Impact Dynamics Simulation for Multilayer Fabrics of Various Weaves

The high strength, light weight, and flexibility of fabric protection systems makes them an effective impact mitigation solution in some important engineering applications. Examples include body armor, fan blade containment systems, and orbital debris shielding. Most soft armor protection systems employ a plain weave fabric, suitable for use in flat or slightly curved geometries. However, future fabric protection system designs may employ nonplain weaves to protect highly curved surfaces (such as personnel extremities) or to optimize the performance of protection systems composed of a nonhomogeneous fabric stack. In recent research, the authors developed an improved hybrid particle-element method to simulate the ballistic impact performance of fabric protection systems. The new formulation is the first to address the full range of modeling issues (including penalty-based contact-impact, excessive yarn bending stiffness, and mass or energy discard) that have limited the effectiveness of legacy finite element-based fabric modeling methods for over two decades. Validation simulations modeled three-dimensional perforation dynamics in multilayer fabric stacks, and showed good agreement with new ballistic experiments conducted at three different target-layer counts for two different projectile types and four different weaves.