Hyper Velocity Impact - Damage Assessment System (HVI-DAS)

A device is proposed that can track the electrical charge dispersion that is created when hyper velocity impact (HVI) occurs between two entities with a closing velocity greater than 1 km per second. This same device can measure the time of arrival of the charge wave front at transducers placed throughout the vehicle. Using the known speed of light minus the reactive effects of the skin of the vehicle on the "charge", the system can calculate the exact point of impact. Further, the nature of the charge dispersal wave front contains critical information as to the damage incurred as a result of the HVI. This information along with AE waveforms will be tested and analyzed to determine signatures for various types of damage created by HVI events.