Abstract All spacecraft in Earth orbit are exposed to the risk of impact with micrometeoroids and orbital debris. When such particles have enough energy to penetrate the hull of the vehicle, clouds of fragments are ejected into spacecraft and they can eventually compromise the functionality of various components encountered in their flight path. Knowledge of the clouds׳ properties (e.g. fragments mass and velocity) is therefore a key factor to obtain accurate predictions of the response of interior equipment to space debris threat. However, generation and evolution of debris clouds from hypervelocity impact is a complex phenomenon governed by a large number of parameters, and existing models mostly refer to fragments originated by impact on simple aluminum plates only, while the models available for sandwich panels do not provide information on the fragments mass. In such context, this paper presents an engineering model describing debris clouds created by space debris impacts on honeycomb sandwich panels representative of satellites structural bodies. The model describes the cloud as a cone with one large central fragment and several finely fragmented particles which behave like a jet of dust, and it provides a set of empirical equations predicting the cone geometry, the velocity and mass of the central fragment, as well as the total mass ejected downrange. The proposed equations are derived from analogous formulas for debris clouds originated by impacts on simple aluminum plates, by applying proper corrections to account for different materials effects and different behavior of sandwich panels compared to plates of same material. The model is finally evaluated by comparing its predictions with few experimental data on triple wall structures (sandwich panel plus internal equipment cover plate), where debris clouds exiting the panels’ rear skin are used to assess the failure of the third wall. In this latter case, the proposed model is also compared with the SRL equations.

    Highlights An engineering model for debris clouds from honeycomb sandwich panels is presented. The model predicts the cloud׳s geometry, total mass and average velocity of particles. The model predicts the size and speed of the largest fragment in the cloud. The model was successfully evaluated versus experimental data on triple wall structures. The model was successfully compared with the well known SRL equations.


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    Titel :

    An engineering model to describe fragments clouds propagating inside spacecraft in consequence of space debris impact on sandwich panel structures


    Beteiligte:
    Francesconi, A. (Autor:in) / Giacomuzzo, C. (Autor:in) / Feltrin, F. (Autor:in) / Antonello, A. (Autor:in) / Savioli, L. (Autor:in)

    Erschienen in:

    Acta Astronautica ; 116 ; 222-228


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    2015-07-09


    Format / Umfang :

    7 pages




    Medientyp :

    Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)


    Format :

    Elektronische Ressource


    Sprache :

    Englisch