Impact and Dispersion of Liquid Filled Cylinders

Abstract

The computational and experimental results of impact loading a thin wall liquid filled cylindrical target within a vacuum chamber are presented. The impact velocity ranges from 2.2 to 4.2km∕s. Both experimental and computational results are presented. It will be shown that impact dynamics and the early time fluid expansion are well modeled and understood. This includes the mass distribution and resulting expansion velocity. However, the late time dynamics, which includes the liquid breakup and droplet formation process of impacted liquid filled cylinders, is not well understood.

On the Fluidic Response of Structures in Hypervelocity Impacts

“…At velocities exceeding 9 km/s, material vaporization and even the generation of shock induced plasmas is not uncommon [4]. The risk that such impact physics have on personnel and vital space structures [5] has been studied for several decades, and multilayer sacrificial shields were developed for protection [6]. Such shields use a thin exterior bumper to initiate fragmentation of the projectile, while thicker shields closer to critical components can then defeat the slowed debris spread over a larger area.…”