ENERGY ABSORPTION CHARACTERISTICS OF ALUMINUM PLATES SUBJECTED TO PROJECTILE IMPACT

Abstract

THIS PAPER PRESENTS A DETAILED INVESTIGATION OF ENERGY ABSORPTION CHARACTERISTICS OF THIN SINGLE AS WELL AS LAYERED IN-CONTACT ALUMINUM TARGET PLATES OF DIFFERENT THICKNESSES IMPACTED BY BLUNT, OGIVE AND HEMISPHERICAL NOSED STEEL PROJECTILES. INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS PARAMETERSA AFFECTING THE ENERGY ABSORPTION CAPACITY OF THE TARGET, SUCH AS KINETIC ENERGY OF THE IMPACTING PROJECTILE AND ITS NOSE SHAPE, CON¯GURATION OF THE TARGET PLATE, ITS MODE OF FAILURE AS WELL AS THICKNESS OF THE TARGET PLATE WAS STUDIED. THE EXTENT OF ENERGY ABSORPTION OF THE TARGET PLATE WAS FOUND TO BE HIGHLY INFLUENCED BY ITS FAILURE MECHANISM. IT OFFERED HIGHER PERFORATION RESISTANCE WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED THROUGH ''BENDING'' AND ''TENSILE STRETCHING'' THAN WHEN IT FAILED THROUGH 'SHEAR PLUGGING'. EFFECT OF TARGET CONFIGURATION WAS STUDIED BY VARYING THE NUMBER OF LAYERS AND INDIVIDUAL PLATE THICKNESS KEEPING A GIVEN CONSTANT OVERALL TARGET THICKNESS. THE ABSORBED ENERGY WAS FOUND TO DECREASE WITH AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF LAYERS, WHICH REVEALED THAT THE MONOLITHIC TARGET PLATE OFFERED HIGHEST RESISTANCE AGAINST PROJECTILE PERFORATION. THE EXPERIMENTAL FINDINGS WERE ALSO VERIFIED WITH THE NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS CARRIED OUT USING FINITE ELEMENT CODE ABAQUS. ENERGY ABSORPTION CAPACITY OF THE TARGET PLATES OBTAINED FROM THE NUMERICAL ANALYSIS WAS FOUND IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATIONS.