Behind armor debris investigation and their application into a new vulnerability model

Abstract

The Behind Armor Debris (BAD) cloud caused by shaped charge jet impact was investigated. In order to simulate different overmatches for the shaped charge (caliber 115mm) the thickness of the RHA steel target plate was varied between 160 mm and 640 mm. Also polyethylene liners in contact with the target plates were used, which influenced the number of fragments as well as the distribution in the cloud considerably. It could be shown that shock wave effects play an important role in the generation of the secondary fragments. Therefore the impedance mismatch between target and liner exerts direct influence on the BAD cloud. The fragment number and distribution were measured by the help of a thin steel witness plate about 1 m behind the target. This measured behavior of the BAD cloud was implemented into the spall algorithms for the shaped charge attacks of the German tank vulnerability model (PVM) under consideration of a newly established ellipsoid method for spall cloud expansion. The validation of this model was demonstrated by vulnerability simulations with a generic tank target.