Hypervelocity impacts (HVIs) from orbital debris are an increasing threat to current and future missions in low Earth orbit, making spacecraft shielding vital for future space exploration efforts. A debris shield is a sacrificial plate that shatters an impactor into a cloud of particles, distributing the momentum of the impactor over a large area, thus preventing it from perforating the spacecraft. In this study, HVIs on debris shields were modelled in LS-DYNA using a coupled finite element-discrete element method (FEM/DEM), where failed solid elements are converted into discrete particles. The results are compared to experimental data with systematic variation of test configurations from literature for validation. Normal impacts by projectiles with diameters below 1 cm and impact velocities of 6.7 km/s were simulated to study the formation of debris clouds after perforation of a thin plate. Material data for aluminium alloy AA6061-T6 was used in both the target and the projectile. The FEM/DEM method was able to predict the shape of the debris cloud as a function of shield thickness, and a parametric study was performed to investigate the sensitivity of key model parameters. Ballistic limit curves were then determined for velocities from 1 to 14 km/s for a dual-wall Whipple shield and a corresponding monolithic configuration of equal areal mass. Again, the predictions from the FEM/DEM method were close to the results from literature.

来自轨道碎片的超高速撞击 (HVI) 对当前和未来的低地球轨道任务构成越来越大的威胁，这使得航天器屏蔽对于未来的太空探索工作至关重要。碎片防护罩是一种牺牲板，可将撞击物粉碎成粒子云，将撞击物的动量分布在大面积区域，从而防止它击穿航天器。在这项研究中，在 LS-DYNA 中使用耦合有限元-离散元法 (FEM/DEM) 对碎片盾牌上的 HVI 进行建模，其中失效的实体元素被转换为离散粒子。将结果与实验数据进行比较，并使用文献中测试配置的系统变化进行验证。直径小于 1 厘米且冲击速度为 6 的射弹的正常冲击。模拟了 7 km/s 以研究薄板穿孔后碎片云的形成。靶材和射弹都使用了铝合金 AA6061-T6 的材料数据。FEM/DEM 方法能够预测碎片云的形状作为防护罩厚度的函数，并进行了参数化研究以研究关键模型参数的敏感性。然后，针对双壁 Whipple 屏蔽和相应的等面积质量整体配置，确定速度从 1 到 14 km/s 的弹道极限曲线。同样，FEM/DEM 方法的预测与文献结果接近。FEM/DEM 方法能够预测碎片云的形状作为防护罩厚度的函数，并进行了参数化研究以研究关键模型参数的敏感性。然后，针对双壁 Whipple 屏蔽和相应的等面积质量整体配置，确定速度从 1 到 14 km/s 的弹道极限曲线。同样，FEM/DEM 方法的预测与文献结果接近。FEM/DEM 方法能够预测碎片云的形状作为防护罩厚度的函数，并进行了参数化研究以研究关键模型参数的敏感性。然后，针对双壁 Whipple 屏蔽和相应的等面积质量整体配置，确定速度从 1 到 14 km/s 的弹道极限曲线。同样，FEM/DEM 方法的预测与文献结果接近。