Design and Construction of an In-Laboratory Novel Blast Wave Simulator
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Design and Construction of an In-Laboratory Novel Blast Wave Simulator E. Kochavi 1 & S. Gruntman 1 & G. Ben-Dor 1,2 & I. Sherf 1 & E. Meirovich 1 & B. Amir 1 & G. Shushan 3 & O.M. Sadot 1,2 Received: 19 December 2019 / Revised: 13 July 2020 / Accepted: 23 July 2020 # Society for Experimental Mechanics 2020
Abstract Background In spite of the worldwide recognition of the importance of testing blast effects on dummy humans, there is a lack of blast simulators that are capable of generating realistic blast conditions in the laboratory. Objective The objective of the present study was to design, construct and test a blast tube that is able to accurately reproduce loading histories of actual explosions in the laboratory. Methods The design combines some advantages of existing blast-wave generating facilities. Using numerical simulations, a 5-m long blast tube was designed. The blast tube is large enough to enclose dummies including torso and head, wearing vests and/or helmets. Results The system generated blast waves equivalent to those of a spherical explosion of about 3.5 kg TNT with an over pressure of 0.64 bar and a positive phase of 4 ms. The repeatability of the experiments was very good. The blast tube’s open end is square of 1.57 m × 1.57 m and although designed for experiments on human dummies, it could be used for testing even full-scale structural components. High quality high-speed photography was demonstrated through the designed windows. Our preliminary study on the effect of a helmet on a dummy’s head revealed that the tested helmet amplified by a factor of 2 and more the peak pressure in the back side of the head. Conclusions The newly designed blast tube is capable of simulating close range blast waves, manifested with short positive durations. Experiments with and without helmets revealed the importance of blast testing for improving helmet design. Keywords Shock Wave . Blast Wave . Blast Simulator . LS-Dyna . Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) . Helmet
Introduction Blast induced trauma to human brain was reported for the first time by the neurologist Ibolja Cernak during the Balkan war in the 1990 s [1]. She noticed that soldiers who survived an explosion on the battlefield and suffered no direct injury to the head, suffered from memory deficits, dizziness, speech
E. Kochavi is on Sabbatical Leave from NRCN, Beer Sheva, Israel * O. M. Sadot [email protected] 1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
2
Pearlstone Center for Aeronautical Engineering Studies, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
3
Ground Forces Technology Unit, Israel Defense Forces, Tel Aviv, Israel
problems and difficulties with decision making. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed signs of inner damage to the brain. At the time, the medical literature had no explanation for this phenomenon. Her research drew attention only in 2006 when hundreds of U.S. and British soldiers beg
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