Numerical Simulation of Light Armoured Vehicle Occupant Vulnerability to Anti-Vehicle Mine Blast

An ongoing program at Defence R&D Canada to reduce the vulnerability of Light Armoured Vehicle (LAVs) to anti-vehicular blast mines is relying heavily on numerical simulation to help design and optimize add-on armour systems. One of the greatest challenges faced during the evaluation of the vulnerability of a given vehicle to blast mines is not only assessing the structural response of the vehicle but also evaluating the injuries sustained by the vehicle occupants due to the accelerations induced by the blast. Anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs such as the Hybrid III) are used in the experimental program but these human surrogates were developed specifically for automotive crash tests. The loading conditions observed during a mine detonation, particularly where there is a breach in the hull of the vehicle, are such that extensive damage can be caused to the ATD. In addition, placing more than 2 or 3 ATDs in a vehicle is prohibitively expensive. As a result, the use of ATDs is somewhat limited. Numerical techniques allow any number of vehicle occupants to be simulated even in scenarios where there is potentially catastrophic failure of the hull. This paper presents the results of a series of simulations performed with LS-DYNA. A finite element model of the Canadian Cougar AVGP LAV, previously validated against experimental data for mine blast, was modified to include details of the rear crew compartment. The vehicle occupants were modelled using the GEBOD simplified ATD model incorporated in LS-DYNA. A simulated blast from a 6-kg C-4 mine surrogate was used to load the vehicle model. The predicated accelerations and velocities for various parts of the GEBOD dummies were compared to injury threshold criteria.