A void coalescence-based spall model

A void coalescence-based spall model is presented using stress relaxation equations based on the assumption that the main effect of the microcracks is to reduce the area over which the stress acts in the early stages and the stress decreases to porosity-dependent value in the void coalescence stages. The stress- (or pressure-) dependent spall porosities given by Thomason, by Tonks et al and by Cochran et al. are, respectively, combined with conservation equations, equation of state and constitutive equations for the damaged aggregate to establish a series of closed equations for all variables including the damage. The void coalescence-based spall model contains only two parameters: the spall strength and critical damage, the values of which can be initially estimated for plate-impact spall tests and be finally determined to make the computed results of spall tests under the initial and boundary conditions consistent with experimental velocity (stress) profile and the observed damage at spall plane in general. The computer simulations of spall experiments for copper, uranium and steel are performed with the one-dimensional Lagrangian finite difference method. The computed results based on the pressure-dependent spall porosities given by Tonks et al., and by Cochran et al., are consistent in general, but different from the computed results based on Thomason's 2D stress-dependent spall porosity to a considerable extent.