Numerical Simulations of the Perforation of Aluminum Targets Struck by a Deformable Projectile

Numerical simulations are conducted on the perforation of aluminum targets struck by an ogive-nosed steel projectile using the commercial FEM code ABUQUS/Explicit. It is assumed that the target response can be represented by a velocity dependent forcing function which is derived from spherical cavity expansion (SCE) analysis. Free surface effects are also considered and a modified forcing function is used in numerical simulations. This approximation eliminates the need for discretizing the target as well as the need for a contact algorithm. It is shown that the numerical simulations are in good agreement with the experimental data for 6061-T651 aluminum alloy targets struck by a VAR 4340 steel projectile.