Numerical simulation study on penetration of a 12.7 mm kinetic energy bullet into a composite armor

Abstract

Ballistic limit tests were carried out by using a ballistic gun system for the ceramic composite armors obliquely placed with the angles of 0° − 60°. The influences of the oblique angles were analyzed on the ballistic limits, steel core mass change and damage forms of armor-piercing bullets. The numerical simulations were performed to verify the above experimental results. Based on the fact that the calculated results were in agreement with the experimental ones, the influences of the oblique angles were further explored on the deflection angles of the bullet steel cores penetrating through the target plates, and the thicknesses of the equivalent Q235 steel target plates. Results show that with increasing the oblique angles of the ceramic composite targets: (1) the ballistic limit obeys an exponential increase law; (2) at the same ballistic limit, the ratio of the limit penetration depth of the Q235 steel target plate by the armor-piercing bullet to the equivalent thickness of the limit penetration depth of the obliquely-placed ceramic composite target by the armor-piercing bullet increases; (3) the integrity of the bullet steel core decreases gradually, its deflection angle increases reversely.