Damage Characteristics of PELE Projectile with Gradient Density Inner Core Material

Area of Science:

• Ballistics and projectile dynamics
• Materials science and engineering
• Computational mechanics

Background:

• The PELE (penetration with enhanced lateral efficiency) projectile offers safe ammunition with fragmentation capabilities without pyrotechnics.
• Understanding PELE projectile damage characteristics, including penetration and fragmentation, is crucial for its application.
• Factors influencing these characteristics, particularly the inner core material, require detailed investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the damage characteristics of PELE projectiles by altering the inner core material composition.
• To compare the performance of four different inner core gradient types: zero gradient-I (PE), zero gradient-II (Al), positive gradient (PE + Al), and negative gradient (Al + PE).
• To provide insights for optimizing PELE projectile design for enhanced performance.

Main Methods:

• Utilized numerical simulation methods to analyze projectile behavior.
• Evaluated axial residual velocity for penetration ability.
• Assessed radial scattering velocity and radius of fragments for damage area prediction.
• Measured residual length of projectile to determine fragment conversion rate.

Main Results:

• The negative gradient inner core combination (Al + PE) demonstrated superior penetration ability and fragmentation effect compared to other types.
• Projectile axial residual velocity, fragment radial velocity, and scattering radius are influenced by the front inner core material's strength.
• Projectile residual length, indicating fragment conversion rate, can be optimized by adjusting the rear inner core material's strength.

Conclusions:

• The negative gradient inner core design is optimal for enhancing both penetration and fragmentation in PELE projectiles.
• Front inner core material strength directly impacts projectile penetration and fragment dispersion.
• Optimizing rear inner core material properties can improve fragment conversion efficiency, offering valuable data for engineering applications.