Capturing Finite Target Dynamics: Phase-Delayed Analytic Modeling of Multi-Layer Penetration Events

Abstract

The Walker-Anderson half-space penetration model has been successfully used for the rapid, efficient calculation of penetration of walls by rigid and eroding rods. These models align well with detailed simulations for thick targets; however, existing extensions for finite targets struggle to accurately capture nose-tail velocity profiles in thinner targets. For stack-ups of thin-walled targets, this deficiency results in mischaracterized rod-erosion relative to hydrocode or experimental predictions. In this work, we leverage insights from detailed hydro-code simulations to propose an updated modification to the Walker-Anderson model to correctly account for wave propagation within a given target. This addition improves results for thin targets while retaining good behavior for thick targets with zero additional model parameters. Our updated model exhibits strong agreement with detailed simulations for targets with multiple thin walls.