Dynamic Structural Assessment of Blast Wall Designs on Military-Based Vehicle Using Explicit Finite Element Approach

Abstract

Explosion load studies are an essential part of shield engineering design. This is especially true for explosion-proof plates, which are used in order to reduce the impact of explosions, which have the potential to cause substantial damage to structural elements. The purpose of this study is to detail the explosion phenomenon and the response of sandwich panel structures under explosive loading. The finite element method (FEM) is used to model the dynamic structural response to explosions. Explicit finite element modeling and analysis are performed using ABAQUS CAE software. An air explosion simulation code is used to determine the blast load on the lower skin plate of a test panel on a typical armored personnel vehicle. Structural analysis is carried out with respect to displacement, von-Mises stress, and internal kinetic energy. Three variations of explosive loads are considered in the simulation in order to better compare the responses of the structures. Three different design variants and materials are considered, including honeycomb, stiffener, and corrugated geometric models and mild steel, medium carbon steel, and alloy steel materials. The results provided by this study pave the way toward the development of guidelines for the design of lightweight structural reinforcement elements.