Loitering munitions can be considered a disruptive technology and a non-traditional ranged weapon. Filling the role between cruise missiles and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), they possess the low operational and procurement costs of UCAVs while obtaining the capabilities of cruise missiles. As with other aerial vehicles, loitering munitions were designed with weight optimization in mind. Weight optimization can be achieved by using lightweight composite materials, such as carbon-fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP). Due to its high strength-to-weight ratio, however, CFRP can potentially dampen the explosive power of a loitering munition’s warhead. Thus, it lowers its damage performance significantly. This paper aims to investigate the effect of composite parameters, namely the type of fibers, fiber directions, and overall composite thickness on the damage performance of loitering munitions. The HESA Shahed 136 model, equipped with a high-explosive warhead, is used for analysis in this paper. The parameters used to assess damage performance are the damage dissipation energy absorbed by the composite shell and the maximum velocity generated by the explosion. We performed sensitivity analysis by varying various material parameters. The simulation results show that the CFRP shell indeed dampens the explosion and therefore, it is very critical to design the monocoque with suitable material properties and dimensions.
Sensitivity Analysis of CFRP Monocoque Structural Response Subjected to Loitering Munition Explosion
Springer Proceedings Phys.
International Seminar on Aerospace Science and Technology ; 2024 ; Bali, Indonesia September 17, 2024 - September 17, 2024
Proceedings of the 10th International Seminar on Aerospace Science and Technology; ISAST 2024; 17 September, Bali, Indonesia ; Chapter : 44 ; 412-421
2025-02-15
10 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
Explosion , Loitering Munition , Suicide Drone , Composite , Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Physics , Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics, Space Exploration and Astronautics) , Aerospace Technology and Astronautics , Climate, general , Ecology , Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology , Measurement Science and Instrumentation , Physics and Astronomy
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