NUMERICAL ANALYSES OF CERAMIC/METAL BALLISTIC PANELS SUBJECTED TO PROJECTILE IMPACT

The paper concerns research and development on modern, ceramic-based, protective layers used in the armour of tanks, combat vehicles and aeroplanes. A task of ceramic panels is reduction and dispersion of localized kinetic energy before a projectile or its fragment approaches the interior of protected object. The numerical investigations have been performed to determine the ballistic resistance of ceramic/metal panels subjected to projectile impact. The impact of the 7.62mm armour-piercing projectile on the ceramic elements backed by a metal plate was analyzed. The tested panels were composed of a ceramic layer (Al 2O3, SiC or B4C) and a metal layer (7017 aluminium alloy, Armox 500T steel or Ti6Al-4 titanium alloy). Different shapes of ceramic elements were analyzed, including hemispheres and pyramids, with respect to standard flat tiles. The influence of the impact point location was also taken into considerations. The computer simulations were performed with the Finite Element Method implemented in LS-DYNA code. Full 3D models of the projectile and targets were developed with strain rate and temperature dependent material constitutive relations. The conclusions presented in the paper can be applied to develop modern impact protection panels in which the appropriate balance between the mass and protection level must be accomplished.