Propagation of shock waves in elastic solids caused by cavitation microjet impact. I: Theoretical formulation

To understand the physical process of the impingement of cavitation microjet and the resultant shock wave propagation in an elastic solid, a theoretical model using geometrical acoustics was developed. Shock waves induced in both the jet head (water) and the solid were analyzed during a tri-supersonic impact configuration when the contact edge between the jet head and the elastic boundary expands faster than the longitudinal wave speed in the solid. Impact pressure at the boundary was solved using continuity conditions along the boundary normal. Reflection and refraction of shock waves from a solid-water interface were also included in the model. With this model, the impact pressure at the solid boundary and the stress, strain as well as velocity discontinuities at the propagating shock fronts were calculated. A comparison with results from previous studies shows that this model provides a more complete and general solution for the jet impact problem.