Kind of an of odd thought, came up during a discussion about a war game. What effect would a very high speed projectile (a sci-fi rail gun was the weapon in question) have on a sealed environment (say, a tank).
The two theories put forth were that either the projectile would simply go through everything, leaving a nice hole through it.
The other theory said that the shock wave from the slug would do rather bad things to everything inside, and then would pull what was left out through the exit hole, creating quite a mess.
So, my question… what would this theoretical very high velocity shot do to a sealed environment like a tank?
It depends on the material the projectile is made of, and the material it is striking. This isn’t a cop out - it’s perfectly possible that a projectile made form certain types might shatter upon impact. Maybe others would go straight through, depending on shape and composition. It is really impossible to tell without more details.
I’d think it would make the seals upset, at the very least.
You do not want to see the results of a high-speed penetrator on the innards of a tank. It will effect your appetite for quite some time.
One of the best way to kill a tank and its crew is to send a very heavy, very fast uranium sabotted penetrator through it. It looks like a crude dart about as long as your forearm and works just like your railgun round.
It hits the armor and at the very point of impact creates so much pressure as to create insane amounts of heat (albeit in a small place) and forces its way through the armor. This creates a shock wave that deforms the armor. Sometimes this deformation is enough to create 'spall. This is a mess of very hot, very sharp flakes of metal that fly around the crew compartment at great speed slicing and dicing until they run out of energy.
There is not good way to ensure the creation of spall. it is a sometimes thing.
The penetrator continues its way through the armor and then breaks through the other side. This (always) creates “after-armor effects.” One of these is a whole lot of bits of metal displaced by the penetrator entering the crew compartment and killing anyone in it. Another effect of a uranium is a pyrotechnic effect. Small bits of the metal catch fire. (Not that this matters too much, everyone who sees this close-up is already dead.) This fire might ignite unprotected ammunition in the crew compartment.
The ammunition would then create a low-order detonation (from the propellant) that would then start a high-order detonation of the filler (if any is present). In any case think of lots of fire and lots of pressure in a very small place.
The penetrator then enters the open space and passes through it. Maybe it will not hit anything vital. But then again what is in the crew compartment that is not vital? (Over the loader’s head, past the gunner’s elbow, just missing the commander’s knee and then out the other side? Come on!)
The penetrator then leaves. At its best, the crew is dead from the massive pressure and heat. At its worse, they are chopped into mince and then cooked by the resulting fire.
Sometimes the entire crew is buried in one grave.
alright, for this, assume a solid slug that doesn’t shatter and goes through.
good point though.
… ouch.
Not that i need much more description like that, but any idea what would happen if the projectile just straight through?
I swear I’m not doubting your description in the slightest, but can I ask whether you got this info from personal experience or another source?
Good description, Paul in Saudi.
There are only a couple things I’d like to add. Spallation occurs when the reflected wave from the free surface (tension) interacts with the oncoming pressure wave (tension). When the projectile is perfectly perpendicular to the target, the chance of spallation is maximized. Also, some warheads have a shaped charge that forces a plasma jet into the target right before impact. In this case, molten metal is still spewed inside the compartment, but it is less of a technical spallation and more of a “splash”, if you will, with the same results.
There’s really no chance of the projectile “just going straight through”. If there’s enough kinetec energy to drive a slug of depleted uranium through plate armour, there’s enough kinetic energy for all the events Paul described to take place.
You’re right, I wouldn’t want to see the results. Your description caused sufficient queasiness, thank you.