Numerical and analytical investigation of ballistic performance of composite targets with ceramic-polyurea-metal layers and optimization of the layer thicknesses

In this research, ballistic performance of composite armors composed of ceramic-polyurea-aluminum layers was investigated. First, in order to validate the simulation outcomes, we used two references where targets coated with ceramic-aluminum and polyurea-aluminum layers were investigated. Given the experimental designs, ballistic performance of the targets was evaluated as those were hit by a flat-nose projectile with a diameter of 7.62 mm and a length of 25.4 mm at a projectile velocity of 950 m/s using the LS-Dyna software. Subsequently, an analytical formulation was developed to estimate the ballistic limit velocity and residual velocity of the projectile. Afterwards, seeking to optimize the thicknesses of different layers on the designed targets, the residual velocity of the projectile and surface density were introduced, as objective functions, into the response surface methodology where the layer thicknesses were taken as optimization variables to check for the effect of the layer materials on the objective functions.