Accession Number:

ADA343674

Title:

Numerical Simulation of Ballistic Limit Curves for Orbital Debris Shielding.

Descriptive Note:

Master's thesis,

Corporate Author:

TEXAS UNIV AT AUSTIN

Personal Author(s):

• Rabb, Robert J.

Report Date:

1998-05-01

Pagination or Media Count:

83.0

Abstract:

EXOS is a recently developed particle finite element code well suited to modeling hypervelocity impact phenomena. A series of EXOS simulations were conducted to evaluate the use of this new code for orbital debris shielding design. Two sets of simulations, one for a single bumper Whipple shield and one for a two bumper or stuffed Whipple shield, were compared to well known equations for the ballistic limit of Whipple shields, derived from experiment. The results show that EXOS provides an accurate and computationally tractable approach to simulate orbital debris shield performance.

Descriptors:

• *MATHEMATICAL MODELS
• *DEBRIS
• *HYPERVELOCITY IMPACT
• *FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS
• *PROTECTION
• *SPACECRAFT DEFENSE SYSTEMS
• COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
• ORBITS
• NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
• THESES
• LIMITATIONS
• TRACTABLE
• SHIELDING
• EQUATIONS
• BALLISTICS

Subject Categories:

• Numerical Mathematics
• Operations Research
• Computer Programming and Software
• Astronautics
• Defense Systems

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE