NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF DIAMOND FRAGMENT PENETRATING BALLISTIC GELATIN

Experiment and computation study on the penetration of rhombic fragments into a block of ballistic gelatin is performed for improving our understanding the wound mechanism. The temporary cavity size and tumbling degree of fragments in ballistic gelatin was quantified to describe the behavior of the fragments impact gelatin. During rhombic fragments penetrating ballistic gelatin, four stages were clearly observed in both the experiment and the numerical simulation: a smooth attenuation stage, a rolling stage, a quasi steady penetration stage, stopping penetration stage and a stage of expansion and contraction.. Moreover, the effects of the fragment’s impact velocities and angles of incidence on the temporary cavity in gelatin were investigated, as well as the fragment’s resistance and energy variation. Thus, the physical process and the interactive mechanism during a rhombic fragments penetrating gelatin were comprehensively revealed. This may be significant for research in wound ballistics.