Debris cloud distributions at oblique impacts

The purpose of this study is to obtain mass, spray angle and velocity distributions of fragments in debris cloud generated by oblique impacts on an aluminum alloy plate. Hypervelocity impact tests were performed with a two-stage light gas gun at Kyushu Institute of Technology. The impact angles were changed to 0°, 15°, 30°, 45° and 60°. The projectile impacted on the targets at 2 km/s. After the impact, the debris cloud was taken with flash X-rays and an ultra high-speed video camera. The fragments were then captured in a stack of polystyrene sheets. As a result, the projectile was broken up into smaller fragments by oblique impacts with the larger impact angles. Lower velocity fragments dispersed in wider spray angles according to the increase of the impact angles.     

刚性卵形头弹撞击角度对编织复合材料层合板侵彻特性的影响

利用一级气炮发射卵形头弹撞击2 mm厚度的编织复合材料层合板,撞击角度分别为0°、30°和45°,通过高速相机记录弹靶撞击过程,并获得弹体速度数据。基于拟合公式处理试验数据,计算获取弹道极限,分析撞击角度对弹道极限、靶板能量吸收率及其失效模式的影响规律及机制。结果表明：弹体撞击角度为45°时,靶板弹道极限最高,其次为0°,撞击角度为30°时最小。随着冲击角度增加,层合板损伤形状从菱形逐渐转变为椭球形,损伤面积随冲击速度增加而增大,且45°冲击时层合板损伤面积最大,0°和30°冲击时损伤面积近似相等。弹体初始撞击角度对靶体失效模式存在影响,弹体撞击角度为0°时,纤维断口主要是剪切应力导致的横截面。撞击角度为30°时,纤维断口主要是剪切应力和拉伸应力导致的斜截面。45°斜撞击时,纤维断口主要是拉伸应力导致的横截面。     

Hypervelocity impact tests and simulations of single whipple bumper shield concepts at 10km/s

A series of experiments has been performed to evaluate the effectiveness of a Whipple bumper shield to orbital space debris at impact velocities of 10 km/s. Upon impact by a 19 mm (0.87 mm thick, L/D 0.5) flier plate, the thin aluminum bumper shield disintegrates into a debris cloud. The debris cloud front propagates axially at velocities of 14 km/s and expands radially at a velocity of 7 km/s. Subsequent loading by the debris on a 3.2 mm thick aluminum substructure placed 114 mm from the bumper penetrates the substructure completely. However, when the diameter of the flier plate is reduced to 12.7 mm, the substructure, although damaged is not perforated. Numerical simulations performed using the multi-dimensional hydrodynamics code CTH also predict complete perforation of the substructure by the subsequent debris cloud for the larger flier plate. The numerical simulation for a 12.7 mm flier plate, however, shows a strong dependence on assumed impact geometry, i. e., a spherical projectile impact geometry does not result in perforation of the substructure by the debris cloud, while the flat plate impact geometry results in perforation.     

Normal impact of blunt projectiles on moving targets: experimental study

An experimental investigation was performed to study impact on targets moving at right angles to the striker trajectory with a velocity of 40 m/s. Tests were executed with a compressed gas gun using 6.35 mm diameter, 38.1 mm long hard steel blunt-nosed cylindrical strikers in the velcity range 49–213 m/s and with a powder gun using a blunt 9.53 mm diameter cylindrical projectile with an aspect ratio of 2 up to velocities of 492 m/s. The post-impact projectile trajectory and attitute as well as the configuration of the craters produced in thin targets of cold-rolled steel and soft aluminum were observed. The impact process produced asymmetric plugging followed by either front or side petaling. The latter phenomenon was found to be controlled by the ultimate tensile strain of the target and the ratio of the projectile to target speed. The test parameters and resulting data were primarily selected to permit comparison with the predictions of an analytical model of the process described in a companion paper.     

A study of hypervelocity impact on cryogenic materials

This paper reports a result of hypervelocity impact experiments on cryogenically cooled aluminum alloys and a composite material. Experiments are carried out on a target palate at 122 K. Aluminum spheres at 1.95 km/s in 50 kPa air were impinged against the target plate at cryogenic temperature and the result was compared with room temperature target plates. Hypervelocity impact (HVI) processes were visualized with shadowgraph arrangement and recorded with high-speed video camera and to ensure the temperature dependence we compared HVI tests with metal target plates with AUTODYN 2D and SPH numerical simulations. We found that cryogenic impacts created slight differences of impact damage from room temperature ones, i.e., the shape and averaged diameters of HVI crater holes were less at cryogenic impacts.     

