Low-velocity penetration behavior of ice by steel projectile

In this study, the penetration of a steel projectile into a semi-infinite ice target is investigated through experiment and numerical simulation. Five tests with initial impact velocity varying from 42.5 to 110 m/s are conducted. The penetrating behavior of the projectile and the dynamic response of the ice target are captured by a high-speed camera. The experimental results show that the impact velocity has great impact on the dynamic behavior and failure mode of the ice target. Under a low-speed impact, the ice target forms a crater at the impact surface. However, a penetration tunnel is formed under a high-speed impact. The crater diameter and penetration depth increase almost linearly with increasing the impact velocity. Furthermore, the numerical simulation for the tests is carried out using the continuum discontinuum element method (CDEM). The simulated penetration depth history of the projectile and the failure characteristics of the ice target agree with the experimental results, validating the numerical simulation model. It indicates that the ice crater angle keeps almost the same during a penetration. In addition, the maximum deceleration of the projectile and the maximum von Mises stress of the ice elements increase with increasing the impact velocity. These results provide the failure behavior and numerical simulation method for ice penetration, improving the understanding of dynamic fracturing mechanism of ice in engineering applications.