Optimization of Weldox - SiC Armor for Ballistic Impact

Abstract

In recent times, the armor industry has experienced substantial growth, accompanied by significant financial investments aimed at developing and testing new armor solutions. Conducting ballistic studies through experimental setups incurs high costs and involves intricate procedures, incorporating numerous sensors and advanced imaging technology. Despite the reliability of experimental data, it often falls short of capturing all essential parameters. Consequently, extensive research is underway to formulate numerical and analytical models that can precisely predict the ballistic performance of novel armor materials and designs. This thesis undertakes an exploration of the ballistic behavior of both monolithic and multilayered target sheets against blunt projectiles. Various impact phenomena, including Adiabatic Shear Localization, Thermal Plastic Instabilities, and high stress gradients, have been modeled utilizing an explicit analysis solver based on the Finite Element Method (FEM). This involves the use of appropriate strength, failure, and shockwave models for both brittle and ductile materials. The chosen target configurations were subjected to testing against blunt projectiles traveling at velocities ranging from 100 to 500 m/s. The results of impact simulations have been carefully compared with experimental data. The thesis delves into the ballistic performance of multilayered targets constructed from different combinations of materials such as Weldox 460E, Al 7075 T6, and SiC, each with varying thicknesses. Furthermore, the prevalent failure modes in each case were observed and identified. The study demonstrates that FEM-based simulations, employing meticulously chosen material properties and computational models, yield highly comparable outcomes to experimental data. Ultimately, the thesis presents a comprehensive analysis of three distinct multi-layered target configurations composed of different materials, when subjected to the impact of a blunt projectile.