Numerical Simulations of Hypervelocity Impact Experiments Involving Single Whipple Bumper Shields

Abstract

Well-controlled hypervelocity impact experiments, conducted in support of the Space Station Shielding program, were numerically modeled using two sophisticated hydrocodes, the multidimensional hydrodynamics code (CTH) and the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics code (SPH). The experiments simulated the impact of space debris on single shields and single Whipple bumper shield plate configurations. Impact velocities on the order of 10 km/s were applied to gram- sized flier lates and spherical projectiles that struck thin (<1 cm) aluminum, titanium, and steel plates. Computational predictions of the debris cloud dynamics and plate damage for these experiments were analyzed and correlated with the data obtained from pulsed laser photographs and high-speed X-ray photography. Computational results of both hydrocodes were compared to each other. Whipple bumper shields, Numerical simulation of experiment, Hypervelocity impact, Smoothed particle hydrocode, CTH Hydrocode.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1993
Accession Number
ADA272123

Entities

People

  • David F. Medina
  • Scott R. Maethner

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aluminum
  • Cell Size
  • Debris
  • Dynamics
  • Hypervelocity Impact
  • Particles
  • Photographs
  • Projectiles
  • Pulsed Lasers
  • Radial Velocity
  • Shielding
  • Simulations
  • Space Debris
  • Space Stations
  • Spacecraft
  • Titanium
  • Two Dimensional

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
  • Nuclear and Radiation Engineering.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Hypersonics
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster