Monte Carlo simulation of steel spaced armor ballistic performance against fragment-simulating projectiles

Terminal ballistics models are typically calibrated with data from projectile impacts into single-material-single-layer (monolithic) targets. Such models fail to consider the complexities of layered and spaced armor configurations, which are commonplace in force-protection applications. Approaches leveraging existing monolithic terminal ballistic models have been developed to approximate such configurations, estimating overall response by superimposing the individual layer responses. A Monte Carlo (MC) superposition method is proposed for modeling the ( <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>V</mml:mi> <mml:mn>50</mml:mn> </mml:msub> </mml:math> ) of A36 steel layered and spaced armor configurations against fragment-simulating projectiles (FSPs). Its performance was examined relative to four existing superposition methods from literature, using experimental <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>V</mml:mi> <mml:mn>50</mml:mn> </mml:msub> </mml:math> data. Each superposition methodology was applied on two underlying terminal ballistics models for the layers, demonstrating their ability to leverage existing monolithic terminal ballistic models. The proposed MC superposition methodology consistently yielded the lowest error regardless of the underlying terminal ballistics model.