Effect of Initial Detonation Method on Damage Power of Composite Warhead

To improve the energy output efficiency of composite warhead, a HEAT-HE composite warhead is presented, which can release explosively formed penetrator, prefabricated fragments and natural fragments. With the numerical simulation software LS-DYNA, we analyzed how the initial detonation mode (including location, diameter and number of detonation points) affects the damage elements formation and energy output. Besides, a possible technical approach for the tunable damage-power warhead was also discussed. The results shows that: (1) When the donation points are wider and further away from the linear, the linear-formed damage element would get a higher tip velocity and a greater tip-tail velocity and length-diameter ratios. The greatest gain of velocity can reach up to 50% so as to lead the transformation from explosively formed projectile (EFP) to jetting projectile charge (JPC). (2) When the detonation points are located on the central axis of the charge, the damage element forming keeps only related to the point closest from the liner. (3) For the prefabricated fragment, the detonation velocity on the 60 mm charge height (P₂) is the highest. Its maximum velocity can get increased with the increasing detonation points with wider diameter, while its minimum velocity always keeps about 600 m/s with little variation. For the natural fragment formed by the shell, there isn’t an obvious variation of the average velocity, but a reasonable approach to detonate can make the fragments more homogeneous and benefit the adjustment of the fragments mass distribution. Therefore, it is feasible to make a tunable damage-power warhead by controlling the initiation detonation mode, but further research into the effects of the initiation mode on the fragment velocity is needed as well.