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4 Ballistic Performance Evaluation Two procedures are used to evaluate the ballistic performance of the two projectile/target systems used in this study. For the finite thickness target, the ballistic limit method is employed. The ballistic limit is defined as the minimum striking velocity which is required to completely perforate a target. This limit is sometimes called the Vioo limit which, in experimental terms, is the minimum striking velocity at which the projectile will always perforate the target. Because of the large number of simulations required in this study, a simple technique was employed to obtain the ballistic limit. A simulation was conducted with a projectile striking velocity that would ensure that the target would be perforated. The successive striking velocities of the projectile were reduced until the projectile did not perforate the target. The ballistic limit was taken as the striking velocity which, when increased or decreased by 3 m/s, will result in the target being perforated or not perforated, respectively. In the case of the projectile/semi-infinite target system, the depth of penetration and crater volume method is used to examine the effect of the failure strain on the ballistic performance. This method involves using a range of projectile striking velocities and evaluating the depth of penetration and crater volume as a function of the impact velocity. Shock waves. Another factor of great interest for the design of armor and penetrators is the response of materials to imposed shock. It turns out that shock waves generated by the ballistic impact affect the microstructure and the strength of the components that is, the as fabricated properties of the materials are altered by the passage of the shock waves. The massive structural deformations that occur during armor penetration take place in shock-deformed material with transformed properties. Wave Phenomena in Ballistic Impact Ballistic impact on the battlefield at present normally takes place in two main velocity ranges: 13kms1 (bullets, armour penetrators) or at 68kms1 (shaped charges). In the lower velocity range (12kms1), the mechanical strength of the target and missile are important. Above B23kms1 (the sort of velocities achievable by explosively formed projectiles), the shock pressures are such that the mechanical strength of the target can be largely ignored. In other words, the material behaves temporarily as if it were a liquid, i.e., hydrodynamically. Above B6kms1 (velocities typical of shaped charges, space debris, and meteorites), the energy density of the shock generated is comparable to the cohesive energy of the solid. This results in the vaporization of the material of the target and impacting body so that a mechanical explosion occurs. As the schematic diagram (Fig. 6) illustrates, wave phenomena in the general case of oblique long-rod ballistic impact are very complex. Analytical solutions exist for the relatively simple case of normal impact, but oblique impact can only be modeled numerically or studied experimentally (Zukas 1990, Wilkins 1999). However, the deceleration of the rigid (nondeforming) rear section of the rod can be estimated using an analysis similar to that of Taylor (1948) for rod impact on a rigid surface. The deceleration is caused by the reflection of the longitudinal elastic wave from the rear surface. This wave travels up and down the length of the rod producing an incremental change in the velocity DV each time of _2Y/rc.

Figure 6 Schematic diagram of ballistic impact of a rod on a target (reproduced by permission of High Velocity Impact Dynamics, 1990; rWiley).

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