Experimental investigation on enhanced damage to fuel tanks by reactive projectiles impact

Enhanced damage to the full-filled fuel tank,impacted by the cold pressed and sintered PTFE/AL/W reactive material projectile(RMP)with a density of 7.8 g/cm3,is investigated experimentally and theoretically.The fuel tank is a rectangular structure,welded by six pieces of 2024 aluminum plate with a thickness of 6 mm,and filled with RP-3 aviation kerosene.Experimental results show that the kerosene is ignited by the RMP impact at a velocity above 1062 m/s,and a novel interior ignition phenomenon which is closely related to the rupture effect of the fuel tank is observed.However,the traditional steel projectile with the same mass and dimension requires a velocity up to 1649 m/s to ignite the kerosene.Based on the experimental results,the radial pressure field is considered to be the main reason for the shear failure of weld.For mechanism considerations,the chemical energy released by the RMP enhances the hydrodynamic ram(HRAM)effect and provides additional ignition sources inside the fuel tank,thereby enhancing both rupture and ignition effects.Moreover,to further understand the enhanced ignition effect of RMP,the reactive debris temperature inside the kerosene is analyzed theoretically.The initiated reactive debris with high temperature provides effective interior ignition sources to ignite the kerosene,resulting in the enhanced ignition of the kerosene.     

Damage of multi-layer spaced metallic target plates impacted by radial layered PELE

Three different kinds of PELE (the penetrator with lateral efficiency) were launched by ballistic artillery to impact the multi-layer spaced metal target plates. The impact velocities of the projectiles were measured by the velocity measuring system. The damage degree and process of each layer of target plate impacted by the three kinds of projectiles were analyzed. The experimental results show that all the three kinds of projectiles have the effect of expanding holes on the multi-layer spaced metal target plates. For the normal structure PELE(without layered) with tungsten alloy jacket and the radial layered PELE with tungsten alloy jacket, the diameters of holes on the second layer of plates are 3.36 times and 3.76 times of the diameter of the projectile, respectively. For radial layered PELE with W/Zr-based amorphous composite jacket, due to the large number of tungsten wires dispersed after the impact, the diameter of the holes on the four-layer spaced plates can reach 2.4 times, 3.04 times, 5.36 times and 2.68 times of the diameter of the projectile. Besides, the normal structure PELE with tungsten alloy jacket and the radial layered PELE whit tungsten alloy jacket formed a large number of fragments impact marks on the third target plate. Although the number of fragments penetrating the third target plate is not as large as that of the normal structure PELE, the area of dispersion of fragments impact craters on the third target plate is larger by the radial layered PELE. The radial layered PELE with W/Zr-based amorphous composite jacket released a lot of heat energy due to the impact of the matrix material, and formed a large area of ablation marks on the last three target plates.     

Effects of material of metallic frame on the penetration resistances of ceramic-metal hybrid structures

The effects of metallic material on the penetration resistances of ceramic-metal hybrid structures against vertical long-rod tungsten projectiles were studied by artillery-launched experiments and numerical simulation. Hybrid structures with rectangular cores in transverse orthogonal arrangement and slide-fitting ceramic inserts of zirconia toughened alumina prisms were fabricated with titanium alloy TC4 (Ti6Al4V), AISI 4340 steel and 7075 aluminum alloy panels, respectively. The results showed that the hybrid structure of Ti6Al4V exhibited the highest penetration resistance, followed by that of 7075 aluminum alloy with the same area density. The penetration resistance of the hybrid structure of AISI 4340 steel was the lowest. The underlying mechanisms showed that the metallic material of a ceramic-metal hybrid structure can directly affect its energy absorption from the impact projectile, which further affects its penetration resistance. Different metallic frames exhibited different failure characteristics, resulting in different constraint conditions or support conditions for ceramic prisms. The high penetration resistance of the Ti6Al4V hybrid structure was due to its stronger back support to ceramic prisms as compared with that of AISI 4340 steel hybrid structure, and better constraint condition for ceramic prisms by metallic webs as compared with that of 7075 aluminum alloy hybrid structure. The results of mass efficiency and thickness efficiency showed that the Ti6Al4V hybrid structure has advantages in reducing both the thickness and the mass of protective structure. In addition, because the ceramic-metal hybrid structures in the present work were heterogeneous, impact position has slight influence on their penetration resistances.     

