Design of controlled rupture structure for safe vector ejection

The design of structures, which have a controlled rupture, is a topic of interest of both civil and military industry and the definition of design guidelines and criteria can be helpful for future configurations. Automotive, aerospace and defence study solutions can be useful to meet the high-performance requirements of lightness and safety, and more the latest studies concerning composite materials and the relative fracture micromechanics can help to achieve these targets. The research activity of this work is focused on the numerical analysis with the aim to design a possible part for new Maritime Firing Tubes. In particular the design of new tailgate configuration was studied considering the correct structure fragmentation to ensure a clear ejection, while reducing the weight of the panels by exploiting the characteristics of the composite material. The goal of this research is the development of a scientific and methodological approach to the study of controlled rupture structure for the design and optimization of launcher tailgate. An innovative concept of hatch composed by just one carbon resin composite laminate is studied and by varying the geometric configuration it is possible to optimize the breaking path and the contact force. The complex geometry of the hatch, the high impulsive load, the energy transferred during the impact between a sort of missile and hatch, and the ways of safely breaking large flaps of panels are elements that have characterized the dimensioning of the composite in order to satisfy the stringent requirements about the ejection event in a missile lifecycle during its own firing. The focus is the evaluation of the material fragmentation behavior and element deletion followed by excessive deformation in controlled fragments closely distributed around one or several specific sizes in presence of high-speed environment.