Design of Multi-layered Protection Against Guided Mortar Threats Yhrough Numerical Modeling

• Published in: Defence technology 2023-11, Vol.29, p.55-65
• Main Authors: Thawani, Bonny, Lim, Seng Kiat, Brown, Laura, Critchley, Richard, Hazael, Rachael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Composite structures; Foams; Fragmentation; High velocity; Hydrocode
• ISSN: 2214-9147; 2214-9147
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dt.2023.01.013

The trade – off between protection and weight is a constant consideration when designing a portable protective solution. Greater mobility is a desirable attribute and protection must therefore adapt, prompting a demand for lightweight, simple to construct, low-cost and effective ballistic protection systems. High strength and ductility, wave spreading capability and good energy absorption are key properties for ballistic protection. Four materials, polycarbonate, Kevlar®-epoxy, polyurethane foam, and aluminium alloy, possess these properties and were selected for analysis by numerical simulation. Multi-layered configurations were proven to be an optimal solution, by exploiting the advantages of each material without having large penalties of mass and cost. Numerical modelling using ANSYS AUTODYN® is used to simulate monolithic and multi-layered target configurations, to obtain the penetration mitigation performance. The results are analysed to select configurations based on different requirements, such as lowest cost, lowest mass, best performance, and optimal configuration which balanced the three key parameters mentioned. The optimal configuration of Aluminium, Kevlar-Epoxy, Polyurethane, and Polycarbonate has layers with thickness of 7, 3, 38, 2 mm respectively with a total mass of 7.97 kg, total cost of $39.86 and penetration of 29.34% (14.67 mm). Polynomial relationships between performance and mass/cost are also determined.