Experimental and numerical investigations of dynamic response and failure of fluid-filled container under blast loadings from a cased charge

Resulting from the hydrodynamic ram effect, a high-velocity projectile could be dramatically attenuated when penetrated into a fluid-filled container, which was usually employed as protective structures. In this paper, according to the principle of impedance mismatch, a new type of composite container was designed and manufactured, in which the container walls were consisted by steel plate with rubber layer attached, to alleviate the dynamic response and subsequent failure of fluid-filled container induced by blast loadings from a cased charge. The structural dynamic response and failure patterns of the traditional and the composite container subjected to the loadings from close-in explosion of a cased charge, including high-velocity fragments and shock wave produced by explosive, were experimentally and numerically investigated and compared. Based on the observation of experimental phenomena and numerical analysis, it is found that the rubber layer of the composite container played an important role in alleviating the damage and deformation of the container structure. The size of the damaged area, the structural deformation and the plastic strain can be significantly reduced. The result presented in this paper would be helpful in the design of protective structures.