Assessment of Heated Reverse Taylor Cylinder Experiments for the Calibration of Tantalum Strength Models

A series of heated reverse Taylor impact experiments using an improved experimental heating and alignment system have been undertaken with our partners at the University of Oxford. Multiple combinations of flyer velocity and temperature in the 100-200m/s and 300-1000K respective ranges were combined to probe the individual and interdependent effects of strain-rate and temperature on tantalum targets. This talk discusses the interpretation of the velocimetry and high speed photography data obtained, in comparison to Lagrangian hydrocode simulations, to assess the ability of existing strength models to capture the deformation behaviour of tantalum in these strain-rate and temperature regimes. A particular emphasis is put on assessing the performance of the PTW (Preston-Tonks-Wallace) strength model. UK Ministry of Defence © Crown Owned Copyright 2022/AWE.