A PHENOMENOLOGICAL MODEL FOR PERFORATION OF MODERATELY THICK PLATES BY TUMBLING PROJECTILES

A phenomenological model has been developed to describe the mechanism of tumbling perforation of blunt-faced cylindrical projectiles in mode rately thick aluminum plates. The perforation process, based on experi mental observations, consists of four stages: erosion; plugging; hole enlargement and petaling. The modeling in the plugging stage consists sequentially of cratering, plug formation, plug separation, plug slipp ing and post perforation deformation. Bulging and voids in the target created by projectile rotation were also considered in the model. The target material is considered to be rigid-perfectly plastic, while the projectile is regarded as undeformable. Calculations for the final ve locity and oblique angle of the projectile as well as for the crater p rofile of the target were found to be in good correspondence with expe rimental results. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.