distributions of debris clouds generated by oblique impacts on an aluminum alloy plate
- Paper number
IAC-08.A6.3.6
- Author
Dr. Masumi Higashide, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Japan
- Coauthor
Dr. shoji harada, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan
- Coauthor
Dr. Yasuhiro Akahoshi, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan
- Year
2008
- Abstract
In order to protect astronauts from space debris impacts, many kinds of bumpers have been developed. Almost new bumpers consist of multi-layer shields since it can disperse kinetic energy of debris. It is important for developing the bumpers to know distributions of debris cloud generated by debris impacts. Models of debris cloud generated by normal impacts have been developed. However, many studies about oblique impacts have focused on a residual projectile after the impacts. Debris clouds generated by the oblique impacts have been studied by W. P. Schonberg el al. They performed hypervelocity impact tests and numerical simulations by the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics method, and developed a semi-theoretical model of the debris cloud generated by the oblique impacts. They discussed the total mass, the axial velocity, the expansion velocity and the trajectory of the debris cloud. In this study, however, each fragment in the debris cloud generated by the oblique impact has been investigated. The purpose of this study is to obtain mass, and velocity distributions of the fragments in the debris cloud generated by the oblique impacts on an aluminum alloy plate. Hypervelocity impact tests were performed with a two-stage light gas gun at Kyushu Institute of Technology. Al6061-T6 plates of 2mm thickness were used as targets. Projectiles were made of Al2024-T4, and their mass was 0.5g. The tests were performed with impact angles of 0, 15, 30 45 and 60deg. After the impacts, radiographs of the debris cloud were taken with flash X-rays and fragments in the debris cloud were captured in a stack of polystyrene sheets. By analyzing the radiographs, velocity distributions of the debris cloud were obtained. By captured fragments, mass distributions of the debris cloud were obtained. For discussing the accuracy of the velocity distribution, images of the debris cloud were taken with an ultra high speed video camera. The mass distributions of the debris cloud showed that the projectile was broken into smaller fragments with the increase of impact angle. With any impact angle, the largest fragments in the debris clouds were located near the impact axis. The velocity distributions of the debris cloud showed that the debris cloud originating from the target had larger spray angle at impacts with larger impact angle. The leading fragment in the debris cloud was located near the normal axis of the target.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-08.A6.3.6.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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