Effect of alignment on the penetration of segmented rods

The purpose of this investigation is to study the effect of alignment on the performance of segmented penetrators. The Eulerian wave propagation code CTH is used for this purpose. A series of calculations using four L/D = 1 tungsten alloy segment trains at varying degrees of misalignment is performed, impacting a single finite-thickness oblique armor steel plate. Obliquity angles of 30° and 60° were considered. This study was performed primarily to investigate the effects of obliquity and is a continuation of a previous study [1] where semi-infinite armor steel plates were examined. It is shown that the obliquity of the plate can have a significant influence on the performance of the segment train. When misalignment is minimal, the performance of the segment train is not adversely affected, particularly if the misalignment positions the train in an orientation aligned with the plate normal. However, for large misalignments, degradation to the performance of the segment train is significant at all orientations.