A Comparative Study of Modeling Approaches for External Structures in Mine Blast Simulations of an Armored Military Vehicle

External structures are known to be critical in ensuring the protection of occupants in military vehicles during mine blast events. There are variety of modelling approaches that can be employed to represent external structures in mine blast simulations of armored military vehicles. This study aims to present an accurate configuration considering the modelling efforts and tight project schedules by comparing different modeling techniques applied to external structures, such as add-on armor plates and other external subsystem components. A whole vehicle finite element model is utilized for an on-going research and development project to evaluate the effectiveness of these modeling approaches by comparing simulation results with live fire test data of Hybrid III dummy and plastic deformations of the hull structure. The findings emphasize that the modelling approach of not only primary protective structures but also other external components significantly contributes to better representation of the tests. Configurations featuring accurately modeled external structures demonstrate improved accuracy in occupant safety assessment. The outcomes of the study contribute to enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the conceptual design phase by providing faster and relatively reliable finite element solutions, specifically in terms of representing external structures in the simulations.