Energy absorption in thin metallic targets subjected to oblique projectile impact: A numerical study

The present study investigates the ballistic performance and energy absorption in plastic deformation due to work done in radial, circumferential, axial and tangential directions in 1 mm thick aluminum 1100-H12 targets. The targets were impacted by single nosed; ogival, blunt and double nosed; ogival-blunt and blunt-blunt, EN-24 Steel projectiles at 0°, 15°, 30° and 45° oblique incidence angles. Three-dimensional models of both projectiles and the targets were created and numerical analyses were performed in Abaqus Explicit solver. Ballistic performance, mode of failure and energy absorption in the target were compared within the configurations. Targets impacted with double nosed projectiles exhibited higher ballistic limit, followed by single nosed blunt and then by ogive nosed projectile. Single nosed ogive projectiles, showed increase in ballistic limit with the obliquity, whereas blunt, ogival-blunt and blunt-blunt projectiles displayed opposite behavior. The energy absorption in targets subjected to ogival-blunt projectile was found to be highest, followed by targets subjected to blunt-blunt projectile, then single nosed blunt and ogive projectile in the last. Further, total energy absorption in the targets subjected to ogive nosed projectile was increased with the obliquity, whereas, in case of blunt and double nosed projectiles, the energy dissipation was reduced.