Shock Waves in Curved Synthetic Cables

Abstract

The formation, propagation, and reflection of shock waves is studied for synthetic curved cables. First, analytical solutions are derived for weightless cables with nonlinear stress-strain relation, which are then compared with numerical solutions. For very small curvature the analytical and numerical solutions show that synthetic lines can form shock waves when loaded impulsively: The tension is amplified significantly when a reflection occurs, pointing to a probable mechanism of failure. For sagged cables, it is shown that the curvature can have a profound effect on the principal features, including the amplitude of the tension of the shock wave that forms when the line is impulsively loaded.