High velocity impact of metal sphere on thin metallic plates: A comparative smooth particle hydrodynamics study

Four different shock-capturing schemes used in smooth particle hydrodynamics are compared as applied to moderately high-velocity impacts (at 3 km/s) and hypervelocity impacts (at ∼6 km/s) of metallic projectiles on thin metal plates. The target and projectile may be of same metal or different. The simulations are compared with previously published experimental data and simulations. The schemes differ in how artificial viscosity (AV) is treated and include (i) standard SPH AV, (ii) Balsara’s AV (BAL), (iii) Morris and Monaghan’s AV (MON) and (iv) Riemann-based contact algorithm (CON) of Parshikov et al. At moderately high impact velocity, CON performed best overall, in particular, in being free from numerical fracture and formation of clumps, problems that plague SAV and its modifications, BAL and MON. For the hypervelocity impact, CON does not produce correct debris cloud. The BAL and MON while reproducing the debris cloud more closely, overestimate the crater diameter significantly. An excessive AV, by enhancing transverse momentum flow, may be the source of the overestimation of crater diameter. Experimental agreement is generally worse when the target and projectile are formed of distinct metals.