Mesh double-bumper shield: A low-weight alternative for spacecraft meteoroid and orbital debris protection

A number of new, innovative, low-weight shielding concepts have resulted from a decade of research at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Hypervelocity Impact Test Facility (HIT-F). One such concept, the mesh double-bumper (MDB) shield is a highly efficient method to provide protection from meteoroid and orbital debris impacts. Hypervelocity impact (HVI) testing of the MDB shield at the HIT-F and other facilities have demonstrated weight savings of approximately 30% to 50% at light gas gun velocities compared with conventional dual-sheet aluminum Whipple shields at normal impact angles. Even larger weight savings, approximately 70%, have been achieved at 45 degree oblique angles. The MDB shield was developed to demonstrate that a Whipple shield could be “augmented” or modified to substantially improve protection by adding a mesh a short distance in front of the Whipple bumper and inserting a layer of high strength fabric between the second bumper and rear wall. From the test results, formulas have been developed that allow the design engineer to size MDB shield elements for spacecraft applications.     

Tumbling of hypervelocity rods induced by impact with oblique plate targets

We investigated the cause of tumbling by hypervelocity rods after impact with oblique plate targets. The projectiles were strong rods, length to diameter ratio of 6 to 10, prepared from aluminum (10 tests) or steel (5 tests), launched at velocities of 4.2 to 4.8 km/s, and impacted into like material targets. The rods had little or no initial yaw (the average yaw was 1.8°). The residual projectile properties of length, tumbling rate and radial velocity were measured and evaluated in a simple model for rod tumbling. The model is based on the observation that plastic shear continues at the nose of the rod for a finite time after target perforation. Based on the observed tumbling rate, duration of plastic flow and the inertia of the residual rod an implicit determination of the shear strength of the rod was obtained. The calculated shear strength was in fair agreement with static shear values.     

Effect of distance from the support on the penetration mechanism of clamped circular polycarbonate armor plates

A 1.91-mm thick circular polycarbonate plate of 115 mm diameter was impacted by a spherical steel projectile of 6.98 mm diameter at its center. Subsequent impacts were made at 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mm radii of the plate. Dent dimensions for the damaged plate were measured using optical microscope. For a constant projectile velocity of 138 m s⁻¹ which was below the perforation limit of the plate under investigation, a maximum thickness reduction close to the edge support was observed. The experimental work was modeled into explicit finite-element analysis program LSDYNA for simulations. LSDYNA was able to predict the dent depth and reduction in plate thickness at impact points precisely. In this research, the effect of the impact location distance from the supports on the damage mechanism of circular polycarbonate armor plates is investigated. The target plate was subjected to constant velocity projectile impacts starting at the plate midpoint and varying the impact distance from midpoint towards the clamped edge. Failure of plate is predicted close to the constrained boundary under uniform conditions.     

Target damage from highly oblique hypervelocity impacts of steel spheres against thin laminated targets

Target hole sizes and geometries were measured for a series of highly oblique hypervelocity impacts of steel spheres against thin laminated targets. The impact velocity was nominally 4.6 km/s for most of the experiments with a few tests conducted at 7.3 km/s. Impact obliquity ranged from 60° to 80° from the normal to the target plane. Projectiles were stainless steel spheres with masses of 222 g, 25 g, and 1 g. Targets were laminated MX-2600 silica phenolic bonded to a 2024-T3 substrate. Target thickness, t, was varied to give thickness to projectile diameter, d, ratios of t/d = 0.6 and 0.3 for each projectile. CTH Eulerian wavecode calculations of selected tests were performed to improve our understanding of the experimental results.     

Projectile density, impact angle and energy effects on hypervelocity impact damage to carbon fibre/peek composites

This paper explores the effects of projectile density, impact angle and energy on the damage produced by hypervelocity impacts on carbon fibre/PEEK composites. Tests were performed using the light gas gun facilities at the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK, and the NASA Johnson Space Center two-stage light gas gun facilities at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Various density spherical projectiles impacted AS4/PEEK composite laminates at velocities ranging from 2.71 to 7.14 km/s. In addition, a series of tests with constant size aluminum projectiles (1.5 mm in diameter) impacting composite targets at velocities of 3, 4, 5 and 6 km/s was undertaken at incident angles of 0, 30 and 45 degrees. Similar tests were also performed with 2 mm aluminum projectiles impacting at a velocity of approximately 6 km/s. The damage to the composite was shown to be independent of projectile density; however, debris cloud damage patterns varied with particle density. It was also found that the entry crater diameters were more dependent upon the impact velocity and the projectile diameter than the impact angle. The extent of the primary damage on the witness plates for the normal incidence impacts was shown to increase with impact velocity, hence energy. A series of tests exploring the shielding effect on the witness plate showed that a stand-off layer of Nextel fabric was very effective at breaking up the impacting debris cloud, with the level of protection increasing with a non-zero stand-off distance.     

