Simple defense conservative model for mass requirements of hypervelocity projectile impact shields for reentry vehicles
Simple analytical modeling of the physics of interaction of hypervelocity (50 to 100 km/s) projectiles with a bumper shield countermeasure is given. The interaction of projectile and bumper expansion between bumper and underlying vehicle and interaction of bumper/projectile debris cloud with vehicle are examined. Projectile/bumper interactions are treated with ideal gas strongshock and rarefaction equations. Projectile shock decay from bumper rarefaction is approximated by an impulsive shock similarity solution. A crude model for edge rarefactions is derived. Expansion of debris is treated as an expansion superimposed upon a translation with partition derived from a simple inelastic collision model. The effect of nonunity aspect ratio of compressed debris is included. Debris colliding elastically with the vehicle will impart momentum equal to twice the incident normal component. Impulse may be reduced up to a factor of 2 by stagnation radiative losses for small projectiles and large bumper/vehicle stand-off. Impulse can be enhanced by vehicle ablation from radiative coupling, shock heating (inadequate stand-off), or liquid droplet microcratering (inadequate bumper thickness). Estimates of required bumper mass are given for a specific example.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 5749908
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-86-2112; CONF-861091-1; ON: DE86012407
- Resource Relation:
- Journal Volume: 5; Journal Issue: 1-4; Conference: Hypervelocity impact symposium, San Antonio, TX, USA, 21 Oct 1986
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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