A Numerical Study on the Oblique Penetration of Spherical-Nosed Rigid Projectiles into Semi-Infinite Metallic Targets

The penetration of rigid spherically-nosed projectiles obliquely impacting thick metallic targets is explored through 3D numerical simulations. In particular, we look at their trajectory changes during penetration, which can lead to their ricochet at a certain threshold obliquity. This threshold ricochet angle is found to depend on a non-dimensional entity, which is equal to the ratio between the target’s resistance to penetration and the dynamic pressure exerted by the projectile upon impact. The penetration depths of inclined spherical-nosed rigid projectiles were also found to be depended on this non-dimensional parameter, through numerically-derived empirical relations.