弹丸超高速撞击半无限厚铝板数值模拟

微流星体及空间碎片的超高速撞击威胁着长寿命、大尺寸航天器的安全运行,导致其严重的损伤和灾难性的失效.撞击损伤特性研究是航天器防护设计的一个重要问题.本文采用AUTODYN软件的Lagrange法对半无限铝板的超高速斜撞击和与其具有相同法向速度的正撞击进行了模拟,给出了不同撞击角和不同法向速度下半无限厚铝板弹坑深度、宽度、长度的变化规律及多弹坑的形成过程,并与经验方程进行了比较分析.结果发现:随撞击角的增加,弹坑的深度和宽度减小,而弹坑的长度增加;随撞击速度的增加弹坑的直径和深度增加;在撞击角大于70度时出现多弹坑.     

3D numerical simulations of sharp nosed projectile impact on ductile targets

Three-dimensional FE model is presented for perforation under normal and oblique impact of sharp nosed projectiles on single and layered ductile targets. Numerical simulations have been carried out to study the behavior of Weldox 460 E steel and 1100-H12 aluminum targets impacted by conical and ogive nosed steel projectiles respectively. Weldox 460 E steel targets of 12 mm thickness in single and double layered combination (2 × 6 mm) and 1100-H12 aluminum targets of 1 mm thickness in single and double layered combination (2 × 0.5 mm) impacted at 0°, 15° and 30° obliquity were considered for simulations. The results of monolithic and layered targets were compared for each angle of impact. Monolithic targets were found to have higher ballistic resistance than that of the layered in-contact targets of equivalent thickness. Failure of both the targets occurred through ductile hole enlargement. However, ogive nosed projectile failed 1 mm thick aluminum target through petal formation and conical nosed projectile failed 12 mm thick steel target through a circular or elliptical hole enclosed by a bulge at rear surface. The explicit algorithm of ABAQUS finite element code was used to carry out the numerical simulations. Various parameters which play critical role in numerical simulation such as element size and its aspect ratio have been studied.     

考虑攻角的长杆弹斜穿透中厚铝靶机理

攻角对长杆弹斜侵彻有重要影响,该文通过大量数值模拟研究了攻角对长杆弹斜穿透中厚铝板的影响机理。基于实验验证的有限元模型,开展了变速度和攻角的多工况数值模拟,得到了侵彻过程中弹体的减加速度大小、速度方向以及整体弯曲的变化规律,分析了侵彻速度、倾角和攻角对侵彻阻力、弹体弯曲和弹道偏转的影响。结果表明:带攻角斜侵彻时,负攻角对弹体弯曲的影响明显大于正攻角,且弹体弯曲随着侵彻速度的增大而减小;随着斜侵彻速度的增大,攻角引起弹体甩尾和弹道偏转越明显,此时带攻角的斜侵彻过程的能量损耗机理明显不同于正侵彻和无攻角的斜侵彻。     

Scaling flow fields from the impact of thin plates

A dimensional analysis is performed to obtain velocity scaling relationships for the perforation of thin plates. The approach used is an extension of Dienes and Walsh's “late-stage equivalence” and Holsapple and Schmidt's “coupling parameter” concepts, used to simplify velocity scaling of impact phenomena. The coupling parameter C for plate perforation, is shown to have the form C=dU^μδ^ν for the perforation of thick plates and the form C=dU^μδ^ν f(t/d) for the perforation of thin plates (d is the projectile diameter, t is the plate thickness, U is the impact velocity and δ is the projectile density). It is shown that μ=1/2 for momentum scaling and μ=1 for energy scaling, however, from scaled hydrocode output it is found that, for aluminum impacting aluminum, the value of μ is equal to 0.83±0.03, which is neither energy nor momentum scaling. It is also shown that velocity scaling of thick plate perforation, using the same materials in the model and prototype and the same t/d, is not possible. An example of velocity scaling hydrocode output is given where the radial particle velocity wave profiles from the model calculation at U=55.6km/s and t/d=0.675 are similar to those from the prototype calculation with U=100km/s and t/d=1.08.     

