Numerical Simulation on Ceramic/Metal Armours Impacted by Deformable Projectile

Numerical simulation for the dynamic response of ceramic/metal armours impacted by deformable projectile is carried out with LS-DYNA3D.The simulated penetration processes are shown. The mushrooming of the projectile is displayed. A distinct conoid shaped zone of fragmented ceramic is observed. A significant bending of the backing plate is revealed. Simulation results match fairly well with the experimental values and the theoretical analysis results. The accuracy of the numerical simulation is validated.

Ballistic design and testing of a composite armour reinforced by CNTs suitable for armoured vehicles

This paper is investigating the use of composite armour reinforced by nanomaterials, for the protection of light armoured(LAV) and medium armoured military vehicles(MAV), and the interaction between the composite materials and high-performance ballistic projectiles. Four armour materials, consisted of front hybrid fibre reinforced polymer cover layer, ceramic strike-face, fibre reinforced polymer intermediate layer and the metal matrix composite reinforced backplate, were manufactured and assembled by adhesive technology. The proposed laminated protection system is suitable for armoured ground vehicles;however, it could be used as armour on ground, air and naval platforms. The design of the protection system, including material selection and thickness, was elaborated depending on the performance requirements of Level 4 + STANAG 4569 military standard(projectile 14.5 mm × 114 mm API B32) and especially on a design philosophy which is analysed with the specifications. The backplate of this new composite is a hybrid material of Metal Matrix Composite(MMC) reinforced with carbon nanotubes(CNTs), manufactured with the use of powder metallurgy technique. The composite backplate material was morphologically, mechanically and chemically analysed. Results show that all plates are presenting high mechanical properties and ballistic characteristics, compared to commonly used armour plates. Real military ballistic tests according to AEP-STANAG 4569 were carried out for the total composite armour systems. After the ballistic tests, AA2024-CNT3 showed the best protection results, compared with the other plates(AA2024-CNT1 and AA2024-CNT2), with the projectile being unable to fully penetrate the composite plate.

Machine learning for predicting the outcome of terminal ballistics events

Machine learning(ML) is well suited for the prediction of high-complexity,high-dimensional problems such as those encountered in terminal ballistics.We evaluate the performance of four popular ML-based regression models,extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost),artificial neural network(ANN),support vector regression(SVR),and Gaussian process regression(GP),on two common terminal ballistics’ problems:(a)predicting the V50ballistic limit of monolithic metallic armour impacted by small and medium calibre projectiles and fragments,and(b) predicting the depth to which a projectile will penetrate a target of semi-infinite thickness.To achieve this we utilise two datasets,each consisting of approximately 1000samples,collated from public release sources.We demonstrate that all four model types provide similarly excellent agreement when interpolating within the training data and diverge when extrapolating outside this range.Although extrapolation is not advisable for ML-based regression models,for applications such as lethality/survivability analysis,such capability is required.To circumvent this,we implement expert knowledge and physics-based models via enforced monotonicity,as a Gaussian prior mean,and through a modified loss function.The physics-informed models demonstrate improved performance over both classical physics-based models and the basic ML regression models,providing an ability to accurately fit experimental data when it is available and then revert to the physics-based model when not.The resulting models demonstrate high levels of predictive accuracy over a very wide range of projectile types,target materials and thicknesses,and impact conditions significantly more diverse than that achievable from any existing analytical approach.Compared with numerical analysis tools such as finite element solvers the ML models run orders of magnitude faster.We provide some general guidelines throughout for the development,application,and reporting of ML models in terminal ballistics problems.

Hydrodynamic Assessment of A New Nature-Based Armour Unit on Rubble Mound Breakwater for Coastal Protection

This research proposes a novel nature-based design of a new concrete armour unit for the cover layer of a rubblemoundbreakwater. Armour units are versatile with respect to shape, orientation, surface condition details, and porosity.Therefore, a detailed analysis is required to investigate the exact state of their hydraulic interactions and structuralresponses. In this regard, the performance results of several traditional armour units, including the Antifer cube,Tetrapod, X-block and natural stone, are considered for the first step of this study. Then, the related observed resultsare compared with those obtained for a newly designed (artificial coral) armour unit. The research methodology utilizesthe common wave flume test procedure. Furthermore, several verified numerical models in OpenFOAM code areused to gain the extra required data. The proposed armour is configured to provide an effective shore protection as anenvironmental-friendly coastal structure. Thus it is designed with a main trunk including deep grooves to imitate thetypical geometry of a coral type configuration, so as to attain desirable performance. The observed results and ananalytic hierarchy process (AHP) concept are used to compare the hydraulic performance of the studied traditionaland newly proposed (artificial coral) armour units. The results indicate that the artificial coral armour unit demonstratesacceptable performance. The widely used traditional armour units might be replaced by newer designs for betterwave energy dissipation, and more importantly, for fewer adverse effects on the marine environment.

