Effects of scale on debris cloud properties

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Abstract

Results of tests using various thicknesses of 6061-T6 aluminum sheet and 6.35-, 9.53-, 12.70-, and 15.88-mm-diameter, 2017-T4 aluminum spheres are described. Impact velocities for these tests ranged from 3.77 to 7.38 km/s. Multiple-exposure, orthogonal-pair, flash radiographs of the debris clouds produced by the impacts were analyzed to provide quantitative data which described the size and velocity of a number of characteristic morphologic features in the debris clouds and the sizes and size distributions of fragments in the structural elements of the debris cloud.The axial and diametral velocities of these morphologic features were shown to be the same, regardless of sphere diameter, when debris clouds produced by impacts with similar bumper-thickness-to-projectile-diameter ratios and impact velocities were compared. As a result, the dimensions of these debris clouds differed only by the differences in the diameters of the spheres that produced them.An analyses of fragment sizes showed that the equivalent diameter of the large projectile fragment along the center line of the debris cloud scaled with projectile diameter; the dimensions of fragments forming the shell of spall fragments at the rear of the debris cloud did not scale with projectile diameter. The large central fragment appeared to originate from near the center of the sphere and was a part of the sphere which remained intact after all processes that worked to reduce the size of the sphere were complete. Formation of spall-shell fragments was a shock-related process which was sensitive to rate effects and other material properties that did not scale.

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Cited by (54)

  • Influence of impact angle on size distribution of fragments in hypervelocity impacts

    2019, International Journal of Impact Engineering
    Citation Excerpt :

    Piekutowski [15,16] studied fragments and fragment size distributions produced by hypervelocity impacts when aluminum spheres perforated aluminum sheets, finding that the threshold impact velocity of spall failure could be observed as a function of the bumper-thickness/projectile-diameter (t/D) ratio. Piekutowski [17] also examined the effects of scale on debris cloud properties and compared the debris cloud with respect to t/D ratio and impact velocity. Very few studies have been conducted on the relationship between crater size and ejecta size.

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