Numerical simulation of shear jamming in a shear thickening fluid under impact

Shear thickening fluids (STFs) exhibit a liquid–solid-like transition under impact because of the formation and evolution of shear jamming in the STFs. This study aims to develop a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to simulate the shear jamming formation and evolution in a concentrated STF under impact for the optimum design of the STF applications. The STF was defined with a strain rate–dependent viscosity and compressibility. In the CFD model, the interface between air and STF was modelled by the volume of fluid method to solve the multiphase flow problem. In addition, the impact penetration process of an impactor was reproduced by the change of the fluid domain shape with a dynamic mesh method. The shear jamming was demonstrated clearly by a high strain–rate region caused by the impact. The numerical results were comparable to the experimental observations of shear jamming evolution using a high-speed camera. Furthermore, the numerical results showed that the effect of the STF’s dimensions (depth and diameter) on the expansion rate of the shear jamming was insignificant.