长杆射弹对钢纤维混凝土靶开坑特性的实验研究

为考察射弹对钢纤维混凝土靶的侵彻特性,采用57mm轻气炮,进行了小尺寸模拟射弹对钢纤维混凝土靶(钢纤维的体积分数为2%)的侵彻实验。实验中观察了钢纤维混凝土靶的开坑形状,测量了射弹的击靶速度,并且采用注沙法测出靶体的开坑体积,计算出射弹对靶体的侵彻体积,得到了长杆射弹的动能与侵彻体积的关系。引入射弹单位面积的冲击动能和靶体单位侵彻体积的冲击动能,结合钢纤维混凝土靶的实验数据,考察了两者之间的关系。     

Partial penetration of annular grooved projectiles impacting ductile metal targets

Changing and optimizing the projectile nose shape is an important way to achieve specific ballistic performance. One special ballistic performance is the embedding effect, which can achieve a delayed high-explosive reaction on the target surface. This embedding effect includes a rebound phase that is significantly different from the traditional penetration process. To better study embedment behavior, this study proposed a novel nose shape called an annular grooved projectile and defined its interaction process with the ductile metal plate as partial penetration. Specifically, we conducted a series of low-velocity-ballistic tests in which these steel projectiles were used to strike 16-mm-thick target plates made with 2024-O aluminum alloy. We observed the dynamic evolution characteristics of this aluminum alloy near the impact craters and analyzed these characteristics by corresponding cross-sectional views and numerical simulations. The results indicated that the penetration resistance had a brief decrease that was influenced by its groove structure, but then it increased significantly-that is, the fluctuation of penetration resistance was affected by the irregular nose shape. Moreover, we visualized the distribution of the material in the groove and its inflow process through the rheology lines in microscopic tests and the highlighted mesh lines in simulations. The combination of these phenomena revealed the embed-ment mechanism of the annular grooved projectile and optimized the design of the groove shape to achieve a more firm embedment performance. The embedment was achieved primarily by the target material filled in the groove structure. Therefore, preventing the shear failure that occurred on the filling material was key to achieving this embedding effect.     

火箭弹防静电作用研究

针对电发火弹药静电放电问题,以某型130 mm火箭弹为例,采用真实静电感度测试系统测试了电火工品在有、无绝缘层时50%的静电点火能量,并在试验程序及数据处理中使用真实静电感度数据处理方法统计了50%静电发火能量的估计值。通过比较发现二者的差值在误差范围内,这表明静电放电研究中可以将弹体所接受的能量视作全部作用于火工品上,绝缘层不吸收静电放电的能量。在电发火弹药的防护中,必须采用静电防护措施杜绝电发火弹药的意外发火。     

Influence of thickness and projectile shape on penetration resistance of the compliant composite

The present study deals with development of conceptual proof for jute rubber basedflexible composite block to completely arrest the projectile impacting the target at high velocity impact of 400 m/s through numerical simulation approach using finite element (FE) method. The proposed flexible composite blocks of repeating jute/rubber/jute (JRJ) units are modelled with varying thickness from 30 mm to 120 mm in increments of 30 mm and impacted by flat (F), ogival (O) and hemispherical (HS) shaped projectiles. All the considered projectiles are impacted with proposed flexible composite blocks of different thicknesses and the penetration behaviour of the projectile in each case is studied. The penetration depth of the projectile in case of partially penetrated cases are considered and the effect of thickness and projectile shape on percentage of penetration depth is statistically analyzed using Tagu-chi's design of experiments (DOE). Results reveal that the though proposedflexible composite block with thickness of 90 mm is just sufficient to arrest the complete penetration of the projectile, considering the safety issues, it is recommended to use theflexible composite with thickness of 120 mm. The nature of damage caused by the projectile in the flexible composite is also studied. Statistical studies show that thickness of the block plays a prominent role in determining the damage resistance of the flexible composite.     

