Techniques Used to Estimate Limit Velocity in Ballistics Testing with Small Sample Size.

摘要

The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is currently conducts tests on anti-ballistic armor for military uses. This research is concerned with determining the limit velocity (vL.) of different target penetrator combinations. The limit velocity is the highest velocity a penetrator can have without penetrating the targe. Unfortunately, penetration processes are highly complex and an effective first principles derivation of vL has not been discovered. Estimation of vL is therefore done empirically. Furthermore, ballistics tests can be very expensive, resulting in a small size sample with which to perform statistical data analysis. There are two ballistics testing methods commonly used to estimate vL. The Jonas Lambert method involves measuring the residual velocity of the projectile after perforation. The bisection method or V 50 simply evaluates the perforation without residual velocity. The second method is significantly less expensive. Simulation is used to model both of the common ballistics testing methods as well as several new approaches to ballistics testing. The results are evaluated and compared for statistical significance and accuracy. This work suggests that the bissection method is more accurate when sample size is small. This discovery could provide considerable cost savings to ballistics testing at ARL.