Optimal 3D impactors penetrating into layered targets

Optimization of 3D sharp high speed impactors with given form of a longitudinal contour, length, and volume, penetrating into layered ductile targets, both for conical and thin non-conical strikers using approximate models is studied. It is found that the impactor with the minimum drag moving in a homogenous target with a constant velocity penetrates to the maximal depth into a semi-infinite target and has the minimal ballistic limit when it penetrates into a finite thickness target, regardless of the distribution of the material properties of the target along its depth, the number of the layers, etc. Using the analogy with the hypersonic flow over the flying projectiles it is predicted that the optimal impactor should have a star-shaped form of the cross section. If an impactor has a polygonal cross sections allowing the inscribed circles, the ballistic limit and maximum depth of penetration are independent not only of the properties of the target but also of the form of the polygon in the cross section and equal to the corresponding values for the inscribed body of revolution. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.