Design and simulation analysis of new double annular shaped charge in an active protection system

The jet generated by a shaped charge during detonation is characterized by high velocity, temperature, and density, providing effective armor penetration capability. However, conventional conical shaped charges (CSC) produce jets with small diameters, resulting in highly localized damage and requiring high targeting accuracy, particularly when engaging small and fast-moving targets. Therefore, increasing the damage area while maintaining low collateral damage remains a significant challenge. In this study, a double annular shaped charge (DASC) configuration is proposed for potential application in active protection systems (APS) to intercept anti-tank missiles. Numerical simulations were performed using ANSYS/LS-DYNA to evaluate the damage performance and collateral effects of different configurations, including conical and single annular designs. The results demonstrate that the proposed double annular configuration can generate a significantly larger damage area while maintaining acceptable levels of collateral damage. Compared with conventional designs, the proposed configuration shows improved effectiveness against small and fast-moving targets. This design provides a promising approach for enhancing the operational capability of shaped charges and may offer new directions for future research and applications. It should be noted that the present work is limited to a computational feasibility study based on numerical simulations. Future work will focus on extending the simulation scope and conducting experimental validation to further assess and optimize the proposed concept.