Numerical Investigation on Penetration Performance of Segmented Rods

To investigate the penetration performance of segmented rods against targets, a series of numerical simulations were conducted to research the penetration performance of tungsten alloy segmented rods with various configurations and their corresponding continuous rods into semi-infinite thick 4340 steel targets at velocities ranging from 1 500 to 3 500 m/s by using the SPH (Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics) hydro code of AUTODYN.The shape of the crater and the depth of penetration were in good agreement with the results obtained from experiments.The numerical results indicate that the penetration performance of segmented rods is significantly improved compared with that of continuous rods under some conditions.The penetration efficiency of segmented rods depends on the s/d value (where s is the segment spacing and d is the rod diameter) and the impact velocity.Moreover, there is an optimum s/d for the segmented rods which depends on the impact velocity and configuration of projectiles.The calculations show that there are significant differences in the crater profile of targets between continuous and segmented rods, and also those of segmented rods at high and low velocities are different.