Finite element simulation of ballistic impact in survivability studies

The analysis of a projectile impacting an object at high velocity is of great importance to the survivability community. The probability of a kill given a hit for a component is based upon projectile mass and velocity. Therefore the mass and velocity at impact, as well as the residual mass and velocity after impact, must be known. Typically these parameters are determined by experiment or by using one of several sets of penetration equations that are fitted to experimental data. These experiments are expensive and do not have a high degree of precision. The purpose of this work is to accurately model and predict the residual velocity of a 1020 steel projectile impacting a thin 2024-T3 aluminum plate using finite element analysis. The finite element simulations are compared with experimental data and penetration equation predictions. The residual velocities predicted by the simulations compare favorably with the experimental data available.