SDE (System Design Evaluation), a small British independent defence technology company, which provides technical expertise covering platforms, munitions and weapon systems across the land, sea and air domains, today reveals its success with a new and groundbreaking capability which assists the analysis and therefore optimisation of the design and performance of munitions. SDE has employed hydrocode simulation techniques to model ‘ballistic soap’, which allows the company to evaluate the behaviour and effectiveness of projectiles at the earliest stages of the design and development process – well ahead of prototype or pre-production manufacture and live firing trials. In addition therefore, the process offers real savings both in time and money.
SDE’s hydrocode simulation reacts to projectile penetration in a very similar way to soft tissue and the resultant analysis can be used to predict kinetic energy transferred to the target, dimensions of the residual cavity, in-block yaw characteristics of the projectile and projectile fragmentation. As an example of the benefits, if there are multiple permutations or different iterations of a particular calibre munition, SDE can differentiate between the various options and assist in the down-selection and short-listing of those which will perform most effectively.
SDE’s Business Development Manager, Steve Mannings says, “We are aware of some similar work which has been undertaken using hydrocode techniques, but we believe that, certainly as a small specialist technology firm, we are the first people to be able to provide this area of highly specialist technical support to the international ballistics and munitions sector.
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Download free sample pages More information“We have already successfully employed our capability in support of a manufacturer which has allowed rapid evolution of their projectile design from concept to manufacture. We were able to assist design optimisation and importantly, close off concepts which were likely to offer very limited performance improvement early on in the process”, says Mannings.
