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Reactive material (RM) is a new type of energetic material, which is widely used in the military technology fields such as fragmentation warheads and shaped charge warheads. Violent chemical reactions take place in the impact process of reactive materials, and how to realize the macro numerical simulation of shock-induced energy release behavior of reactive materials is one of the most urgent problems to be solved for its future military applications. In this study, a numerical simulation approach and procedure is proposed, which can simulate the shock-induced energy release behavior of reactive materials on a macro scale. Firstly, program implementation of the mechanical-thermal-chemical coupled effect model for RM is realized in the second-development interface of LS-DYNA software. Then, the adaptive simulated annealing algorithm is used to fit the chemical reaction kinetic parameters of RM using the direct ballistics test data. Finally, the simulation calculation of the fragment penetrating upon steel plate is carried out to expand the applicability of the numerical simulation approach proposed in this study. The results show that the numerical simulation approach proposed in this study can reproduce the results of the direct ballistics test more accurately, which assumes practical significance for the engineering application of reactive materials in the military field in the future.

Most chemical reactions promoted by light and using a photosensitizer (a dye) are subject to the phenomenon of luminescence. Redistribution of light in all directions (isotropic luminescence emission) and in a new spectral range (luminescence emission spectrum) makes experimental and theoretical studies much more complex compared to a situation with a purely absorbing reaction volume. This has a significant impact on the engineering of photoreactors for industrial applications. Future developments associated with photoreactive system optimization are therefore extremely challenging, and require an in-depth description and quantitative analysis of luminescence. In this study, a radiative model describing the effect of luminescence radiation on the calculation of absorptance is presented and analyzed with the multiple inelastic-scattering approach, using Monte Carlo simulations. The formalism of successive orders of scattering expansion is used as a sophisticated analysis tool which provides, when combined with relevant physical approximations, convenient analytical approximate solutions. Its application to four photosensitizers that are representative of renewable hydrogen production via artificial photosynthesis indicates that luminescence has a significant impact on absorptance and on overall quantum yield estimation, with the contribution of multiple scattering and important spectral effects due to inelastic scattering. We show that luminescence cannot be totally neglected in that case, since photon absorption lies at the root of the chemical reaction. We propose two coupled simple and appropriate analytical approximations enabling the estimation of absorptance with a relative error below 6% in every tested situation: the zero-order scattering approximation and the gray single-scattering approximation. Finally, this theoretical approach is used to determine and discuss the overall quantum yield of a bio-inspired photoreactive system with Eosin Y as a photosensitizer, implemented in an experimental setup comprising a photoreactor dedicated to hydrogen production.

Armour steels have proven to be promising solutions for protection against fragments from threat weapons. The area to cover for ship bulkheads is usually large, so cost of the raw material is an important driver. For new ships, additional mass can be compensated for in the design. Past research by TNO and other workers has shown that the ballistic limit V50 of armour steels against fragments is increased significantly by adding a front or pre-layer. This layer can be a variety of materials ranging from cardboard to glass. In TNO’s Laboratory for Ballistics Research a test program was conducted to study the effect of high pressure laminate, polymer and fire insulation pre-layers at the V50 and well above the ballistic limit. The high velocities are typically associated with fragments from relevant threats for warships. Fragment simulating projectiles were fired on armour steel plates of varying type and thickness with these pre-layers and measured the residual velocity and resulting hole sizes. The tests resulted in clear dependencies of the residual velocity as a function of impact velocity and pre-layer (type and thickness). Analysis of the data showed that there are several counteracting effects interacting when a pre-layer is applied to armour steel. The failure mechanism of the steel as well as the hardness and thickness of the pre-layer seem to influence the outcome of this interaction and hence the response of the steel to various pre-layers. The results of this research will be used in the design of fragment and blast resistant bulkheads for future naval ships.

Background Lead-free hunting bullets are an alternative to lead-containing bullets which cause health risks for humans and endangered scavenging raptors through lead ingestion. However, doubts concerning the effectiveness of lead-free hunting bullets hinder the wide-spread acceptance in the hunting and wildlife management community. Methods We performed terminal ballistic experiments under standardized conditions with ballistic soap as surrogate for game animal tissue to characterize dimensionally stable, partially fragmenting, and deforming lead-free bullets and one commonly used lead-containing bullet. The permanent cavities created in soap blocks are used as a measure for the potential wound damage. The soap blocks were imaged using computed tomography to assess the volume and shape of the cavity and the number of fragments. Shots were performed at different impact speeds, covering a realistic shooting range. Using 3D image segmentation, cavity volume, metal fragment count, deflection angle, and depth of maximum damage were determined. Shots were repeated to investigate the reproducibility of ballistic soap experiments. Results All bullets showed an increasing cavity volume with increasing deposited energy. The dimensionally stable and fragmenting lead-free bullets achieved a constant conversion ratio while the deforming copper and lead-containing bullets showed a ratio, which increases linearly with the total deposited energy. The lead-containing bullet created hundreds of fragments and significantly more fragments than the lead-free bullets. The deflection angle was significantly higher for the dimensionally stable bullet due to its tumbling behavior and was similarly low for the other bullets. The deforming bullets achieved higher reproducibility than the fragmenting and dimensionally stable bullets. Conclusion The deforming lead-free bullet closely resembled the deforming lead-containing bullet in terms of energy conversion, deflection angle, cavity shape, and reproducibility, showing that similar terminal ballistic behavior can be achieved. Furthermore, the volumetric image processing allowed superior analysis compared to methods that involve cutting of the soap blocks.

