Interaction of weak shock waves with highly porous materials

The paper presents the results of an experimental study of the interaction of weak shock waves with two types of highly porous materials: cellular porous nickel and mesh packets. The experiments were carried out in a shock tube in the range of Mach numbers 1.1-1.8. For the high-porosity cellular materials a numerical simulation of the interaction problem using a toroidal model of the porous medium was performed. It was shown in experiments and calculations that regardless of material type, decreasing cell size of porous material increases intensity of shock waves reflected from front layers of porous insert but suppresses shock wave reflected from rear end of shock tube. A unified mechanism of shockwave interaction with all types of highly porous materials is revealed.