Experimental Study of Pressure Waves upon the Electrical Explosion of Wire under the Conditions of Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure

The results of the experimental studies on the effect of hydrostatic pressure, charge voltage, stored discharge energy, and wire diameter on the amplitude of a pressure wave upon an electric wire explosion in water are presented. It is shown that the amplitude of the pressure wave generated in a liquid increases with an increase in the stored energy and charge voltage, and at an optimum diameter of the wire, the maximum amplitude of the pressure wave is ensured. When hydrostatic pressure is elevated, an amplitude decrease of the generated pressure wave was observed for a thin initiating wire (0.14 mm diameter), and no effect was observed for a thick wire (0.5 mm diameter or larger). In addition, the need to ensure a good hard contact between the electrodes of the electrode system and the metal wire during the electrical explosion of the wire in a liquid was shown, in default of which there is a loss of the efficiency of the mechanical action occurs owing to a decrease in the amplitude of the pressure wave.