Research on the penetration resistance characteristic of 2024-T42 aluminum alloy tube to spherical steel projectile

To explore the penetration resistance of aluminum alloy tubes under spherical steel projectile impact, focusing on the effects of varying tube radii and wall thicknesses on ballistic limit velocity, providing a foundation for tube protection design. A finite element model of spherical steel projectile penetration into 2024-T42 aluminum alloy targets was established using Ansys/Workbench software and the Johnson-Cook material model, which was then verified. Simulations of the response characteristics of aluminum alloy tubes with different radii and wall thicknesses under normal impact of spherical steel projectiles were conducted, along with an analysis of tube deformation and damage. The study found that the penetration resistance of the upper and lower walls of aluminum alloy tubes differs, with the upper convex structure outperforming the lower concave structure. A smaller tube radius enhances the penetration resistance of the upper wall, while for tubes of the same radius, increasing the wall thickness leads to a roughly linear increase in the ballistic limit velocity of both upper and lower walls.