Experimental investigation on dynamic failure of water-filled vessel subjected to projectile impact

In this investigation, a series of experiments are performed to study the deformation and failure of fluid-filled vessel subjected to high speed impact loading. The water-filled vessel with aluminum alloy target panels were impacted by the projectiles at the initial velocities of 100–300 m/s. Three different kinds of projectiles were considered to investigate the influence of nose shape of projectile on the failure modes of the water-filled tank. The high-speed photography was used to record the process of the projectile moving and the formation of cavity in water. The strain histories of target panels were measured by using the strain gauges. The results indicate that the hydrodynamic ram effect in the water-filled tank increased the damage of the target panels. The deformation of panels increased with the projectile nose coefficient (caliber-radius-head, CRH) increasing. The deformation and failure of the rear panel were more serious than those of the front panel. Additionally, the typical failure modes of the panels could be subdivided into three modes. The relationship between the kinetic energy and CRH value of the projectiles and the deformation of the panels was established.