Mechanics of Projectile Impact Against Thin Plates

Abstract

A comprehensive theoretical and experimental investigation was undertaken to study the effects of projectile impact on plates involving targets of soft aluminum and mild steel, with thicknesses ranging from 0.05 to 1 in. The preponderance of the tests and all analyses were concerned with normal impact; however, a substantial number of experiments involved oblique impact with angles up to 50 deg. Projectiles of 1/2-in. diameter consisted of hard-steel cylinders with masses of about 40 g, or of 16g soft aluminum cylinders. Strickers were fired pneumatically at velocities up to 600 ft/s, and with a powder gun up to 3000 ft/s where metallurgical post-impact target examinations were also performed. The test results correlated well with three different analytical predictions developed for the three nose shapes, respectively. A separate investigation of the influence of a predrilled hole in the target on central, normal impact of concial-nosed strikers evidenced a greater projectile energy loss than for an intact plate due to occurrence of extrusion rather than petalling for certain hole/projectile diameter ratios. Target deformation and fracture initiation was also extensively investigated experimentally just below and just above the ballistic limit.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1984
Accession Number
ADA138494

Entities

People

  • Warner Goldsmith

Organizations

  • University of California, Berkeley

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aluminum
  • Applied Mechanics
  • Body Armor
  • California
  • Civil Engineering
  • Contracts
  • Digital Computers
  • Employment
  • Engineering
  • Engineers
  • Equations Of Motion
  • Materials
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Projectiles
  • Students
  • Terminal Ballistics
  • Weapons

Readers

  • Explosive Engineering.
  • Metallurgy
  • ballistics.