USING HYDROCODE SIMULATIONS IN NATURAL FRAGMENTATION ANALYSIS

This paper discusses the integration of hydrocode analysis into the Fragment Analysis Software (FAST) to improve the accuracy of fragmentation studies. FAST traditionally uses the Gurney method and Mott distribution to model and analyze fragmenting munitions. This study investigates replacing the Gurney method with a hydrocode for increased accuracy. The study uses experimental data from the 30 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 autocannon and the SPEED software package for hydrocode analysis. The results show that incorporating hydrocode analysis improves the accuracy of velocity profile and natural fragmentation analysis. The hydrocode-based velocity profiles provide more accurate velocity distributions, leading to better fragment mass distribution predictions, especially for smaller fragments. While the Gurney model is useful for rapid assessments due to its low computational cost, hydrocode simulations offer a superior approach for high-fidelity analyses.