To investigate the role of wave shapers in small-caliber shaped charges, the effects of aligning wave shaper parameters with those of center-holed liners on detonation product leakage and jet penetration performance were studied. Based on the regular oblique reflection theory of detonation waves, quantitative relationships between wave shaper parameters and detonation wave initial incident angles/pressure distributions at various positions on the liner surface were derived. Systematic analysis using LS-DYNA software was conducted to reveal the influence patterns of wave shaper diameter and height on jet formation and penetration performance. The results show that adding wave shapers to center-holed liners effectively increases the collapse pressure on the liner, suppresses detonation product leakage, enhances energy utilization efficiency, and improves jet penetration performance. Jet penetration capability initially increases and then decreases with the increasing wave shaper diameter. Wave shaper height exhibits a multi-extremum response effect on jet performance. The largest penetration depth of 158.17 mm into 45 steel targets was achieved with a wave shaper diameter of 6 mm and a height of 4 mm, representing a 17.21% improvement compared to structures without wave shapers. These findings offer valuable insights for designing small-caliber shaped charge warheads.

In order to improve the penetration capability of the shaped charge warhead to the water-containing composite structure, a truncated cone-sphere combined liner was designed, and its jet forming motion law in the water medium and the damage performance to the water-containing composite structure were explored by numerical simulation. It is found that in the process of penetrating the water-containing composite structure, the truncated cone-sphere combined liner has a larger jet length and a higher jet head velocity compared with the sub-hemisphere-sphere combined liner and the U-shaped-sphere combined liner. It also has the smallest cavity channel formed in the water medium and the radial expansion velocity of the water medium and the largest residual kinetic energy and jet velocity after the penetrated target plate. The influence of structural parameters such as cone angle α, height h, side wall thickness a₁ and top wall thickness a₂ on the jet shape and penetration performance of the truncated cone-spherical combined liner was investigated by simulation, and a orthogonal optimization test was designed. It is found that the influence of these structural parameters on the jet penetration performance decreases in the order of: the cone angle α, height h, side wall thickness a₁, and top wall thickness a₂. When α=26°, h=22 mm, a₁=4.0 mm, and a₂=3.2 mm, the penetration performance of the truncated cone-sphere combined liner is superior, and the residual kinetic energy of the jet in penetrating the after-effect target is 136.2 kJ. This study provides a valuable reference for the design of shaped torpedo warhead and the improvement of torpedo warhead damage power.