Numerical Analysis of Ceramic Mosaic Armor Subjected to Ballistic Impact
Academic Article
Overview
Research
Identity
Additional Document Info
Other
View All
Overview
abstract
Ceramic mosaics have been used in lightweight armor systems to gain additional multi-hit capacity. However, the tile-to-tile interfaces in ceramic mosaics are inherently vulnerable and thus require special attention. In this research, we present finite element analysis of bilayer armor systems that consist of a ceramic mosaic front layer and a Kevlar-29/epoxy composite backing layer. The objective was to investigate the effect of various tile-to-tile interface designs on the ballistic performance. Two different interface design philosophies are investigated. In the first design, adjacent ceramic tiles are bonded together using epoxy at the interface, considered as a gap filling material. In the second design, adjacent ceramic tiles are separated by metallic webs at the interface, where a titanium honeycomb structure has ceramic tiles inserted into it. The same thickness was imposed for each interface wall to enable a direct comparison of their impact behaviour. Impact location was designated as the central ceramic tile centre. It was found that different interface designs affect stress wave propagation in the armor due to impedance mismatch. The stress state induced in the ceramic tile can be drastically changed and therefore the ballistic resistance of the armor. These results can be used to for the tailoring of mosaic armor systems to achieve the best ballistic performance.
