FE coupled to SPH numerical model for the simulation of high-velocity impact on ceramic based ballistic shields

Predictive models are an important tool in the design and optimization of ballistic shields. Indeed, several authors in the literature have developed numerical models for simulating high-velocity impact on ceramic-based ballistic shields which are based on the finite element method. Element erosion is usually implemented in finite element models simulating impact to remove excessively distorted elements but, it leads to energy loss, which in turns may lead to the production of incorrect results. Due to the absence of a fixed mesh, the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method is well suited for large deformation problems, overcoming the limitations of the finite element method. On the other hand, the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method is computationally more expensive than the finite element method. Thus, a numerical model combining the lower computational cost of finite elements and the capability of smoothed particle hydrodynamics of dealing with crack formation and fracturing would be an interesting solution for the simulation of high-velocity impact on ceramics. The aim of this work is therefore to develop a finite element coupled to smoothed particle hydrodynamics numerical model for the simulation of high-velocity impact on ceramic-based ballistic shields. High-velocity impact tests were performed on Al2O3 tiles and the experimental results were used for the calibration of the numerical models; furthermore, high-velocity impact test were performed on multilayer targets with Al2O3 front layer and AA6061-T6 backing layer for the validation of the numerical models. This study proved that this approach is more appropriate for the simulation of the response of ceramic materials rather the common finite element model.