Energy absorption of 3D orthogonal woven fabric under ballistic penetration of hemispherical‐cylindrical projectile

The non‐crimp features of warp and weft yarns impart the highest energy absorptions to 3D orthogonal woven fabric (3DOWF) than other kinds of 3D woven fabrics under ballistic impact. There are greater potential applications of the 3DOWF in ballistic protection. In this paper, an analytical model was proposed to calculate the energy absorption of the 3DOWF under ballistic penetration of a hemispherical‐cylindrical rigid projectile. The analytical model covers the calculations of the energies absorbed by the warp, weft, and Z‐yarns and the determinations of penetration time from the impact loading strain rate. The stress wave propagations in the warp, weft, and Z‐yarns were analyzed to formulate the fabric deformation and strain energy. The influence of strain rate on the residual velocities of the projectile was investigated. From the absorbed energy distribution calculated by the analytical model, the factors for improving ballistic performance of the 3DOWF are discussed.