Underwater electrical explosion of metallic wire and tube: A comparison study

With an initial energy storage of approximately 53.5 kJ, experiments on underwater electrical explosions of metallic wire and thin-wall tube were conducted. Two sets of controlled experiments were designed, and the wire and tube for each set were of the same length, cross-sectional area, and material. Load voltage, circuit current, and shock wave pressure were measured and analyzed, and electric power, energy deposition, and energy deposition rate were also calculated and investigated. Experimental results indicated that the underwater electrical tube explosion (UETE) always has higher and earlier local resistance peak, voltage peak, and electric power peak, as well as faster phase transition and ionization process than the underwater electrical wire explosion (UEWE). In addition, the energy deposition rate from the beginning of discharge or the decrease in current to the voltage peak is significantly increased when replacing a wire with a tube. For the shock-wave characteristics, the peak pressure, energy density, and impulse of the shock wave generated by UETE are greater than that generated by UEWE. The peak pressure at ∼33 cm increased from 21.1 to 24.5 MPa in the first set and from 18.1 to 21.7 MPa in the second when a tube was used instead of a wire. These experimental results help us understand the physical process of UETE and provide an alternative methodology for load design in industrial applications.