Flow-field center migration during vertical and oblique impacts

The downrange-directed momentum from an oblique impact affects crater excavation. Ejecta dynamics were measured within growing ejecta curtains for experimental impacts with incidence angles of 90°, 45°, and 30° above horizontal, all impacting at velocities near 1.0 km/s. These ejecta dynamics constrain the horizontal migration of the flow-field center between the impact point and the crater center for three curtain segments (uprange, lateral, and downrange) during oblique impacts and are compared with vertical impacts. At angles as high as 45°, the flow-field center migration occurs throughout a substantial portion of crater growth, thereby demonstrating that impact angle affects crater excavation even at relatively high angles. Stationary point sources are found unable to account for this detailed excavation flow during oblique impacts.     

Direct force measurement in normal and oblique impact of plates by projectiles

An experimental investigation of the forces produced by the penetration and perforation of thin aluminum and steel plates by cylindro-conical and hemispherically-tipped projectiles at 0, 15, 30 and 45° angles of incidence has been performed. Additionally, force histories were recorded for normal impact on Lexan, nylon and ceramic targets by conically-tipped strikers. Similar tests on Kevlar were not successful owing to the generation of voltages by rubbing of fibers that completely overwhelmed the transducer signal. A piezoelectric crystal bonded to the tail of the 12.7 mm diameter, 30 g projectiles followed by an inertial mass and a trailing wire provided the instrumentation. The strikers were propelled by means of a pneumatic gun at velocities ranging from 45 to 170 ms⁻¹. Displacement data obtained from high-speed photography for selected runs allowed curve fits to an analytical function which were compared to the directly recorded force histories.The effects of changes in initial velocity, angle of obliquity and striker tip on the peak force have been analyzed. A simple model has been developed for the perforation of plates by hemispherically-tipped projectiles at oblique incidence, and comparisons have been made with the measured force histories. A model was also devised to predict the peak forces obtained for oblique impact by cylindro-conical projectiles. The peak forces obtained experimentally were found to be relatively independent of the initial projectile velocity for shots where perforation occured. For the tests at speeds below the ballistic limit, the maximum forces were approximately proportional to the initial velocity.     

Hypervelocity impacts on thin brittle targets: Experimental data and SPH simulations

The meteoroids and debris environment play an important role in the reduction of spacecraft lifetime. Ejecta or secondary debris, are produced when a debris or a meteoroid impact a spacecraft surface. Brittle materials are particularly sensitive to HVI in term of damages and amount of ejected matter: the ejected fragments total mass is in the order of 100 times bigger than the impacting mass. The French atomic energy commission (CEA) faces the same problem in the Laser MégaJoule project. The lasers optics will be bombarded by hypervelocity debris and shrapnel resulting from target disassembly. Two millimeter thick fused silica disposable debris shields (DDS) located in front of the main debris shields might be used to reduce very small shrapnel cratering on the main debris shields. The aim of this paper is to study the damaging and ejection processes that occur during HVI on thin brittle targets. A two-stage light-gas gun has been used to impact 2 mm DDS with 500 μm steel projectiles. Experimental characterization of ejected matter has also been performed: lightweight paperboards coated with adhesive have been used to collect ejected fragments including spalls. Numerical simulation using the smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method of LS-DYNA and the Johnson Holmquist material model were performed. The results of these calculations are compared to experimental data which include the damage features in the targets (spalled zones and perforation hole) and the ejection clouds. Satisfying agreement between numerical and experimental simulations was obtained for damage characteristics and ejection phenomena.     

Impact experiments on low-temperature bumpers

This paper presents the results of hypervelocity impact experiments that were carried out at CISAS Impact Facility onto aluminum bumpers cooled down to −120 °C with liquid nitrogen and to −60 °C with solid carbon dioxide. The thickness of the targets was 0.8, 1, 2 and 3.17 mm, the diameter of the spherical projectiles was 1.5, 1.9, 2.3 and 2.9 mm and the impact velocity did span between 4 and 5 km/s. To establish if any temperature dependence exists in the bumpers’ impact response, two different features were analyzed: the hole size and the bumper protection capabilities. The latter property, that is related to the bumper capacity of producing debris cloud composed of fragments as fine and slow as possible, was assessed through observation of the damage patterns on witness plates and through measurements of the debris cloud tip velocity. Moreover, qualitative analyses of high-speed shadowgraphs representing the debris cloud evolution were performed. On one hand, it was found that low temperature has only minor influence on the hole diameter. On the other hand, the examination of shadowgraphs showed that the debris cloud structure varies with bumper temperature, even though it was not proved that such differences correspond to significant dissimilarities between damage patterns recorded onto witness plates.