Variation of crater geometry with projectile L/D for L/D ≤ 1

A series of hydrocode calculations and terminal ballistics experiments were performed to investigate the penetration mechanics of projectiles with L/D ≤ 1. Projectile L/D ranged from 1/32 to 1; impact velocity ranged from 1.5 to 5 km/s. Projectiles were tungsten or tungsten alloy, targets were RHA. The paper concentrates on the effect of projectile L/D on the size and geometry of the target crater. Normalized crater depth (or penetration) increases with decreasing projectile L/D and achieves a maximum at about L/D=1/8 for 1.5 km/s and 1/16 for 3 km/s, and then decreases with further decrease in L/D. For 5 km/s, P/L increases with decreasing L/D over the entire range studied. P/L scales with impact velocity as P/L V^f(L/D) where, we believe, f(L/D) approaches 2 as L/D 0. The ratio of crater to projectile diameter D_c/D decreases with decreasing L/D and approaches a value of 1 as L/D approaches zero for all velocities studied. The crater shape measured by P/D_c decreases with decreasing L/D; i.e., as L/D decreases, the crater changes from approximately hemispherical for L/D = 1 to a very shallow disk shape. The kinetic energy required per unit crater volume, KE/V_c, increases with decreasing L/D for L/D < 1/4. That is, cratering efficiency decreases with decreasing projectile L/D. For the impacts studied, KE/V_c increases from about 5 kJ/cm³ to 12 kJ/cm³ as projectile L/D is reduced from 1 to 1/32.     

Reverse impact experiments against tungsten rods and results for aluminum penetration between 1.5 and 4.2 km/s

Reverse impact experiments against 0.76 mm diameter L/D = 20 tungsten rods have been conducted with a 38 mm diameter launch tube, two-stage light-gas gun using four 450 kV flash X-rays to measure penetration rates. Techniques for projectile construction, sample placement, alignment, and radiography are described. Data for penetration rate, consumption velocity, and total penetration were obtained for 28 mm diameter 6061-T651 aluminum cylinders at impact velocities between 1.5 and 4.2 km/s. It was found that penetration velocity was a linear function of impact velocity over this velocity range. Above 2 km/s impact velocity, penetration was completely hydrodynamic. There was substantial secondary penetration, and the total penetration increased linearly with impact velocity over the range 1.5 to 2.5 km/s.     

Hypervelocity impact of rod projectiles with L/D from 1 to 32

Beside a short remark on the “hydrodynamic theory of rod projectiles”, the paper deals with the terminal ballistic behaviour of cylindrical projectiles against semi-infinite targets. Experimental data of EMI, completed by results of some other authors, are presented. Crater parameters like depth, diameter and volume and their dependence on projectile velocity (up to 5000 m/s), projectile and target material properties, as well as L/D-ratios (1–32), will be discussed. Mainly the projectile materials steel and tungsten sinter-alloys are considered. Target materials are mild steel and high strength steel, an Al-alloy and a tungsten sinter-alloy. The results show that the influence of material density on the crater dimensions is considerably greater than the influence of strength. The L/D ratio determines the velocity dependence of crater depth, diameter and volume. At high velocities in the hydrodynamic regime, the crater depth of short cylinders (L/D 1) is approximately proportional to v_p^2/3 (V_p=projectile velocity). With increasing L/D-ratio, the slope of the penetration curves decreases and converges for rods (L/D 1) versus a saturation, i. e. becomes nearly independent on v_p. A consequence of this saturation is the existence of a so-called “tangent velocity”, above which an optimal increase of efficiency is only realized by increasing the projectile mass and not the velocity. Furthermore, ballistic limits of real targets like single plates and symmetric double plates meteorite bumper shield) are taken into account. The expected better performance of “segmented rods” is also discussed.     

Penetration of semi-infinite AD995 alumina targets by tungsten long rod penetrators from 1.5 to 3.5 km/s

The performance of confined AD995 Alumina against L/D 20 tungsten long rod penetrators was characterized through reverse ballistic testing. The semi-infinite ceramic target was cylindrical with a diameter approximately 30 times the rod diameter. The target configuration included a titanium confinement tube and a thick, aluminum coverplate. The impact conditions ranged from 1.5 to 3.5 km/s with three or four tests performed at each of six nominal impact velocities. Multiple radiographs obtained during the penetration process allowed measurement of the penetration velocity into the ceramic and the consumption velocity, or erosion rate, of the penetrator. The final depth of penetration was also measured.

