Shield design, analysis, and testing to survive stainless steel projectiles

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

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5087857· OSTI ID:5087857

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 work and analytical support, to design a low weight, survivable shield against a stainless steel projectile at low earth orbit velocity. The specific threat used was a 1.75 gram, length to diameter ratio of one, stainless steel cylinder. The impact velocity was {approximately}7 km/s. Testing was performed at the Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Base, Tullahoma, Tennessee. Sixteen shield configurations were tested. The Hull hydrocode was used for detailed analysis of five impact configurations. A successful shield was designed, which had a stainless steel front and back plate and 15.24 cm of carbon felt disrupter. The success of this configuration against the stainless steel threat was repeated. In comparison with the solid homogeneous aluminum shield necessary to stop the same threat, the layered shield developed has an areal density (mass per unit area) of 15.7% of the solid aluminum shield. Six conclusions of particular interest from the stainless steel work are summarized briefly as follows: the yaw angle of a cylindrical projectile at impact has a significant effect on shield survivability; areal density alone may not be enough to adequately model front plate behavior; thickness and material should be considered as separate variables; stainless steel very possibly is more damaging than can be accounted for by its density alone; a double-layer front plate produced no significant change in survivability; analytical results and test results are overall in excellent agreement; and hydrocode analysis is a useful tool in design and development of hypervelocity shields. 10 refs., 31 figs., 9 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOD; DOE/EH
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5087857
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-11381; ON: DE90006532
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360103 -- Metals & Alloys-- Mechanical Properties
42 ENGINEERING
420500 -- Engineering-- Materials Testing
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450500* -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Strategic Defense Initiative-- (1990-)
ALLOYS
DATA
DATA PROCESSING
DESIGN
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FORECASTING
HIGH ALLOY STEELS
IMPACT TESTS
INFORMATION
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
LAYERS
MATERIALS TESTING
MECHANICAL TESTS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORTHOGONAL TRANSFORMATIONS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PLATES
PROCESSING
PROJECTILES
SHIELDING
SPACE WEAPONS
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
TESTING
TRANSFORMATIONS
VELOCITY