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A deeper comprehension of hydrodynamic slamming can be achieved by revisiting the wedge water entry problem using flexible structures. In this work, two wedge models that are identical, with the exception of different bottom thicknesses, are vertically dropped into calm water. Pressure, full-field out-of-plane deflection, strain, vertical acceleration, and vertical position are measured. Full-field deflections and strains are measured using stereoscopic-digital image correlation (S-DIC) and strain gauges. A non-dimensional number, R, quantifying the relative stiffness of the structure with respect to the fluid load is revisited. An experimental parametric study on the effect of R on the nondimensional hydrodynamic pressure and the maximum strain is presented. It was found there is a sharp change in the trend of pressure and strain when R passes through a critical value. It was also discovered that the structural deformation causes a delay in the peak pressure arrival time and a reduction in the peak pressure magnitude during the wedge water entry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increasing use of composite materials in high-speed planing craft prone to frequent slamming, the interaction between the structural response and hydrodynamic loading, hydroelasticity, must be considered. In this work, a V-shaped wedge model with 20 ° deadrise angle was vertically dropped into the calm water to simulate a typical hydroelastic slamming. With varied impact velocity and flexural rigidity of the wedge bottom plate a wide range of hydroelasticity factors, 0. 1 ≤ R ≤ 6. 4 , were examined. Measurements included rigid-body kinematic motions of the wedge model, spray root propagation, hydrodynamic loading, and structural response. It was found that the maximum deflection and strain occur in the chine-unwetted phase in this study. The kinematic effect of hydroelasticity changes the spray root propagation and hence the pressure, while the inertial effect increases the natural period of the plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]