Primary penetration approaches 75% of the hydrodynamic limit. Secondary penetration is very small, even at 3.5 km/s. The effective R_t value decreased from 90 kbar to 70 kbar with increasing impact velocity over the range of velocities tested.

In tests in which the ratio of target diameter to penetrator diameter was reduced to 15, R_t, dropped by 30% to 50%. When a steel coverplate was used, total interface defeat occurred at 1.5 km/s.     

Hypervelocity jacketed penetrators

The use of steel jackets was found to significantly improve the penetration efficiency of tungsten alloy rods. Experiments and analyses were conducted with L/D=10 projectiles of constant exterior dimensions at a nominal impact velocity of 2.2 km/s. The fraction of jacket material was varied to see which geometry would have the best performance. For a core-to-jacket diameter ratio (μ) of 0.6, the experiments showed the penetration efficiency (P/KE^1/3) increased by 21% relative to an all-tungsten baseline rod of the same exterior dimensions. Experiments and AUTODYN simulations showed the same penetration efficiency trends. The simulations, however, did not show that the tungsten core outran the jacket, contrary to what was observed in the experiments.     

Phase three penetration

Phase three penetration is defined as the target penetration that occurs after a high-velocity penetrator has fully eroded. Phase 3 penetration is due to one or the combination of after-flow and secondary penetration of the target by the eroded penetrator debris. Recent experimental data for long tungsten rods penetrating confined boron carbide, aluminum nitride, and silicon carbide targets are used to investigate phase 3 penetration. It is found for these three ceramic targets that the onset impact velocity for the occurrence of phase 3 penetration is very roughly 2 km/s. The phase 3 penetration increases with impact velocity approximately as v². For these experiments the phase 3 penetration appears to be due almost entirely to secondary penetration.     

On the hydrodynamic approximation for long-rod penetration

Steady-state hydrodynamic theory, or variations thereof, has been applied to long-rod penetration since the 1940s. It is generally believed that projectile strength is of little consequence at high velocities, and that hydrodynamic theory is applicable to long-rod penetration when penetration pressures are much greater than the target flow stress. Substantiating this belief is the observation that at approximately 2.5 km/s, for tungsten alloy projectiles into armor steel, normalized penetration (P/L) nominally saturates to the classical hydrodynamic limit of the square root of the ratio of the projectile to target densities. Experimental data herein, however, show penetration velocities and instantaneous penetration efficiencies fall below that expected from hydrodynamic theory, even at impact velocities as high as 4.0 km/s. Numerical simulations, using appropriate strength values, are in excellent agreement with the experimental data. Parametric studies demonstrate that both projectile and target strength have a measurable effect even at such high impact velocities.     

The influence of confinement on the penetration of ceramic targets by KE projectiles at 1.8 and 2.6 km/s

This paper presents the results of scale size experiments using a tungsten-alloy long-rod projectile fired against 97.5% Al₂O₃ ceramic targets at 1.8 and 2.6 km/s. Two targets were used, one having lateral steel confinement; the other without. The projectile overmatched the target, and residual projectile length and velocity were recorded using ballistic-syncro photography. Flash radiography was used during penetration of the unconfined target to obtain the penetration velocity. Manganin pressure gauges were also used to obtain additional data on the response of the ceramic target during penetration. Results from the eight experiments indicate that the confinement reduced the residual energy of the projectile at both impact velocities. Expressed in terms of the projectile impact energy, 55–56% was lost in the unconfined target at 2.6 km/s compared with 60% for the confined design. The same trend was found at 1.8 km/s with 68% and 72–73% for the unconfined and confined, respectively. Predictions using the QinetiQ GRIM2D hydrocode and a simplified form of the Johnson–Holmquist ceramic material model agreed well with the experiments for three out of the four test configurations. The predicted projectile erosion and retardation against the confined target at 1.8 km/s was excessively high. Analytical predictions using the Tate modified Bernoulli equation also gave reasonably accurate predictions for three of the tests, but values for the Tate target ‘strength’ extracted from experiments using a different target configuration were not accurate for the target design used in this paper.     

High-speed penetration into sand

The series of experiments aimed at the exploring high-speed impact of bullet on non-solid target were carried out at IPE RAS. The electro-discharge launcher (EDL) employed in these experiments can reach the projectile velocities of 4 km/s. The following topics were considered: the phenomena related to the high-speed penetration into non-solid targets, the parameters that influence the penetration depth and the projectile design suitable for the deepest penetration into sand. Experimental equipment allows the measurement of the penetration depth of bullet, its path inside the sand and the shock waves caused by the high-speed bullet impact. Experiments had shown the absence of significant deviation from a straight-line trajectory for the any tested bullet shapes at the impact velocity of 1.5–3.0 km/s. The most interesting result is the existence of a critical velocity for this type of interaction. The full bullet wear due to the friction with sand occurs at this velocity. The critical velocity value depends on bullet material and dimensions. Experiments show that exceeding the critical velocity leads to reduce in penetration depth. The influence of bullet material, shape and velocity on its penetration depth into sand was measured. These data allow a determination of the main characteristics of projectile for deep penetration into sand.     