The interaction between a shaped charge jet and a single moving plate

Reactive armour is a very efficient add-on armour against shaped charge threats.Explosive reactive armour consists of one or several plates that are accelerated by an explosive.Similar but less violent acceleration of plates can also be achieved in a completely inert reactive armour.To be efficient against elongated jets,the motion of the plates needs to be inclined against the jet such that a sliding contact between the jet and the plates is established.This sliding contact causes a deflection and thinning of the jet.Under certain circumstances,the contact will become unstable,leading to severe disturbances on the jet.These disturbances will drastically reduce the jet penetration performance and it is therefore of interest to study the conditions that leads to an unstable contact.Previous studies on the interaction between shaped charge jets and flyer plates have shown that it is mainly the forward moving plate in an explosive reactive armour that is effective in disturbing the jet.This is usually attributed to the higher plate-to-jet mass flux ratio involved in the collision of the forward moving plate compared to the backward moving plate.For slow moving plates,as occurs in inert reactive armour,the difference in mass flux for the forward and backward moving plate is much lesser,and it is therefore of interest to study if other factors than the mass flux influences on the protection capability.In this work,experiments have been performed where a plate is accelerated along its length,interacting with a shaped charge jet that is fired at an oblique angle to the plate’s normal,either against or along the plate’s velocity.The arrangement corresponds to a jet interacting with a flyer plate from a reactive armour,with the exception that the collision velocity is the same for both types of obliquities in these experiments.The experiments show that disturbances on the jet are different in the two cases even though the collision velocities are the same.Numerical simulations of the interaction support the observation.The difference is attributed to the character of the contact pressure in the interaction region.For a backward moving plate,the maximum contact pressure is obtained at the beginning of the interaction zone and the contact pressure is therefore higher upstream than downstream of the jet while the opposite is true for a forward moving plate.A negative interface pressure gradient with respect to the jet motion results in a more stable flow than a positive,which means that the jet-plate contact is more stable for a backward moving plate than for a forward moving plate.A forward moving plate is thus more effective in disturbing the jet than a backward moving plate,not only because of the higher jet to plate mass flux ratio but also because of the character of the contact with the jet.

A new species in the genus Diaonidia Takahashi(Hemiptera:Coccomorpha:Diaspididae)from China

A new armoured scale,Diaonidia litsea sp.nov.,is described and illustrated.It was found on Litsea monopetala(Roxb.)Pers.in Hainan,China.This new species can be easily distinguished by:the anterior spiracles each with 2–3 discoidal glands;pygidium with 2 pairs of well-developed lobes,and the area around mouthpart strongly sclerotized.An identification key to the adult females in the genus Diaonidia is also provided.

Restoration of the outer treasury and exhibition of the section of arms and armours in Topkapl palace museum

This article aims at telling the story of restoration and exhibition of the Section of Arms and Armours （the Outer Treasury） in Topkapl Palace Museum. During this process, not only was the structure experiencing restoration and consolidation, but also was the first archeological excavation being realized in a closed space in the Topkapl Palace complex, with the discovery of Byzantine reminiscences underground becoming a significant part of the new exhibiton. After being restored between 2008 and 2010, the Outer Treasury was transformed into a new exhibition project, aiming at the integration of contemporary strategies of exhibition design and technology. Its purpose was not simply to highlight the glory of the Ottoman history, but to engage visitors in a complete sensory experience by making full use of the esthetics of the work of art on display of the Ottoman legacy. Topkapi Palace＇s architecture, archeology and selected collection of arms and armours are being exhibited by means of contemporary media instruments, such as film, music, graphics and costume arts.

STUDY ON EFP PENETRATION SIMULATION LAW

This paper analyses the geometrical analogue rules of explosively formed projectile (EFP) penetrating armours with the help of similarity theory, and establishes EFP penetrating armour simulation law. Based on the simulation law established here, prototype experiments and model experiments with the simulation ratio of 1.33 are designed, and the penetrating armour experiments with 45 # carbon steel plates are separately conducted. By means of data processing of experimental results, it is concluded that EFP penetrating armour simulation law established is tenable.

