Abstract
The perpetual evolution of soldiers light weight armors include now high technology ceramic, composite and polymeric in ballistic vest that are optimized by simulations. Knowledge of individual material response in the strain, strain rate regime closed to the threat stays mandatory and thus collecting parameters to fit material models guarantees reliable numerical investigations. Since 2015, THIOT INGENIERIE Shock Physics Laboratory has been selected by the French Defence procurement agency DGA-Land Systems to perform materials characterization in three main families of ballistic materials [1-2]. A coupled approach between laboratory experiments and numerical simulations has shown its relevance with ceramic and an Ultra High Molecular Weight PolyEthylene composite (UHMWPE). This paper presents succinctly the last part of those experimental investigations on a polymeric foam that is implemented on the soldier’s chest [3]. The material behavior under dynamic loading has been first evaluated using Split Hokinson Pressure Bars (SHPB) up to 5000s-1. Ballistic tests have been performed in a second time using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) with ultrahigh speed cameras at the back of the target plate to evaluate the damping behavior. Numerical simulations are under progress and the first results are promising.
Highlights
Positive strain rate sensitivity of the foam has been measured in Split Hokinson Pressure Bars (SHPB) tests as illustrated by a stress increase factor measured at 10% strain on the stress plateau for unconfined and confined tests (Fig2.-left)
This paper has presented a characterization study of a ballistic mitigation foam combining experimental and numerical tools
Characterization tests have been conducted on Split Hopkinson Pressure Bars (SHPB) up to 5000s-1 in unconfined and confined configurations
Summary
Reducing projectile kinetic energy is the main objective of soldier’s light weight armor. Equation (1) illustrates this goal with Ep the initial kinetic energy of the projectile, EA the energy absorbed by the armor, eT the remaining transmitting energy per unit area to the foam and the soldier body and A the area on which this remaining energy is transmitted
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