Plate perforation by eroding rod projectiles

Abstract

The penetration and perforation of stationary, oblique steel plates by hypervelocity tungsten-alloy projectiles is examined here. Simulations have been performed for L/ D 10 projectiles against one- and two-plate target configurations. The plate thickness-to-rod diameter ratio t/ D varied slightly, as did the plate spacing-to-plate thickness ratio t gap/ t. For all simulations, t/ D∈[1.2,1.6] and t gap/ t∈[0.7,1]. Normalized line-of-sight perforation is one measure of performance, and archival test data are compared on this basis. The results presented reflect pre-impact aerodynamic pitch and yaw in the test data, but only pitch angle deviation in the numerical data. Simulation and test data are reasonably well correlated and the data suggest that a favorable pitch angle exists and may be related to impact geometry. By way of the numerical simulation, differences in perforation efficiency for one- and two-plate targets are noted and erosion mechanisms are explored. It is shown that projectile erosion between target plates depends, to an extent, upon plate spacing. Additionally, the data suggests that behind-plate residual erosion varies with the number of plates, decreasing as the number of plates increases.