Body armour-New materials, new systems

This is a very timely review of body armour materials and systems since new test standards are currently being written, or reviewed, and new, innovative products released. Of greatest importance, however, is the recent evolution, and maturity, of the Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene fibres enabling a completely new style of system to evolve e a stackable system of Hard Armour Plates. The science of body armour materials is quickly reviewed with emphasis upon current understanding of relevant energy-absorbing mechanisms in fibres, fabrics, polymeric laminates and ceramics. The trend in ongoing developments in ballistic fibres is then reviewed, analysed and future projections offered. Weaknesses in some of the ceramic grades are highlighted as is the value of using cladding materials to improve the robustness, and multi-strike performance, of Hard Armour Plates. Finally, with the drive for lighter, and therefore smaller, soft armour systems for military personnel the challenges for armour designers are reported, and the importance of the relative size of the Hard Armour Plate to the Soft Armour Insert is strongly emphasised.

Enhancement of wear and ballistic resistance of armour grade AA7075 aluminium alloy using friction stir processing

Industrial applications of aluminium and its alloys are restricted because of their poor tribological properties. Thermal spraying, laser surfacing, electron beam welding are the most widely used techniques to alter the surface morphology of base metal. Preliminary studies reveal that the coating and layering of aluminium alloys with ceramic particles enhance the ballistic resistance. Furthermore, among aluminium alloys,7075 aluminium alloy exhibits high strength which can be compared to that of steels and has profound applications in the designing of lightweight fortification structures and integrated protection systems. Having limitations such as poor bond integrity, formation of detrimental phases and interfacial reaction between reinforcement and substrate using fusion route to deposit hard particles paves the way to adopt friction stir processing for fabricating surface composites using different sizes of boron carbide particles as reinforcement on armour grade 7075 aluminium alloy as matrix in the present investigation. Wear and ballistic tests were carried out to assess the performance of friction stir processed AA7075 alloy. Significant improvement in wear resistance of friction stir processed surface composites is attributed to the change in wear mechanism from abrasion to adhesion. It has also been observed that the surface metal matrix composites have shown better ballistic resistance compared to the substrate AA7075 alloy. Addition of solid lubricant Mo S2 has reduced the depth of penetration of the projectile to half that of base metal AA7075 alloy. For the first time, the friction stir processing technique was successfully used to improve the wear and ballistic resistances of armour grade high strength AA7075 alloy.

Countermeasures for local scour at offshore wind turbine monopile foundations:A review

Local scour at monopile foundations of offshore wind turbines is one of the most critical structural stability issues.This article reviews the contemporary methods of scour countermeasures at monopile foundations.These methods include armouring countermeasures(e.g.,riprap protection)to enhance the anti-scour ability of the bed materials and flow-altering countermeasures(e.g.,collars and sacrificial piles)to reduce downflow or change flow patterns around the monopiles.Stability number and size-selection equations for riprap armour layers are summarised and compared.Moreover,other alternative methods to riprap are briefly introduced and presented.A typical graph of the scour depth reduction with different collar sizes and elevations under specific test conditions is summarised and compared with a plot for a pile founded on a caisson.Reduction rates for different flow-altering countermeasures,including the collar,are listed and compared.A newly developed soil improvement method,namely microbially induced calcite precipitation(MICP),is also reviewed and introduced as a scour protection method.As a popular bio-soil treatment method,MICP has a good potential as a scour countermeasure method.Bio-soil treatment methods and traditional armouring methods are defined as active and passive soil enhancement scour countermeasures,respectively.

Influence of confining prestress on the transition from interface defeat topenetration in ceramic targets

Replica scaled impact experiments with unconfined ceramic targets have shown that the transition velocity,i.e.,the impact velocity at which interface defeat ceases and ceramic penetration occurs,decreased as the length scale increased.A possible explanation of how this scale effect is related to the formation of a cone crack in the ceramic has been presented by the authors in an earlier paper.Here,the influence of confinement and prestress on cone cracking and transition velocity is investigated.The hypothesis is that prestress will suppress the formation and growth of the cone crack by lowering the driving stress.A set of impact experiments has been performed in which the transition velocity for four different levels of prestress has been determined.The transition velocities as a function of the level of confining prestress is compared to an analytical model for the influence of prestress on the formation and extension of the cone crack in the ceramic material.Both experiments and model indicate that prestress has a strong influence on the transition from interface defeat to penetration,although the model underestimates the influence of prestress.