Study of high-speed interaction processes between fluoropolymer projectiles and aluminum-based targets

The experimental results and numerical modeling of penetration process of fluoropolymer projectiles in aluminum-based targets are presented. Analysis of mathematical models for interaction of elastoplastic projectile and target without taking additional energy released during interaction of fluoropolymer and aluminum into consideration is carried out. Energy fraction which is spent effectively on the increase in cavity volume is determined. The experimental and calculated results of penetration by combined and inert projectiles are compared.     

Improving the damage potential of W-Zr reactive structure material under extreme loading condition

Projectiles made of reactive structure materials(RSM)can damage the target with not only kinetic but also chemical energy,but the enhanced damage potential of RSM may become compromised if extreme loading condition disintegrates the projectile before the target is reached.In this work,a ductile coating of Ni was introduced to a tungsten-zirconium(W-Zr)alloy,a typical brittle RSM,to preserve the damage potential of the projectile.Detonation driving tests were carried out with X-ray photography and gun-powder deflagration driving tests were carried out with high-speed photography for the coated and uncoated RSM samples,respectively.The craters on the witness target were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.The Ni coating was found to effectively preserve the damage potential of the W-Zr alloy under extreme loading conditions,whereas the uncoated sample fractured and ignited before impacting the target in both detonation and deflagration driving.The crack propa-gation between the reactively brittle core and the ductile coating was analyzed based on the crack arrest theory to mechanistically demonstrate how the coating improves the structural integrity and preserves the damage potential of the projectile.Specifically,the Ni coating envelops the W-Zr core until the coated sphere penetrates the target,and the coating is then eroded and worn to release the reactive core for the projectile to damage the target more intensively.     

Study on energy release characteristics of reactive material casings under explosive loading

Reactive Materials (RMs), a new material with structural and energy release characteristics under shock-induced chemical reactions, are promising in extensive applications in national defense and military fields. They can increase the lethality of warheads due to their dual functionality. This paper focuses on the energy release characteristics of RM casings prepared by alloy melting and casting process under explosive loading. Explosion experiments of RM and conventional 2A12 aluminum alloy casings were conducted in free field to capture the explosive fireballs, temperature distribution, peak overpressure of the air shock wave and the fracture morphology of fragments of reactive material (RM) warhead casings by using high-speed camera, infrared thermal imager temperature and peak overpressure testing and scanning electron microscope. Results showed that an increase of both the fireball temperature and air shock wave were observed in all RM casings compared to conventional 2A12 aluminum ally casings. The RM casings can improve the peak overpressure of the air shock wave under explosion loading, though the results are different with different charge ratios. According to the energy release characteristics of the RM, increasing the thickness of RM casings will increase the peak overpressure of the near-field air shock wave, while reducing the thickness will increase the peak overpressure of the far-field air shock wave.     

Interface defeat studies of long-rod projectile impacting on ceramic targets

The interface defeat phenomenon always occurs when a long-rod projectile impacting on the ceramic target with certain velocity, i.e., the projectile is forced to flow radially on the surface of ceramic plates for a period of time without significant penetration. Interface defeat has a direct effect upon the ballistic performance of the armor piercing projectile, which is studied numerically and theoretically at present. Firstly, by modeling the projectiles and ceramic targets with the SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics) particles and Lagrange finite elements, the systematic numerical simulations on interface defeat are performed with the commercial finite element program AUTODYN. Three different responses, i.e., complete interface defeat, dwell and direct penetration, are reproduced in different types of ceramic targets (bare, buffered, radially confined and oblique). Furthermore, by adopting the validated numerical algorithms, constitutive models and the corresponding material parameters, the influences of projectile (material, diameter, nose shape), constitutive models of ceramic (JH-1 and JH-2 models), buffer and cover plate (thickness, constraints, material), as well as the prestress acted on the target (radial and hydrostatic) on the interface defeat (transition velocity and dwell time) are systematically investigated. Finally, based on the energy conservation approach and taking the strain rate effect of ceramic material into account, a modified model for predicting the upper limit of transition velocity is proposed and validated. The present work and derived conclusions can provide helpful reference for the design and optimization of both the long-rod projectile and ceramic armor.     

