Physics Based Modeling of Supersonic Rain Erosion and Material Response of Missile Radomes

The development of missile technology and systems will benefit greatly from a capability to simulate the dynamic particulate impact event(s) about the surface of the radome/shroud under aerodynamic flight conditions. An effort to develop a material response and erosion model for radomes/shrouds is proposed. The effort will identify gaps in the existing technology and database and will focus on the polyimide composite AFRPE4. This is advantageous since it is a material that performs well at elevated temperatures and loads in flight and is being considered for many different applications by MDA as an integral structural as well as an electromagnetic transparency component. The approach described will demonstrate the viability of the concept to incorporate continuum damage mechanics theory into an FEA code to model, simulate, and analyze the behaviour of the material while being impacted at supersonic velocities. Currently this capability does not exist. This effort will leverage ongoing development efforts to model composites and brittle ceramics subject to impact from raindrops and projectile. The effort will ultimately demonstrate and develop an erosion code for any composite radome/shroud material that will be directly interfaceable with the existing ATAC-3D code.