Shield design, analysis, and testing against a 3 km/s projectile

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5032993· OSTI ID:5032993

Brewer, E D; Hendrich, W R; Thomas, D G; Smith, J E

During the 3-year period of 1987 through 1989, the Advanced Shield Phenomenology program included a research and development effort, with both experimental and analytical work, to design a low weight, survivable shield against a low hypervelocity kinetic energy weapon threat. The specific projectile used was a 1.75 gram aluminum cylinder, with a length to diameter ratio of one. Impact velocities of 3 km/s and 7 km/s were studied. Testing was performed at the Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Base, Tullahoma, Tennessee. Eight shield configurations were tested against the 3 km/s threat specified. One configuration was tested against the same type projectile at 7 km/s. The Hull hydrocode was used for detailed analysis of nineteen impact configurations. A successful shield was designed for the 3 km/s threat, having a two layer front plate, 15.24 cm of carbon felt disrupters, and a stainless steel back plate. The two layer front plate was composed of a nine-sublayer ceramic cloth plate with an aluminum backup plate. This shield configuration was 41.5% of the areal density (mass per unit area) of the solid aluminum shield required to stop the same (3 km/s) threat. An identical shield configuration was tested at an impact velocity of 7 km/s and was successful again. In comparison with the solid aluminum shield necessary to stop the higher velocity threat, the shield was 16.7% of the areal density. 14 refs., 39 figs., 4 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOD
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5032993
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-11382; ON: DE90006070
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450500* -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Strategic Defense Initiative-- (1990-)
ALLOYS
ALUMINIUM
CARBON
CERAMICS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
KINETIC ENERGY
METALS
NONMETALS
PROJECTILES
SHIELDING
SPACE VEHICLE COMPONENTS
SPACE WEAPONS
STEELS
VELOCITY