Abstract
Penetrating warheads have to both defeat thick and high strength targets and have high blast effects. Lattice structures could help to enhance blast effect and reduce the weight of the penetrators. Additive manufacture provides a method to produce this concept. This paper details a programme to evaluate the perforation performance of such a penetrator. This study implemented an approach based on the integration of virtual and physical tests. A mesoscale numerical approach based on explicit high order finite element (HOFEM) was first developed to optimize the lattice pattern. The dynamic behaviour of this material was then determined using the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) technique and this was then used to fit a constitutive model in Impetus Afea Solver®. The modelling of the concrete penetration of small scale warhead was based on the advanced meshless approach coupled with HOFEM. The models developed enabled the determination, simultaneously, of the homogenised behaviour of the lattice material and also the global behaviour of the penetrators during and after the penetration. Seven ballistic tests against concrete targets were performed at Thiot Ingenierie to investigate the penetration capabilities of the additively manufactured penetrating warhead concept and especially when using a lattice pattern.
Highlights
Performance of penetrating warheads is mainly evaluated based on penetration and blast/fragmentation capabilities.Traditional manufacturing processes/materials limit the design evolution and penetrating warhead blast performance
Penetrating warhead design has to deal with 2 contradictory goals: high penetration and high blast effect
We propose here to evaluate an alternative strategy based on lattice structure materials
Summary
Performance of penetrating warheads is mainly evaluated based on penetration and blast/fragmentation capabilities. Traditional manufacturing processes/materials limit the design evolution and penetrating warhead blast performance. A recent project has studied how to replace steel by composite tube material in order to improve blast effect capabilities while maintaining penetration performance and reducing collateral damage. Recent development of additive manufacturing allows us to create a lattice structures between 2 thin plates (or cylinder). It means that actual full steel warhead could be replaced by a lattice based warhead. On a design point of view, an infinity of lattices can be created. On a production point of view, what are actual limitations of additively manufactured lattice based warhead? We will focus in this paper on numerical models developed and final experimental validation based on ballistic tests
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