh independence
4. Validate the results with [2] for right setup procedure

Now further I have to study following things

1. To find how much pressure should be given at pressure inlet cartridge to push the
missile out of the sea water with varying height of sea water and mass of projectile to
achieve minimum 15m/sec velocity when it comes out of sea water surface.
2. Effect of shape of missile on cavitation and how the requirement of inlet pressure will
change by changing shapes.
References
[1] J. Y. Cao, C. J. Lu, Y. Chen, X. Chen, and J. Li, “Research on the base cavity of a sub-launched
projectile,” J. Hydrodyn., vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 244–249, 2012.

[2] R. Li, G. Le, D. Ma, and S. Chen, “A study on the tube-exit cavity surrounding submarine-launched
missile,” in 3rd International Conference on Engineering Technology and Applications, 2016, pp.
737–741.

[3] “cavitation.” [Online]. Available: [Link]

[4] S. Uuv and A. V. O. F. Method, “Numerical Analysis for Water-Exit Trajectory of,” vol. 159, no.
Mmsa, pp. 276–279, 2018.

[5] D. G. Ang, “Shape and Size Matter for Projectile Drag Shape and Size Matter for Projectile Drag,”
vol. 1, no. 1, 2013.

[6] “mixture model.” [Online]. Available:

[Link]

[7] P. J. Zwart, A. G. Gerber, and T. Belamri, “A Two-Phase Flow Model for Predicting Cavitation
Dynamics,” Int. Conf. Multiph. Flow, no. 152, p. 152, 2004.