Product Overview:
This tutorial focuses on the simulation of a high-velocity steel bullet impact on an armor panel composed of ceramic and aluminum foam layers, using Abaqus. The steel bullet, ceramic, and aluminum foam are all modeled as three-dimensional solid elements. To optimize computational time, only one-quarter of the full model is utilized due to symmetry conditions. The primary goal of this analysis is to investigate material damage.

For the steel bullet, an elastic-plastic material model incorporating both ductile and shear damage mechanisms is applied. The fracture of ductile metals typically occurs due to void formation and shear band localization, and these two failure mechanisms are accounted for with separate damage initiation criteria. The ceramic, modeled using the Johnson-Holmquist (JH2) model, captures its behavior under high strain rates, pressures, and large deformations, making it ideal for simulating armor protection scenarios. The damage variable in the JH2 model increases progressively with plastic strain. Meanwhile, the aluminum foam is represented using a crushable foam model, which includes hardening and ductile failure characteristics.

The dynamic explicit solver in Abaqus is used for this simulation, with general contact settings applied. Perfect contact is assumed between the ceramic and aluminum foam layers, while symmetry boundary conditions are enforced on the appropriate zones. An initial velocity is assigned to the steel projectile. Mesh refinement is necessary in the contact zones to ensure accurate results.

Upon completion of the simulation, results such as stress, strain, bullet damage (both ductile and shear), ceramic damage, and foam failure can be reviewed.