Chain damage effects of multi-spaced plates by reactive jet impact

Chain damage is a new phenomenon that occurs when a reactive jet impacts and penetrates multi-spaced plates.The reactive jet produces mechanical perforations on the spaced plates by its kinetic energy(KE),and then results in unusual chain rupturing effects and excessive structural damage on the spaced plates by its deflagration reaction.In the present study,the chain damage behavior is initially demonstrated by experiments.The reactive liners,composed of 26 wt％Al and 74 wt％PTFE,are fabricated through a pressing and sintering process.Three reactive liner thicknesses of 0.08 CD,0.10 CD and 0.12 CD(charge diameter)are chosen to carry out the chain damage experiments.The results show a chain rupturing phenomenon caused by reactive jet.The constant reaction delay time and the different penetration velocities of reactive jets from liners with different thicknesses result in the variation of the deflagration position,which consequently determines the number of ruptured plates behind the armor.Then,the finite-element code AUTODYN-3D has been used to simulate the kinetic energy only-induced rupturing effects on plates,based on the mechanism of behind armor debris(BAD).The significant discrepancies between simulations and experiments indicate that one enhanced damage mechanism,the behind armor blast(BAB),has acted on the ruptured plates.Finally,a theoretical model is used to consider the BAB-induced enhancement,and the analysis shows that the rupturing area on aluminum plates depends strongly upon the KE only-induced pre-perforations,the mass of reactive materials,and the thickness of plates.     

横向运动板对长杆弹变形及运动影响的数值研究

利用Ls—DYNA软件对钨合金长杆弹垂直侵彻单层和双层横向运动钢板进行了数值计算。通过分析长杆弹的塑性变形、速度降、动能降和横向速度，得到了单层和双层板横向运动速度与影响长杆弹侵彻能力因素的关系。仿真结果表明：随着运动板速度的增加，运动板对长杆弹的侵蚀加剧，长杆弹的速度降、动能降增大；运动板相同速度下，虽然单层板的冲击能使长杆弹获得较大横向速度，但双层板比单层板对长杆弹的干扰效果更明显。     

Numerical simulation study on penetration performance of depleted Uranium (DU) alloy fragments

Due to its high strength, high density, high hardness and good penetration capabilities, Depleted ura-nium alloys have already shined in armor-piercing projectiles. There should also be a lot of room for improvement in the application of fragment killing elements. Therefore, regarding the performance of the depleted uranium alloy to penetrate the target plate, further investigation is needed to analyze its advantages and disadvantages compared to tungsten alloy. To study the difference in penetration per-formance between depleted uranium alloy and tungsten alloy fragments,firstly, a theoretical analysis of the adiabatic shear sensitivity of DU and tungsten alloys was given from the perspective of material constitutive model. Then, taking the cylindrical fragment penetration target as the research object, the penetration process and velocity characteristics of the steel target plates penetrated by DU alloy frag-ment and tungsten alloy fragment were compared and analyzed, by using finite element software ANSYS/LS-DYNA and Lagrange algorithm. Lastly, the influence of different postures when impacting target and different fragment shapes on the penetration results is carried out in the research. The results show that in the penetration process of the DU and tungsten alloy fragments, the self-sharpening properties of the DU alloy can make the fragment head sharper and the penetrating ability enhance. Under the same conditions, the penetration capability of cylindrical fragment impacting target in vertical posture is better than that in horizontal posture, and the penetration capability of the spherical fragment is slightly better than that of cylindrical fragment.     

基于层裂机理的弹体侵彻混凝土的终点弹道研究

基于动态球形空腔膨胀理论给出的阻力函数理论公式和开坑阶段的表面层裂机理,建立了能够综合考虑弹头形状、开坑区深度的斜侵彻深度预测模型,并进一步推导了能够适用不同弹头形状的弹体过载时程曲线计算公式。预测模型得到的侵彻深度和过载与试验结果吻合较好。研究结果可为弹体与混凝土靶的斜侵彻弹道分析和弹丸头部设计提供一定帮助。     

某型坦克对钢筋混凝土工事的射击效能分析

依据弹丸侵彻深度、毁伤概率、命中概率数学模型 ,结合敌海岸防御工事的特点 ,分析了某型坦克炮各种弹种的射击效能 ,计算了坦克在海上射击时对各种目标和工事的命中概率和毁伤概率 ,作出了在不同射击距离上选择不同弹种进行射击的结论。     

