Numerical Simulation of Ti-Based Metallic Glasses as Whipple Shield Bumper by Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Methods

The debris clouds produced by hypervelocity impacts on Ti-based metallic glasses (Ti-MGs) and Al-6061-T6 bumper were studied by smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) methods. The change of the vanguard shape, dispersion and ejection angle were also obtained with the same bumper thickness to the projectile-diameter ratio (h/d). For the same h/d valve, the debris cloud of Ti-MGs bumper had a more widely dispersion and ejection angle than with Al-6061-T6 bumper; the vanguard velocity of Ti-MGs bumper was also lower than Al-6061-T6 bumper. Moreover, for the same bumper areal density, the vanguard of the debris cloud in MGs bumper was plane-shaped. This study demonstrates that Ti-MGs exhibit an excellent bumper protection performance, which asset can pave new paths for their further applications.