Re-examination of the evidence for a failure wave in SiC penetration experiments

Previous work suggested the possibility that the effects of a failure wave, evidenced through a change in the slope of the penetration velocity vs. impact velocity (u–v_p) curve resulting from an increase in target penetration resistance, could be observed in penetration experiments of SiC. However, the previous work had to combine two different sets of experimental data, one using long tungsten rods and the other copper shaped-charge jets. A new set of experiments was conducted to address the uncertainties associated with combining the two disparate data sets. Analysis of the new experiments showed no evidence of a distinct change in the slope of the u–v_p response of SiC, up to an impact velocity of 6.2 km/s. We re-examine the original data and analysis in light of the new experiments to understand the origins of the original misinterpretation.     

Time-resolved penetration into pre-damaged hot-pressed silicon carbide

We have conducted a series of experiments to examine projectile penetration of cylindrical hot-pressed silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic targets that are pre-damaged to varying degrees under controlled laboratory conditions prior to ballistic testing. SiC was thermally shocked to introduce non-contiguous cracks. Another set of targets was thermally shocked and then additional damage was induced by load–unload cycling in an MTS machine while the ceramic specimen was confined in a 7075-T6 aluminum sleeve. Finally, targets were made by compacting SiC powder into a 7075-T6 aluminum sleeve. For each of these target types, long gold rod penetration was measured as a function of impact velocity v_p over the approximate range of 1–3 km/s, with most data between 1.5 and 3 km/s. Penetration as a function of time was measured using multiple independently timed flash X-rays. Results are compared with previous results for non-damaged (intact) SiC targets. Key results from these experiments include the following: (1) penetration is nominally steady state for v_p>1.5 km/s; (2) for all target types, the penetration velocity u is a linear function of v_p (except for the lowest impact velocities); and (3) it is found that u_intact<u_pre-damaged<u_{in-situ comminuted}<u_powder<u_hydrodynamic.     

Penetration response of silicon carbide as a function of impact velocity

Reverse ballistic experiments were used to investigate confinement, pre-damaged and intact, and rod size effects on penetration of long, gold rods into silicon carbide (SiC-N). Rod diameters were 1.0 mm and 0.75 mm, and lengths were 70 mm and 50 mm, respectively. Within data scatter, penetration velocity was the same for intact (bare or sleeved), pre-damaged (thermally shocked with non-contiguous cracks), and in situ comminuted SiC-N. Penetration velocity was independent of rod diameter within the data scatter. An expression for the penetration velocity versus impact velocity is found using linear regression. It is proposed that the reason there is no difference in the penetration rate between intact and pre-damaged (failed) SiC is because, after the first few microseconds following impact, the rod penetrates failed material in both cases.     

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.     

The dependence of penetration velocity on impact velocity

Recent experimental measurements show that eroding long-rod penetration velocity is a linear function of impact velocity over a very wide range of impact velocities and for an interesting range of rod–target material combinations. These experiments all show that U=a+bV, where U and V are the penetration and impact velocity, respectively, and “a” and “b” are constants for given projectile and target materials. Numerical simulations also show that U=a+bV. The accumulation of these results suggests that a linear relationship between penetration and impact velocity may be fundamental over a very large range of impact velocities. A linear relationship between penetration and impact velocity has a number of implications. Some implications of this result for the Tate–Alekseevskii model are briefly examined in this paper.     

Nonsteady penetration of longs rods into semi-infinite targets

This paper describes a new one-dimensional theory of nonsteady penetration of long rods into semi-infinite targets. The target is viewed as a “finite mass” that resides within the semi-infinite target space. Thus, an equation of motion for the target was constructed so that together with erosion and penetrator deceleration equations, expressions for penetration rates and depths were obtained. Forces acting on the target and penetrator are defined in terms of only ordinary strength levels usually associated with dynamic properties or work-hardened material states. Also, the concept of critical impact velocity was used to establish the onset of penetration in this formulation. This penetration equation corresponds in exact form to hydrodynamic theory in the limits of small strengths and/or high impact velocity. Results for penetration rates agree well with hydrocode calculations, and predicted penetrations agree with experimental data over an impact velocity range of 0–5,000 m/s.     

Similarity Relations for the Impact Penetration of an Elastic Rod into a Brittle Target

Similarity factors for the kinetic parameters of the rod (impact velocity or energy) in case of geometric and energy similarities of target fracture patterns are determined from the analysis of the penetration equation and experimental results. The geometric and energy similarities of the target fracture upon the rod penetration over the investigated range of impact velocities (up to 10 m/s) and penetration depths (h >> d) are shown to be attained on linear variations of longitudinal and transverse rod dimensions, with impact velocities remaining unchanged.     