Statistical variability and fragility assessment of ballistic perforation of steel plates for 7.62 mm AP ammunition

The paper describes field test results of 7.62×51 mm M61 AP(armour piercing) ammunition fired into mild steel targets at an outdoor range.The targets varied from 10 mm to 32 mm in thickness.The tests recorded penetration depth,probability of perforation(i.e.,complete penetration),muzzle and impact velocities,bullet mass,and plate yield strength and hardness.The measured penetration depth exhibited a variability of approximately±12%.The paper then compared ballistic test results with predictive models of steel penetration depth and thickness to prevent perforation.Statistical parameters were derived for muzzle and impact velocity,bullet mass,plate thickness,plate hardness,and model error.A Monte-Carlo probabilistic analysis was then developed to estimate the probability of plate perforation of 7.62 mm M61 AP ammunition for a range of impact velocities,and for mild steels,and High Hardness Armour(HHA) plates.This perforation fragility analysis considered the random variability of impact velocity,bullet mass,plate thickness,plate hardness,and model error.Such a probabilistic analysis allows for reliability-based design,where,for example,the plate thickness with 95% reliability(i.e.only 1 in 20 shots will penetrate the wall) can be estimated knowing the probabilistic distribution of perforation.Hence,it was found that the plate thickness to ensure a low 5% probability of perforation needs to be 11-15% thicker than required to have a 50/50 chance of perforation for mild steel plates.Plates would need to be 20-30% thicker if probability of perforation is reduced to zero.

Microstructural observations on the terminal penetration of long rod projectile

Present study focuses on the terminal penetration of tungsten heavy alloy(WHA) long rod penetrator impacted against armour steel at an impact velocity of 1600 m/s. The residual penetrator and armour steel target recovered after the ballistic test have been characterized using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope(SEM) and electron probe micro analyzer(EPMA). Metallurgical changes in target steel and WHA remnant have been analysed. Large shear stresses and shear localization have resulted in local failure and formation of erosion products. Severe plastic deformation acts as precursor for formation of adiabatic shear band(ASB) induced cracks in target steel. Recovered WHA penetrator remnant also exhibits severe plastic deformation forming localized shear bands, ASB induced cracks and shock induced cracks.

Stability of Low Crested and Submerged Breakwaters with Single Layer Armouring

The stability of single layer armour units on low crested and submerged breakwaters has been investigated in 2D hydraulic model tests. Armour unit movements including settlements, rocking and displacements have been determined. The effect of freeboard, packing density and wave steepness on the armour layer stability on crest, front and rear slope has been investigated. Armour units were mostly displaced in the most upper part of the seaward slope and at the seaward side of the crest. Damage on the crest was progressing towards the rear slope. About 40% to 50% larger armour units are required on the seaward slope and crest of low crested structures （as compared to conventional high crested breakwaters）. About 35% larger armour units are required on the rear slope. Larger armour units are not required on submerged breakwaters if the water depth on the crest exceeds 40% of design wave height.

Critical interfaces in body armour systems

The ballistic performance,and behaviour,of an armour system is governed by two major sets of variables,geometrical and material.Of these,the consistency of performance,especially against small arms ammunition,will depend upon the consistency of the properties of the constituent materials.In a body armour system for example,fibre diameter,areal density of woven fabric,and bulk density of ceramic are examples of critical parameters and monitoring such parameters will form the backbone of associated quality control procedures.What is often overlooked,because it can fall into the User’s domain,are the interfaces that exist between the various products;the carrier,the Soft Armour Insert(SAI),and the one or two hard armour plates(HAP1 and HAP2).This is especially true if the various products are sourced from different suppliers.

Ballistic response of armour plates using Generative Adversarial Networks

It is important to understand how ballistic materials respond to impact from projectiles such that informed decisions can be made in the design process of protective armour systems. Ballistic testing is a standards-based process where materials are tested to determine whether they meet protection, safety and performance criteria. For the V50ballistic test, projectiles are fired at different velocities to determine a key design parameter known as the ballistic limit velocity(BLV), the velocity above which projectiles perforate the target. These tests, however, are destructive by nature and as such there can be considerable associated costs, especially when studying complex armour materials and systems. This study proposes a unique solution to the problem using a recent class of machine learning system known as the Generative Adversarial Network(GAN). The GAN can be used to generate new ballistic samples as opposed to performing additional destructive experiments. A GAN network architecture is tested and trained on three different ballistic data sets, and their performance is compared. The trained networks were able to successfully produce ballistic curves with an overall RMSE of between 10 and 20 % and predicted the V50BLV in each case with an error of less than 5 %. The results demonstrate that it is possible to train generative networks on a limited number of ballistic samples and use the trained network to generate many new samples representative of the data that it was trained on. The paper spotlights the benefits that generative networks can bring to ballistic applications and provides an alternative to expensive testing during the early stages of the design process.

