Influence of Detonation-induced Deformation on the Penetration Performance of Spherical Tungsten Fragments

The influence of deformation of spherical tungsten fragment induced by detonation on its penetration performance is investigated. The fragment recovery and static explosion tests are conducted on armor steel targets. The numerical simulation of deformed fragments penetrating armor steel is performed based on the experimental results. The penetration behaviors of deformed fragments at different impact attitudes are revealed and the mechanism how the fragment deformation affects penetration performance is clarified through numerical simulation. The results indicate that the spherical tungsten alloy fragments experience a mass loss of 9.35% and assume a “bullet-head” shape after detonation driving. During penetration, a larger maximum contact cross-section between the fragment and the target plate and more sharp edges result in a larger perforating diameter. A sharper fragment head and a smaller maximum cross-sectional area led to a higher residual velocity of fragment. Under different impact attitudes, the maximum residual velocity, mass and kinetic energy of the fragment are 36.0%, 111.6% and 291.1% higher than the minimums, respectively. This study provides a basis for the optimization of spherical prefabricated fragment warheads.