Numerical simulation of debris cloud produced by ellipsoidal projectile hypervelocity impact on bumper

All spacecraft in low orbit are subject to hypervelocity impacts by meteoroids and space debris. The numerical simulations of debris cloud produced by ellipsoidal projectile hypervelocity impact on bumper at normal and oblique angles have been carried out using the AUTODYN hydro-codes in this paper. The results using three-dimensional simulations are given. The characteristics of debris cloud produced by ellipsoidal projectile with the mass kept constant and different aspect ratios hypervelocity impact on bumper have been investigated with variations of the impact velocity and the impact incidence angle. The simulation results are compared with the characteristic of debris cloud created by spherical projectiles. It is shown that the debris cloud shapes, mass distribution and fragmentation degree are different with various aspect ratios ellipsoidal projectile impact, the fragmentation and the quantity of ricochet debris cloud is increased as the increase of impact incidence angle at the constant velocity; the fragment of projectile is increased as the impact velocity increase.