PENETRATION MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

WHEN METAL TARGETS ARE IMPACTED BY PROJECTILES, A CRATER PERFORATION OR THROUGH HOLE IS FORMED AND IT IS DESIREABLE TO MEASURE THE DEPTH OF THE ARCH, THE DIAMETER AND VOLUME OF THE CRATER AS A FUNCTION OF DEPTH. GENERALLY, THE LIPS OF THE CRATER WHICH ARE RAGGED, ARE ELEVATED ABOVE THE TARGET FACE AND THERE MAY BE PIECES OF THE FULL OR PARTIALLY BURIED PROJECTILE IN THE CRATER. SPARTA PROPOSES TO DEVELOP AND DEMONSTRATE A NOVEL, RAPID MEANS OF MEASURING CRATER GEOMETRY. THE APPROACH INVOLVES ULTRASONIC MEASUREMENTS IN A QUICK HARDENING "PLASTIC" COMPOUND CRATER FILLER. TRAVERSING ULTRASONIC HEAD WILL GENERATE A SONAR MAP OF A SLICE OF THE CRATER AND MULTIPLE SONAR ECHOES WILL DETERMINE THE CROSS SECTION AND LENGTH OF ANY PENETRATOR OR SPALL AS A FUNCTION OF CRATER LOCATION. THE DATA WOULD BE PROCESSED IN A PORTABLE COMPUTER WHICH WOULD DETERMINE CRATER CROSS SECTION AND VOLUME AUTOMATICALLY. THIS SYSTEM IS BASED ON EXPERIENCE BY THE AUTHOR ON THE MEASUREMENT OF CRATERS AND DAMAGE ON METALLIC AND NON METALLIC TARGETS UTILIZING ULTRASONIC GAGES IN CONJUNCTION WITH A QUICK SETTING CRATER FILLING COMPOUND. THE ACCURACY OF CRATER DEPTH MEASUREMENTS WILL BE IN ON THE ORDER OF 0.001 INCHES (0.0254 MM) WITH POSITIONING ACCURACY BEING A FUNCTION OF THE POSITIONING MECHANISM.