长杆弹垂直侵彻横向运动板的数值分析

对钨合金长杆弹垂直侵彻横向运动钢板的偏转角变化规律进行了理论及仿真研究。采用刚体力学理论推导了刚体长杆弹侵彻横向运动钢板的偏转角公式。利用ANSYS/LS-DYNA有限元软件对RIGID及STEINBERG两种材料模型长杆弹垂直侵彻横向运动JOHNSON-COOK模型钢板进行了仿真,根据长杆弹头部和尾部横向相对运动规律,得到了长杆弹的偏转规律。仿真结果表明:板的横向运动速度越大,长杆弹偏转角越大,且偏转角在整个侵彻过程中一直保持增大的趋势。     

Round robin using the depth of penetration test method on an armour grade alumina

The depth of penetration (DOP) method is a well-known ballistic test method for characterisation and ranking of ceramic armour materials. The ceramic tile is bonded to a backing material of semi-infinite thickness, and the penetration depth of the projectile gives a measure of the performance of the ceramic. There is, however, an inherent variability in the results from this test method. In this work, the accuracy and the variability of the DOP method has been investigated in a round robin exercise. Six ballistic test centres took part in the exercise. A test protocol was developed, in which the threat type (projectile and impact conditions) and a procedure on how to prepare the targets were specified. The targets consisted of alumina tiles of two different thicknesses that were bonded to polycarbonate backing cubes. Two different 7.62 mm armour piercing projectiles were employed; one with a hard steel core and one with a tungsten carbide core. The projectiles and the other materials all came from single material batches in order to avoid batch-to-batch variations in material properties. These materials were distributed between the ballistic test centres. The test results of the different ballistic test facilities were collected and compared. There was not a lot of variation between the average DOP values obtained at each laboratory, but the variation in penetration depth between shots was high. The consequence of this variation may be less confidence in the test results, and a statistical method was used to evaluate the required number of tests that are sufficient to obtain an average result with high confidence. In most cases, the required number of tests is much higher than what is practically feasible. This work was conducted as part of the European Defence Agency-project CERAMBALL.     

不同截面形状复合长杆弹对陶瓷复合靶板侵彻研究

采用数值模拟技术研究了由3种不同截面形状的钨芯外包覆一层钢,形成的钢包覆层复合长杆弹在入射速度为1200m/s～1700m/s时对陶瓷/金属复合靶板的侵彻过程。结果表明:对于同一入射速度、相同弹体长度、同种材料的弹芯和包覆层以及靶板材料而言,等面积的六边形截面钨芯复合长杆弹的侵彻深度明显大于圆形及方形截面,方形及六边形截面与和它们等外接圆形成的圆形截面复合长杆弹侵彻深度没有明显差别,本研究认为这是与不同截面钨芯的外接圆直径直接相关。六边形截面长杆弹侵彻过程中的自锐化现象是其侵彻深度明显大于其它两种弹体的主要原因。     

Real-time prediction of projectile penetration to laminates by training machine learning models withfinite element solver as the trainer

Studies on ballistic penetration to laminates is complicated, but important for design effective protection of structures. Experimental means of study is expensive and can often be dangerous. Numerical simu-lation has been an excellent supplement, but the computation is time-consuming. Main aim of this thesis was to develop and test an effective tool for real-time prediction of projectile penetrations to laminates by training a neural network and a decision tree regression model. A large number of finite element models were developed;the residual velocities of projectiles fromfinite element simulations were used as the target data and processed to produce sufficient number of training samples. Study focused on steel 4340tpolyurea laminates with various configurations. Four different 3D shapes of the projectiles were modeled and used in the training. The trained neural network and decision tree model was tested using independently generated test samples using finite element models. The predicted projectile velocity values using the trained machine learning models are then compared with thefinite element simulation to verify the effectiveness of the models. Additionally, both models were trained using a published experimental data of projectile impacts to predict residual velocity of projectiles for the unseen samples. Performance of both the models was evaluated and compared. Models trained with Finite element simulation data samples were found capable to give more accurate predication, compared to the models trained with experimental data, becausefinite element modeling can generate much larger training set, and thus finite element solvers can serve as an excellent teacher. This study also showed that neural network model performs better with small experimental dataset compared to decision tree regression model.