The resistance of silicon carbide to static and impact local loading

The physical nature of the resistance of SiC crystals to static and local impact loading has been examined. Investigation of the temperature dependence of hardness for SiC crystals allows the determination of the characteristic deformation temperature (T* ≈ 1600 K), the parameter that characterizes the degree of covalence in interatomic bonds ( ≈ 6) and the temperature range in which a phase transition under pressure during indentation is possible (T < 800 K). Indentation technique gives possibility to construct stress-strain curves for brittle materials and to determine Hugoniot Elastic Limit. During dynamic penetration of a kinetic projectile into a SiC target the phase transition takes place.     

Finite element modeling of impact, damage evolution and penetration of thick-section composites

Impact, damage evolution and penetration of thick-section composites are investigated using explicit finite element (FE) analysis. A full 3D FE model of impact on thick-section composites is developed. The analysis includes initiation and progressive damage of the composite during impact and penetration over a wide range of impact velocities, i.e., from 50 m/s to 1000 m/s. Low velocity impact damage is modeled using a set of computational parameters determined through parametric simulation of quasi-static punch shear experiments. At intermediate and high impact velocities, complete penetration of the composite plate is predicted with higher residual velocities than experiments. This observation revealed that the penetration-erosion phenomenology is a function of post-damage material softening parameters, strain rate dependent parameters and erosion strain parameters. With the correct choice of these parameters, the finite element model accurately correlates with ballistic impact experiments. The validated FE model is then used to generate the time history of projectile velocity, displacement and penetration resistance force. Based on the experimental and computational results, the impact and penetration process is divided into two phases, i.e., short time Phase I - shock compression, and long time Phase II - penetration. Detailed damage and penetration mechanisms during these phases are presented.     

Characterisation of impact response of metallic foam/ceramic laminates

Abstract

The impact response of laminated composites consisting of alternate layers of Al alloy foam and Al₂O₃ was studied experimentally in low and intermediate velocity regimes. Low velocity impacts (1.2–2.8 m s^-1) were conducted using an instrumented falling weight apparatus and were compared with static indentation tests (0.2×10^-4 m s^-1). Intermediate velocity impacts were carried out by means of both Hopkinson bar (60 m s -1)and gas gun (200 m s^-1) tests. Post­impact damage was assessed using X-ray radiography and microscopy. It was found that there is good correlation between low velocity impact and quasi­static responses. In both cases, penetration of the layered targets resulted in the formation of a distinctive plug. Increasing impact velocity (intermediate velocity range) switched the penetration mode from plugging to fragmentation, giving rise to an increase in the absorbed energy. In this range, impacts led to localisation of damage in the region under the projectile. Furthermore, a comparison has been made between the penetration response of foam laminates and dense metal laminates of equivalent areal density. Preliminary results suggest that the dense metal laminates are superseded by the foam laminates on an energy absorption basis.     

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.     

Multiple impact penetration of semi-infinite concrete

An experimental study was performed to gather multiple impact, projectile penetration data into concrete. A vertical firing range was developed that consisted of a 30-06 rifle barrel mounted vertically above a steel containment chamber. 0.41 m cubes of an Air Force G mix concrete were suspended in wet sand and positioned in the steel chamber. The concrete targets were subjected to repeated constant velocity impacts from 6.4 mm diameter steel projectiles with an ogive nose shape and a length to diameter ratio of 10. A laser sight was adapted to the rifle to ensure alignment, and a break screen system measured the projectile velocity. After each impact, the projectile penetration and crater formation parameters were recorded. The penetration and crater formation data were consistent with single impact penetration data from previous studies conducted at Sandia National Laboratories. In addition, an analytic/empirical study was conducted to develop a model that predicted the penetration depth of multiple impacts into concrete targets. Using the multiple impact penetration and crater formation data, a single impact penetration model, developed by Forrestal at Sandia National Laboratories, was extended to account for the degradation of the target strength with each subsequent impact. The degradation of the target was determined empirically and included in the model as a strength-modifying factor. The model requires geometry parameters of the ogive nose projectile, projectile velocity, the number of impacts, and target compressive strength to calculate the overall penetration depth of the projectile.     

