EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF HIGH-VELOCITY PROJECTILES IMPACTING LIQUID-FILLED TANKS

As the key vulnerable component of military aircrafts, the fuel tanks always face the threat of high-velocity penetrator. Hydrodynamic ram (HRAM) induced by the impact of high-velocity penetrator may lead to the catastrophic failure of tank structure. In this paper, the experiments of high-velocity projectiles impacting liquid-filled tanks were carried out to investigate the HRAM effect. Both steel and aluminum projectiles were fired toward the liquid-filled tank through the ballistic gun at about 1250 m/s, and the corresponding fluid-structure interaction and the HRAM pressure were recorded by high-speed camera and pressure measuring system, respectively. The initial kinetic energy of projectile was found to be the key factor affecting the cavity evolution and the HRAM pressure characteristic. Moreover, the relationship between the deformation of the front panel and the HRAM pressure characteristic was further analyzed. The analysis results of this study can provide useful reference for further understanding of HRAM.