Numerical Simulation Study on Region Tracking of Jet Formation and Armor-Piercing Process of Zirconium Alloy Shaped Charge Liner

Zr alloy-shaped charge liners (SCLs) offer broad application prospects due to their multiple post-penetration damage effects. However, research on these liners is still in its early stages. The mechanisms of jet formation and penetration for Zr alloys SCL remain unclear, and the specific contribution of different liner regions to the penetration process is not yet understood. This gap in knowledge has limited their structural design to a black-box correlation between global structural parameters and macroscopic penetration efficiency. To address this gap, a region-tracing Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulation was employed. Following a strategy of “wall thickness layering + axial segmentation,” the Zr alloy liner was partitioned into ten characteristic regions. This methodology facilitated the tracking of material transport from each region during jet formation and penetration into an AISI 1045 steel target. The contribution of each region to the penetration depth was then quantitatively assessed via post-processing. For the first time, the “critical region” contributing most to penetration depth was identified, and the influence of the liner’s cone angle and wall thickness on the contribution of each region was revealed. This study enhances the theoretical framework for understanding the damage effects of Zr alloy shaped charge liners. It not only advances the fundamental understanding of jet penetration mechanisms but also provides a theoretical basis for the refined design and performance optimization of these liners.