Projectile shape influence on ballistic limit curves as determined by computational simulation
- Computational Physics Research and Development Department, 1431 Sandia National Laboratories Albuquerque, New Mexico, (United States of America) 87185-0819
A requirement for an effective debris shield is that it must protect a spacecraft from impacts by irregularly shaped particles. A series of numerical simulations has been performed using the multi-dimensional shock physics code CTH to numerically determine the ballistic limit curve for a Whipple bumper shield. Two different projectile shapes are considered for the numerical simulations, flat plates of varying diameters with a constant thickness and spheres of varying diameters. The critical diameter or ballistic limit was determined over a velocity range from 4 km/s to 15 km/s. We have found both experimentally and numerically that the particle shape has a significant effect on the debris cloud distribution, ballistic limit curve, and penetration capability. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 561848
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950846-; ISSN 0094-243X; TRN: 9716M0114
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 370, Issue 1; Conference: American Physical Society biennial conference on shock compression of condensed matter, Seattle, WA (United States), 13-18 Aug 1995; Other Information: PBD: May 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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