Numerical analysis for impact effects of a pistol bullet on a gelatin target covered with UHMWPE fiber armor

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Journal of Vibration and Shock ›› 2018, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (13) : 20-26.

SUN Fei1,MA Li2, ZHU Yi-hui1, XU Cheng1

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Abstract

Although a body armor with ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers can prevent bullets to penetrate a soldier’s body tissue and organs, bullets’ energy transmitted to the armor may be transferred to the soldier’s body to produce the behind armor blunt trauma (BABT). The mechanism of BABT is not clarified so far. Here, the mechanism of BABT was studied using a gelatin target covered with armor. A finite element (FE) model was established for a certain 7.62 mm pistol bullet impacting a gelatin target covered with UHMWPE fiber armor. The impact effects of the bullet on the gelatin target were simulated numerically with this FE model. The simulation results agreed well with those of tests to verify the correctness of the FE model. The study results revealed the variation laws of the bullet’s velocity and acceleration, the energy absorption percentage and failure features of UHMWPE fiber layers in bullet penetrating target process. The forming and development laws of transient cavity and pressure wave within the gelatin target were obtained. Thus, the mechanism of BABT due to impact of pistol bullet was deeply clarified.

Key words

ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber armor / gelatin / blunt impact / behind armor blunt trauma (BABT) / transient cavity evolution

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SUN Fei1,MA Li2, ZHU Yi-hui1, XU Cheng1. Numerical analysis for impact effects of a pistol bullet on a gelatin target covered with UHMWPE fiber armor[J]. Journal of Vibration and Shock, 2018, 37(13): 20-26

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