A sensored projectile impact on a composite sandwich panel

Abstract

Common impact events occurs between a single target and a single projectile, and traditionally the targeted is of most interest. Various sensors, such as strain gauges and force transducers, are commonly applied to the target in order to understand and record the impact event through the prospective of the target [1,2]. This approach leaves much to be desired due to the limited, and more so, qualitative data that is usually recorded. Witnessing the impact event through the prospective of the projectile not only provides more meaningful data regarding the impact, but records data through the entire impact event of the composite sandwich panel as the projectile travels through the face sheets and core. Additionally, the material - target impact interaction can be more closely evaluated. However, sensoring the projectile in conjunction with the inherent speed and confinement issues of a gas gun has presented many challenges for experimental implementation.