Simulating hypervelocity impact phenomena with discrete elements

In this paper, we develop and assess a numerical model for simulating hypervelocity impacts (HVI) with a Discrete Element Method (DEM). The model consists of discrete spheres interacting via simple potentials. We determine the material parameters empirically by comparing them to recent HVI experiments. Using this model, we simulate HVI of aluminum spheres on thin aluminum bumper plates over a wide range of impact velocities and geometries. We perform quantitative comparisons between our simulations and experiments performed at our institute and taken from literature. When evaluating the model’s suitability, we find good correspondence between simulation and experiment when the impact conditions lead to strong shock waves propagating through the material. Finally, we perform a comprehensive parameter study to evaluate the validity and limits of our model