Numerical simulation of projectile hypervelocity impact on semi-infinite aluminum plates

Hypervelocity impact on long duration and large size spacecraft by meteoroid and space debris is a threat to its safety operation that can in turn lead to significant damage and catastrophic failure. Investigation into the impact damage characteristics has become an important problem for spacecraft protection designing. The numerical simulation of hypervelocity oblique impact and hypervelocity normal impact with the same normal velocity as oblique impact on semi-infinite aluminum plates have been carried out using the AUTODYN hydro-codes Lagrange method in this paper. The simulation results of crater depth, width, length, diameter, multi-crater formation process etc. with different impact obliquities and normal velocities are given and compared with the empirical equation. The result indicates that the crater depth and width decrease and crater length increase with the obliquity increase. The crater diameter and depth increase with the velocity increasess. The multi-crater appears when obliquity is greater than 70~0.It is consistent very well with experimental results.