Penetration mechanics and performance of segmented rods against metal targets

Terminal ballistic experiments confirm theoretical predictions that a segmented rod will penetrate a semi-infinite metal target deeper than a continuous rod of the same material and having equal mass, diameter and velocity. For copper segmented rods impacting aluminum targets and tantalum segmented rods impacting 4340 (BHN 300) steel, penetration depths of at least 50 percent greater than that for a corresponding continuous rod are measured at impact velocities of 4 to 5 km/s. Spacing between segments of only about 2.5 segment diameters or more are required to achieve these results. Reducing the Li/D of the segments to less than 1 improves the penetration efficiency of a segmented rod. For segmented rods with segment L_i/D < 1, experiments suggest that penetration may increase with impact velocity rate greater than V^2/3.     

Hypervelocity impact testing of micrometeorite capture cells in conjunction with a PVDF thin-film velocity/trajectory sensor and a simple plasma velocity detector

Five different small particle capture cell designs were evaluated for their ability to capture fragments and residue from 10–200 μm diameter glass projectiles and oblong olivine crystals impacting at 1–15 km/s in sufficient quantity for chemical and isotopic analyses. Aluminum multi-foils (0.1–100 μm thick with ≈10, 000 and 1800 μm spacing), foil covered germanium crystals, and 0.50 and 0.120 g/cm³ Aerogels, were positioned behind either multi-film (1.4–6.0 μm thick) polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) velocity/trajectory sensor devices of a simple wire-grid plasma velocity detector. All capture cells collected significant amounts of impactor debris behind the PVDF sensors from nominal 100 μm diameter glass projectiles and olivine crystals which struck the sensor at velocities up to 6.4 km/s. At velocities >8 km/s little or no debris penetrated the second PVDF film. Results were incolsive for velocities between 6.5 and 8 km/s. Plasma detector results showed identifiable impactor residue on Al foils for velocities up to 8.7 km/s and impact tracks with apparent debris imbedded in the Aerogels for velocities up to 12.7 km/s. Maximum foil penetration of glass spheres and olivine crystals were the same, but more particulate debris was associated with olivine crystal ipacts versus glass impacts. Foil spacing beyond one particle diameter had no effect on total penetration. Aerogels are identified as a capture cell media that warrants further investigation. The Al multi-foil capture cell with 100 μm net spacers is identified as the most effective of the other designs and offers the advantages of compact structure, low secondary ejecta from impacts, and easy recovery of impactor debris for analysis.     

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.     

Tungsten long-rod penetration into confined cylinders of boron carbide at and above ordnance velocities

The purpose was to investigate the influence of impact velocity and confinement on the resistance of boron carbide targets to the penetration of tungsten long-rod projectiles. Experimental tests with impact velocities from 1400 to 2600 m/s were performed using a two-stage light-gas gun and a reverse impact technique. The targets consisted of boron carbide cylinders confined by steel tubes of various thicknesses. Simulations were carried out using the AUTODYN-2D code and Johnson–Holmquist's constitutive model with and without damage evolution. The experimental results show that the penetration process had different character in three different regions. At low-impact velocities, no significant penetration occurred. At high-impact velocities, the relation between penetration velocity and impact velocity was approximately linear, and the penetration was steady and symmetrical. In between, there was a narrow transition region of impact velocities with intermittent and strongly variable penetration velocity. In the lower part of this region, extended lateral flow of the projectile took place on the surface of the target. The influence of confinement on penetration velocity was found to be small, especially at high-impact velocities. The simulated results for penetration velocity versus impact velocity agreed fairly well with the experimental results provided damage evolution was suspended below the transition region.     