Penetration and failure of lead and borosilicate glass against rod impact

This paper presents the experimental design and results for gold rod impact on DEDF (5.19 g/cm³) and Borofloat (2.2 g/cm³) glass by visualizing simultaneously failure propagation in the glass with a high-speed camera and rod penetration with flash radiography. At a given impact velocity, the velocity of the failure front is significantly higher during early penetration than during steady-state penetration of the rod. For equal pressures but different stress states, the failure front velocities determined from Taylor tests or planar-impact tests are greater than those observed during steady-state rod penetration. The ratio of average failure front velocity to rod penetration velocity decreases with increasing impact velocity (v_p) in the range of v_p=0.4–2.8 km/s. As a consequence, the distance between the rod tip and the failure front is reduced with increasing _vp$v_{\mathrm{p}}$. The Tate term R_T increases with impact velocity.     

Transition between interface defeat and penetration for tungsten projectiles and four silicon carbide materials

Armour systems containing high-quality ceramics may be capable of defeating armour-piercing projectiles on the surfaces of these hard materials. This capability, named interface defeat, has been studied for four different silicon carbide ceramic materials, viz., SiC–B, SiC–N, SiC–SC–1RN and SiC–HPN by use of a light-gas gun and a small-scale reverse impact technique. The velocities of a tungsten projectile marking the transition between interface defeat and penetration have been determined and compared with the Vickers hardness and fracture toughness of the ceramic materials. It is found that the transition velocity increases with the fracture toughness but not with the Vickers hardness. This indicates that, under the prevailing conditions, fracture may have had more influence than plastic flow on the transition. As a consequence, the observed transition velocities may not be the maximum ones achievable, at least not for SiC–B, SiC–N and SiC–SC–1RN. By suppression of the initiation and propagation of cracks through increase of the confining pressure, it may be possible to increase the transition velocities.     

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.     

Impact and penetration by L/D ≤ 1 projectiles

Calculations of steel target penetration by L/D ≤ 1 tungsten and tungsten alloy projectiles have been extended to L/D = 1/32 over the velocity range 1.5 to 5 km/s. The ratio of crater to projectile diameter tends to 1 as L/D decreases over this entire velocity range. For impact velocities of 1.5 and 3 km/s, penetration depth normalized by projectile length, P/L, increases with decreasing projectile L/D up to a maximum value and then decreases for still lower L/D. Experiments at impact velocities of 2 and 3 km/s confirm these results. For 5 km/s impact velocity, the calculations show P/L increasing with decreasing projectile L/D over the entire range 1/32 ≤ L/D ≤ 1. The projectile L/D for which the maximum P/L occurs appears to depend on the impact velocity. P/L generally scales with impact velocity as P/L v^f(L/D) where f(L/D) ranges from 0 for a long rod to, we believe, 2 in the limit as projectile L/D approaches zero. The calculations show for 1/8 ≤ L/D ≤ 1/2, P/L v^0.9; for L/D = 1/16, P/L v^1.5; and for L/D = 1/32, the new results give P/L v^1.9.     

Experimental Investigation of the Penetration of Solids into a Target of Organic Glass under Impact at Velocities from 0.7 to 2.1 km/s

The results are given of experimental investigations of the interaction between spherical metal impactors and a target of organic glass. The impact velocities range from 0.7 to 2.1 km/s. Singular features of the pattern of penetration of impactors into the target are revealed. The empirical dependence of the depth of penetration on the impact energy is obtained, and comparison is made with the known formulas for superdeep penetration. An expression is derived for the limiting velocity, above which no formation of channels in the target occurs, but the impactor is completely destroyed and a crater is formed.     

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.     

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.     

基于声发射技术的陶瓷基复合材料声速特性

基于Christoffel方程,运用复合材料刚度矩阵与弹性常数间的关系,将正交各向异性模型运用于2D-C/SiC复合材料的声学特性中,得到材料声速的表达式。通过循环加卸载试验测量了2D-C/SiC复合材料整个拉伸过程中不同应力水平处的声速变化,研究了声速对2D-C/SiC复合材料的损伤表征。研究发现,随着应力水平的不断增加,声速逐渐下降,2D-C/SiC复合材料损伤程度对声波在材料中的传播速度有较大影响;引入卸载模量和再加载模量,代替声速理论计算切线模量,理论结果与试验结果吻合良好,误差随载荷增加而增大;声波速度随2D-C/SiC复合材料损伤而发生衰减的关系,根据此衰减关系建立了基于声速的损伤表征量。