Injury and death to armored passenger-vehicle occupants and ground personnel from explosive shock waves

Abstract

This study evaluated the risks for injury and death to occupants from blast waves to the side and underbody of an armored passenger-vehicle and to ground personnel from free-field blast waves. The Kingery-Bulmash empirical relationships for explosive shock waves were augmented by the Swisdak empirical relations for stand-off distances up to Z = 39.8 m/kg1/3 to tabulate shock-wave characteristics using the Friedlander wave-shape. A 15 kg, hemispherical explosion was analyzed in detail for the shock wave velocity and compression of air behind the wave front. An armored SUV was analyzed with Z = 1.6 m/kg1/3 (4 m) standoff distance from pressure loading on the near-side, far-side and underbody. The rigid body displacement was 0.36 m and 7.8° yaw for a side loading. When a segment of the occupant compartment accelerates inward, there are risks for injury from the intrusion. Energy is transferred to the occupant by deformation of their body (Ed) and by velocity increasing the kinetic energy of the body region (Ek). Body deformation injures an occupant by exceeding the tolerable compression (crush mechanism) or exceeding the rate-dependent tolerance, which is defined by the rate times the extent of compression (viscous mechanism). The risk for injury and death to ground personnel was analyzed for free-field blast waves by stand-off distance and TNT weight. A 15 kg charge posed a 99% risk of death at 3.9 m, 50% risk at 5.2 m, 1% risk at 7.8 m and injury threshold at 8.2 m. A 100 kg charge posed a 99% risk of death at 8.5 m, 50% risk at 11.6 m, 1% risk at 17.3 m and injury threshold at 18.0 m. The study describes the steps to analyze blast loading of an armored passenger-vehicle for risks of occupant injury. It describes the steps to analyze injury risks to ground personnel from blast wave pressure.