Failure investigation on high velocity impact deformation of boron carbide(B_(4)C) reinforced fiber metal laminates of titanium/glass fiber reinforced polymer

High velocity ballistic impact deformation behaviour of Titanium/GFRP Fiber Metal Laminates(FML)has been explored.Both single and multiple projectiles impact conditions were considered.Ti/GFRP FML targets were fabricated with addition of 5%and 10%weight percentage of boron carbide(B_(4)C)particles.Mechanical properties of Ti/GFRP FML targets were determined as per ASTM standards.High velocity ballistic experiments were conducted using Armour Piercing Projectile(APP)of diameter 7.62 mm and velocity ranging between 350 and 450 m/s.Depth of penetration of the projectile into the target was measured.The deformation behaviour of Ti/GFRP targets with and without the presence of ceramic powder(B_(4)C)was investigated.“Ductile hole growth”failure mode was observed for pure GFRP target when subjected to single projectile impact whereas“plugging”failure mode was noted for Ti/GFRP targets.The presence of B_(4)C(5%by weight)particles has significantly improved the ballistic resistance of the Ti/GFRP FML target by offering frictional resistance to the projectile penetration.Further addition(10%by weight)of B_(4)C has reduced the ballistic performance due to agglomeration.None of the targets showed‘brittle cracking’or‘fragmentation’failures.When compared to the published results of Aluminium(Al 1100/GFRP and Al 6061/GFRP)FMLs,Ti/GFRP FML showed lesser DoP which increases its potential application to aerospace industry.

Metallurgical characteristics of armour steel welded joints used for combat vehicle construction

Austenitic stainless steel(ASS) and High nickel steel(HNS) welding consumables are being used for welding Q&T steels, as they have higher solubility for hydrogen in austenitic phase, to avoid hydrogen induced cracking(HIC) but they are very expensive. In recent years, the developments of low hydrogen ferritic steel(LHF) consumables that contain no hygroscopic compounds are utilized for welding Q&T steels. Heat affected zone(HAZ) softening is another critical issue during welding of armour grade Q&T steels and it depends on the welding process employed and the weld thermal cycle. In this investigation an attempt has been made to study the influence of welding consumables and welding processes on metallurgical characteristics of armour grade Q&T steel joints by various metallurgical characterization procedures. Shielded metal arc welding(SMAW) and flux cored arc welding(FCAW) processes were used for making welds using ASS, LHF and HNS welding consumables. The joints fabricated by using LHF consumables offered lower degree of HAZ softening and there is no evidence of HIC in the joints fabricated using LHF consumables.

The hydraulic performance and structural integrity of A-Jack armour layer

A-Jacks are concrete armor units that are used in both open channel and coastal applications.In open channel applications,they are used for bank and toe protection,flow and grade control,bridge pier scour protection,energy dissipation,and habitat.These small units may be fabricated in standard block machines.In coastal applications,A-Jacks are used in breakwaters,jetties,revetments,and habitat development.Coastal units are generally much larger and more robust than the small open channel units.This paper focuses on coastal applications and in particular,combines results on three topics:(1)recent hydraulic model studies,(2)alternative fabrication methods,and(3)bundle placement construction methods.Hydraulic models studies were conducted that examined the standard random and uniform placement methods,and also the bundle placement method.In bundle placement,3~20 A-Jacks are banded together,lifted with a spreader bar,and placed as a single crane pick.This significantly decreases installation time during construction.It also provides a more hydraulically stable placement technique.The hydraulic model tests examined the bundle stability in random waves for cases where the binding remains in tack and is removed.The geometry of A-Jacks enables a variety of fabrication techniques.One option is to fabricate the A-Jacks as two pieces using flat forms and then grout the two pieces together.Flat forms may be used in conventional block machines for A-Jacks sizes up to 1.3 m.Larger sizes may be wet cast in flat forms or gang forms.The A-Jacks geometry has been recently modified to increase grouting efficient and strength.Large A- Jacks may also be cast in a single piece using 'clam shell' type forms.