Impact flash and debris cloud expansion of high-pure metal foils

Results of 2 mm aluminum spheres perforating Al, Cu, Mo, Au, Sn, and Zn metal foils of a purity > 99.9 % with thicknesses between 0.1 mm and 2.0 mm, densities of up to 20 g/cm³, melting temperatures of 500 – 3000 K and specific heats of fusion of 20 – 350 kJ/kg at impact velocities between v_p = 4.5 km/s and v_p = 9 km/s are presented. The influence of target thickness, target material properties and impact velocity on the perforation hole diameter, impact flash duration and expansion velocity, fragmentation and debris cloud formation at nearly constant areal density is demonstrated. The dependence of impact crater pattern at witness plates on target material density, thickness, impact velocity and areal density ratio between projectile and target material is discussed. For tin and lead evidence is given for the ability of digital scanning electron microscope analysis as an effective tool for indicating change of aggregation from solid into liquid and for the determination of relative projectile and target material quantities.     

Debris fragment characterization in oblique hypervelocity impacts

A case history in debris characterization is presented for oblique impacts of chunky tungsten projectiles against thin plates. The integrated approach of scaled experiments and hydrocode simulations led to a semi-analytic model of behind the plate debris fragment distributions. This debris distribution model agreed quite well with the experimental fragment distributions derived from witness plate measurements. The 1/4 scale test program included three projectile masses, two target geometries (single and dual plates), a velocity range of 4–7 km/s and a strike angle range of 15–55 degrees. Close correlation of measured and predicted fragment distributions encouraged the extension of the model to higher velocities not currently obtainable in the laboratory.

The paper also includes discussions of critical features of debris in oblique hypervelocity impact, the scalability of fragment data, and the utilization of the derived fragment models in semi-analytic damage assessment codes.     

The effect of phase changes on target response

This paper presents the results of two impact studies with lead projectiles and lead targets. Impact velocity varied between 2.65 and 8.3 km/s, a range of velocities that induces a range of response in lead from fragmentation to vaporization. The first study considers the response of a lead target to impact by a 1.5 mm tungsten carbide sphere. Target response measurements included crater parameters and target momentum. Normalized target momentum, i.e. the ratio of target to projectile momentum, was observed to increase non-linearly with impact velocity, obtaining a value of 7.1 at 8.3 km/s. The second study compares the response of a shielded aluminum target to impact by either a lead or molybdenum projectile (the shield material was the same as the projectile). Test variables included shield to target spacing, shield thickness, target orientation and impact velocity. The four test variables affected the two test conditions differently, with the most similar results observed for tests with thick shields, minimal spacing and low impact velocity.     

Time-resolved penetration of long rods into steel targets

The penetration behavior of tungsten alloy, long-rod penetrators into high-hard steel is investigated at two impact velocities; 1.25 km/s and 1.70 km/s. The positions of the nose and tail of the projectile were measured by means of a 600 kV flash X-ray system at different times during penetration. The wavecode CTH was used to numerically simulate the experiments. The computational results are in very good agreement with the experimental position-time data. Additionally, the computational model reproduces the qualitative behavior for impact conditions near the ballistic limit.     

Experiments on the study of effect of microparticles anomalistic penetration into solid bodies

At certain conditions interaction between high velocity (up to 3 km/s) flows of microparticles with dimensions 20–70 μm and solid bodies could result in their super deep penetration (SDP) into those bodies. For SDP-effect to be studied a number of experiments were carried out. The X-ray analysis of microparticles acceleration has shown the advantage of acceleration of microparticles in mixture with the extender (porofor) because it makes it possible to regulate the flow density, its velocity and impact duration by means of the extender concentration variation. Experiments have been performed on the impact of microparticle flows with velocities in the range 1–2.6 km/s on copper and iron substrates. Results of metallographic investigations of cross-sectional and lengthwise grinds of substrates indicate that some tungsten particles penetrate into a target. The diameter of channels in the substrate material, which are formed due to particles penetration, is in the range 2–15 μm.     

Penetration erosion phenomenology

Penetration experiments of one-third scale tungsten alloy projectiles, with aspect ratios of 15 and 30 were performed in armor-like steel targets for impact velocities between 0.8 and 1.8 km/s. Post-test flash radiographs show that portions of the penetration channel are filled with the erosion products from the projectile. The erosion phenomenology of long-rod tungsten alloy penetrators was deduced by sectioning penetration channels and examining metallographic sections.     

Ballistic limit for shielded plates subjected to hypervelocity impact

A new method of determining ballistic limits for hypervelocity impact is proposed. This method applies to cases of impulsive impact on a plate protected by a multi-shock shield, which corresponds to projectile velocities in the range above 6 km s⁻¹. It is shown, by using experimental and analytical results, that the plate will not fail, provided the impact parameters are bounded by certain critical values. A simple equation that relates the critical values is established. Curves are presented for the critical projectile radius versus the projectile velocity, and for the critical plate thickness versus the velocity. These curves are in good agreement with curves that have been generated empirically.