Modeling fluid/structural interaction in a pulsed power accelerator

A key component of pulse power technology is the engineering of these complicated structures. The goal of this work is to develop a finite element model that captures the complex physical interactions of all components within the Z machine. A large driver of physical motion in this machine is not found at the target but rather upstream at the water switches. Where this high current passes through the water a strong acoustic wave is generated. The pressure in an individual wave is fairly weak, only approximately 3.45 MPa peak pressure. However, due to the number of these switches (108 total), their axial symmetry, and switch timing, the impulse generated by these waves has the potential to create significant damage within the structure. Modeling this type of fluid/structure interaction (FSI) on this scale pushes many finite element codes to the limit of their capabilities.