Experimental and Numerical Study of Projectile Impact to Sheet Metal, using Hooputra's Ductile Damage Criterion

Steel and aluminum sheet metals، and also composites have vast application in the military and aerospace industries، keeping the safety of those against balls and projectiles، and prediction of damaged zone affected by ball or projectile impact is one of the challenges of engineers and researchers. In this research، first، using the finite element method، damage mechanics، and Hooputra''s ductile damage criterion existed in the ABAQUS software، effect of direct impact of projectile to an aluminum plate applied in the military industries is simulated and the results are numerically achieved. Then، the effect of oblique angle of projectile impact to the plate، on the area and depth of the damaged zone is investigated. In order to validate the results، the projectile shooting test into the aluminum plate under the corresponding angles is practically carried out and the obtained results are compared with the simulation results. Comparison of the numerical and empirical results reveals that the simulations are in good accuracy. Hence، it is concluded that the Hooputra''s ductile damage criterion can well predict the failure and fracture zone in the high strain rate deformations.