From: Steve Grammont (islander@midmaine.com)
Date: Sun Aug 25 2002 - 22:44:01 PDT
Dave
>Was the link to the story that was released to the media on Electrical
>Armour given I may have missed it and I would like to read about this
>because what I have heard so far does not jive with common physics although
>it is very interesting.
I am pretty sure John is correct. A shaped charge is only effective if
it maintains its form and impacts the armor at an agreeable angle. WWII
US Bazooka rounds were known to be totally ineffective against highly
sloped armor, for example, because the round would tip JUST enough on
impact that its jet would not be effective. Also, the Germans found that
even mesh wire screen was good enough to defeat man launched hollow
charge rounds. All you apparently need to do is get it to detonate in a
favorable way and the plasma jet can't do what it was designed to do.
So the theory of defeating hollow charge rounds through manipulation of
the conditions under which the round detonates is sound and supported by
a wide body of practical application in WWII (in particular). That means
the only question here is if the interference with the copper is enough
to cause the round to "fail" to an extent necessary for the inner armor
to survive contact with the plasma jet.
>I would like to know how the Armour depletes the energy and gas from the
>penetrator/slug and spalling from that penetration and causes the second
>layer to vaporize the penetrator without the contents of the tank having
>there brain drip out there ears from the pressure.
I dont think there would be any problems with pressure within the vehicle
since the whole thing is happening outside.
Also remember that the "slug" in the case of a hollow charge round is not
in and of itself designed or capable of causing much (if any) damage to
armor. Therefore it poses no risk to the inner armor provided it is at
least thick enough to defeat the round in question (i.e. 2mm of armor
ain't going to stop a spitball <g>). Also spalling is not something that
I think can be caused by a hollow charged round. Spalling can only be
achieved through accelerated dense masses of a size greater than the
width of the armor (taking into consideration the materials of both shot
and armor) striking the inner armor. Splintering, from a partial
penetration, would not happen at all from a hollow charge round even if
it penetrated since the plasma is designed to liquify the armor, not
splinter it.
My knowledge of armor and ballistics is mostly WWII based, but the basics
are pretty much the same now as they were back then.
Steve
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