Numerical Analysis of Penetration Characteristics of Conical Fragments in Ballistic Applications

Numerical analysis using explicit code LS-DYNA has been carried out to study the penetration characteristics of a spherical fragment of Ø6mm diameter and conical fragments with apex angles 40°, 60°, 80° and 100° of identical mass made of Stainless Steel (SS 304). The spherical and conical fragments impact on Steel 1006 target plates of 6, 3 and 1 mm thickness at 500 to 2000 m/s impact velocity range in the simulation models. The simulation model employed for the spherical fragment of Ø6 mm diameter in the present study has been validated with experimental data available in the literature. The validated simulation model has been extended to analyse the penetration characteristics of conical fragments with apex angles 40° to 100°. Johnson–Cook (J-C) model, a strain rate-dependent plasticity model supplemented with the Gruneisen equation of state (EoS) and an erosion contact algorithm, have been used in the simulation models to capture the penetration characteristics of the spherical and conical fragments at high velocities. The penetration characteristics have been determined from simulation models in terms of residual velocity and residual kinetic energy of the fragment. The conical fragment with 40o apex angle indicated better penetration characteristics than other fragment shapes considered in the current study.