Modified wire array underwater electrical explosion

The results of experiments involving underwater electrical explosion of different wire arrays using an outer metallic cylinder as a shock reflector are presented. A pulse generator with a stored energy of about 6 kJ, current amplitude <= 500 kA, and rise time of 350 ns was used for the wire array explosion. The results of the experiments and of hydrodynamic simulations showed that in the case of a Cu wire array explosion, the addition of the reflector increases the pressure and temperature of the water in the vicinity of the implosion axis about 1.38 and about 1.33 times, respectively. Also, it was shown that in the case of an Al wire array explosion with stainless steel reflector, Al combustion results, and, accordingly, additional energy is delivered to the converging water flow generating about 540 GPa pressure in the vicinity of the explosion axis. Finally, it was found that microsecond time scale light emission that appears with microsecond time scale delay with respect to the nanosecond time scale self-light emission of the compressed water in the vicinity of the implosion axis is related to water bubbles formation which scattered light of exploded wires.