The influence of gas mixture detonation loads on large plastic deformation of thin quadrangular plates: Experimental investigation and empirical modelling

The investigation leading to the present study is motivated by the fact that dimensional analysis, as well as empirical modelling, are valuable methods for scholars to find the relationships between effective parameters in every process. By suggesting new dimensionless numbers based on the dimensionless governing equations and using a new mathematical method, namely, singular value decomposition method, significant improvements have been made in preparing a wide range predictions of maximum permanent transverse deflections of thin quadrangular metallic plates due to impulsive loads, especially, gas mixture detonation loading. The dimensionless numbers are based on important and effective parameters such as inertia of applied loads, mechanical properties of materials, structural geometry and strain rate sensitivity. The accuracy and benefits of present empirical models have been investigated by validating the obtained results with gas mixture detonation loading experiments and those in the literature for impulsively loaded plates. Experimental data have been obtained by single staged gas detonation apparatus for aluminum alloy and mild steel plates with different thicknesses. A comparative study revealed that when the material coefficients in Cowper-Symonds constitutive equation have been considered as functions of plate thickness, the present empirical models predict the ratio of midpoint deflection to the thickness more accurately than well-known Jones' theoretical equation.