Investigation of the structural failure of penetration projectiles

Structural failure of penetration projectiles is investigated in this paper. Normal and oblique penetration tests of small-scale projectiles into concrete targets are performed at impact velocities in the range of 620̃820 m/s. Three main failure modes, i.e. compressive, tensile and bending failures, are observed, based on which, analytical models are proposed to guide the design of the penetration projectile. Penetration resistance from a rigid projectile analysis is employed to estimate the forces applied on the projectile during penetration. Projectile nose erosion and the projectile tail attachment failure are also discussed. The proposed model leads to an improved classification of penetration regimes and a more accurate determination of the valid range of the rigid projectile assumption. Analytical models are validated by experimental results.