Purpose To compare the effect of 4-week unknown vs known loads strength training intervention on power output performance and throwing velocity in junior team handball players. Methods Twenty-eight junior team-handball players (17.2 ± 0.6 years, 1.79 ± 0.07 m, 75.6 ± 9.4 kg)were divided into two groups (unknown loads: UL; known loads: KL). Both groups performed two sessions weekly consisting of four sets of six repetitions of the bench press throw exercise, using the 30%, 50% and 70% of subjects’ individual 1 repetition maximum (1RM). In each set, two repetitions with each load were performed, but the order of the loads was randomised. In the KL group, researchers told the subjects the load to mobilise prior each repetition, while in the UL group, researchers did not provide any information. Maximal dynamic strength (1RM bench press), power output (with 30, 50 and 70% of 1RM) and throwing velocity (7 m standing throw and 9 m jumping throw) were assessed pre- and post-training intervention. Results Both UL and KL group improved similarly their 1RM bench press as well as mean and peak power with all loads. There were significant improvements in power developed in all the early time intervals measured (150 ms) with the three loads (30, 50, 70% 1RM) in the UL group, while KL only improved with 30% 1RM (all the time intervals) and with 70% 1RM (at certain time intervals). Only the UL group improved throwing velocity in both standing (4.7%) and jumping (5.3%) throw (p > 0.05). Conclusions The use of unknown loads has led to greater gains in power output in the early time intervals as well as to increases in throwing velocity compared with known loads. Therefore unknown loads are of significant practical use to increase both strength and in-field performance in a short period of training.

This communication presents a method that accurately models the non-uniformities of the magnetic field present within the ferrite material that is subjected to an externally applied magnetic field. Two major factors that influence this field are the applied magnetic field and the demagnetizing factor. Most of the formulations reported prior to this work ignored the non-uniformity of the applied magnetic field by assuming that this field is constant and unidirectional everywhere in the cavity. In addition to this, the demagnetizing factor was also assumed to be either of the ballistic or diagonal form. The approach presented here removes both of these approximations by determining the nonuniform field distribution using the finite element method and considering the full tensorial form of the demagnetizing factor. Predictions based on the approach presented here are compared with measurements and previous data predicted based on the uniform applied magnetic field along with the ballistic form of the demagnetizing factor.

The armour of vehicles against conventional threats is mainly composed with steel or aluminium panels. Efficient heavy solutions exist, but the involved industries require new lightweight structures. Moreover, unconventional threats as IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) may cause severe damages on these structural and protective panel solutions. Thus, combination of aluminium or steel plates with textile composite structures used as a backing, leads to the mass reduction and better performance under delamination behaviour against these new threats. This paper is a part of a study dealing with the impact behaviour of three warp interlocks weaving structures under Fragment Simulating Projectile (FSP) impact. During this research, several parameters has being studied as the influence of the yarns insertions [1–4], the degradation of the yarns during the weaving process [5–7], and the influence of the resin rate on the ballistic behaviour. The resin rate inside composite materials is dependant on the final application. In ballistic protection, we need to control the resin rate in order to have a deformable structure in order to absorb the maximum of energy. However, with the warp interlocks weaving structure, the yarns insertions induce empty spaces between the yarns where the resin takes place without being evacuated. The resin rate inside the warp interlocks structures is in the most of cases less than 50%, which lead to have brittle and hard material during the impact. Contrary to interlocks structures, the existing protection based on prepreg structure have a high fibres ratio around 88% of weight. That leads to have the best ballistic properties during the impact and good deformability of the structure. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the influence of the resin rate on the ballistic results of the composites materials. For that, we have chosen two kinds of warp interlocks fabrics which were infused with epoxy resin following two processes. The first is a classical vacuum resin infusion; the second used a press in order to reach a resin ratio near to the existing protection. The existing protection is a prepreg structure with a fibre content of 88%. It has been revealed that a resin rate less than 35% inside the warp interlocks composite material leads to have equivalent ballistics performances than existing protection.