ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE LOADING COEFFICIENT AND GEOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF FRAGMENT ELEMENTS ON THE PENETRATION CAPABILITY OF RADIAL-AXIAL HIGH-EXPLOSIVE FRAGMENTATION PROJECTILES

The article examines how the relative explosive charge (loading coefficient) and the fragment shape parameter affect the ballistic effectiveness of radial-axial high-explosive fragmentation shells, with a particular focus on their penetration capability. The authors analyze existing models aimed at predicting fragment velocities and identify their limitations. They propose new analytical expressions for calculating initial and terminal velocities of fragments. These formulas are based on the uniform distribution of energy according to fragment masses, which offers a more physically justified approach. The paper determines the critical value of the loading coefficient necessary to ensure the penetration of a standard steel obstacle (3 mm). It presents consideration of the dependence of the depth of a fragment immersion on the value of the loading coefficient, along with the influence of the shape parameter of the fragments. The research reveals a nonlinear nature of this relation and a significant decrease in the penetration capability for elongated fragments. These results are key to optimizing the design of fragmentation-forming components of projectiles. The shell improvements can increase their lethality against manpower protected by modern means of armor protection.