Numerical analysis of oblique hypervelocity impact damage to space structural materials by ice particles in cryogenic environment

Hao Jiang, Hao Wang, Valerie Scott, Bo Li

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

A phase-aware constitutive model is developed and integrated with the meshfree simulations to study the failure mechanisms of space structural materials under the oblique hypervelocity impact of ice. The proposed constitutive model covers material's dynamic behavior in a wide range of temperature, pressure, and strain rates. The numerical analysis combines the Hot Optimal Transportation Meshfree method with the EigenErosion algorithm to explicitly account for large deformation, brittle and ductile failure, phase transition, and debris cloud formation in the target materials and ice projectile. Specifically, the surface erosion and crater formation in the target under different impact speeds and angles are characterized by the damage's shapes, depth, and length. The predicted crater depths in the Al6061 targets are validated by the Cour-Palais empirical model. It is evident that the damage to the space structural material by ice particles results from the competition between fracture, plasticity, and phase transition in the materials. The impact angle and velocity determine the crater deformation and the potential thread of the ejected debris.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)392-404
Number of pages13
JournalActa Astronautica
Volume195
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Crater formation
  • Eigenerosion
  • Ice debris
  • Meshfree method
  • Multiphase constitutive model
  • Oblique hypervelocity impact

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Aerospace Engineering

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