Ballistic Impact Response of Multi-Layers Armors Against Piercing Projectile: Finite Element Modeling

The development of reliable bulletproof vests requires the study of the factors that affect the ballistic resistance of the body armor. The numerical simulation is a fundamental tool adopted in this process. This work is focused on the ballistic performance of a multi-layer armor against an ogival nosed hardened steel projectile. The multi-layers armors are constituted of two composite layers and a ceramic layer. The Johnson-Holmquist-2 (JH-2) model was employed for modeling the behavior and damage of ceramic material and the Hashin criterion for simulating the damage of the composite material. The projectile was considered as a deformable part and its behavior is governed by the Johnson–Cook (JC) model. The results reveal that the residual velocity is highly influenced by the impact velocity. The effectiveness of the body armor is reduced by increasing the impact velocity. Furthermore, it is found that adding a thin composite layer in front of the ceramic layer can reduce the damage of the back layer made of composite material. The ballistic resistance is improved by increasing the thickness of both ceramic and composite plates. The residual velocity is more influenced by the thickness of the ceramic plate than by the thickness of the composite plate.