Impact Analysis
Impact analysis is the study of how materials react when hit by projectiles. At high velocities, materials may deform in unexpected patterns. In other cases, as with spacecraft protection, environmental constraints limit the amount of practical testing and call for improved simulations.
Hypervelocity Impact
- Application of specialized, efficient techniques
- Design of protective measures for spacecraft
STI developed an efficient technique for analyzing spacecraft protection. The images below show excellent agreement between an actual oblique impact experiment and the simulation. See "Incremental Momentum Transfer, an Efficient, Accurate Techniques for Analysis of Debris Impatc on Spacecraft Shields".
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Micrometeor Impact on Glass
STI's calculations fit historical data on crater and spall in glass, and predicted the effect of low and high energy impacts on fused silica glass mirrors. See "Computer Models of Micrometeoroid Imact on Fused Silica Glass Mirrors".
Shock Propagation
- Propagation of stress transients through structures affected by detonation or impact events
- Evaluation of structural integrity
- Analysis of sympathetic detonation
