Computational study of asymmetric water entry of cylindrical solid objects: Effects of tilt angle and nose curvature

Water entry of solid objects occurs asymmetrically in many applications, where the leading edge of the object may be tilted relative to the free surface. Under this asymmetric condition and depending on the tilt angle, the dynamics of water entry can be significantly different from those of perfectly symmetric water entry, i.e., a tilt angle of zero. Furthermore, in such asymmetric water entry, there is an interplay between nose curvature effects and tilt angle. Using an in-house multiphase flow solver, we performed simulations of water entry of cylindrical solids with various nose curvatures and at small tilt angles. Although the solid is initially tilted, it has the freedom to rotate and orient itself vertically. We present the effects of tilt angle and nose curvature on splash formation, cavity formation, and cavity closure. Air and water velocity fields near the solid nose are profiled. In addition, the results include quantification of solid deceleration and air entrapment as a function of tilt angle and nose curvature.