Whipple bumper shield simulations

Conference · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5533346

Hertel, E S; Chhabildas, L C ^[1]; Hill, S A ^[2]

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1. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
2. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Huntsville, AL (USA). George C. Marshall Space Flight Center

The Whipple bumper is a space shield designed to protect a space station from the most hazardous orbital space debris environment. A series of numerical simulations has been performed using the multi-dimensional hydrodynamics code CTH to estimate the effectiveness of the thin Whipple bumper design. These simulations are performed for impact velocities of {approximately}10 km/s which are now accessible by experiments using the Sandia hypervelocity launcher facility. For a {approximately}10 km/s impact by a 0.7 gm aluminum flier plate, the experimental results indicate that the debris cloud resulting upon impact of the bumper shield by the flier plate, completely penetrates the sub-structure. The CTH simulations also predict complete penetration by the subsequent debris cloud. 5 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5533346
• Report Number(s): SAND-91-1227C; CONF-9107105-45; ON: DE91014896
• Resource Relation: Conference: 1991 American Physical Society (APS) conference on shock compression of condensed matter, Williamsburg, VA (USA), 17-20 Jul 1991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
42 ENGINEERING
SHIELDS
IMPACT TESTS
SPACE VEHICLES
ALUMINIUM
DESIGN
EQUATIONS OF STATE
HYDRODYNAMICS
MEETINGS
PLATES
PROJECTILES
SIMULATION
VELOCITY
ELEMENTS
EQUATIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
MATERIALS TESTING
MECHANICAL TESTS
MECHANICS
METALS
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360103* - Metals & Alloys- Mechanical Properties
420500 - Engineering- Materials Testing