A constitutive-microdamage model to simulate hypervelocity projectile-target impact, material damage and fracture

A set of constitutive-microdamage equations are presented that can model shock compression and the microdamage and fracture that can evolve following hypervelocity impact. The equations are appropriate for polycrystalline metals. For impact at a projectile velocity of 6.0 km/s, numerical simulations are preformed that describe the impact of spherical soda-lime glass projectiles with aluminum 1100 rectangular target plates. Three ratios of the projectile diameter to the target thickness are chosen for the simulations, providing a wide range of damage features. The simulated impact damage is compared with experimental damage of corresponding test specimens, illustrating the capability of the model.