A non-explosive test method for generating wide area dynamic blast-type pressure pulse loading on armored panels

Abstract The ever-changing face of modern warfare drives the need for improved vehicle armor and the means of testing new protection systems. Test methods to-date have been based on explosive loading or using apparatus such as shock tubes and gas guns to produce representative loading. Each methodology comes with its own set of limitations, such as poor visibility and remote facilities required for explosive testing or limited impact area for the gas gun based methods. A new impact-based method has been developed to address some of these limitations by employing the UC San Diego Blast Simulator, a system composed of high-speed (up to 66 m/s) actuators and a tuned pressure pulse generating projectile. The system has been used to impact a wide area (406 × 406 mm) on large-sized (610 × 610 mm) armor panels at a specific impulse of 7520 Pa s. Panels tested using the non-explosive Blast Simulator were compared to panels subjected to actual blasts with C4 explosive. Metrics of interest were damage modes, extent of damage, and pressure pulse attenuation relative to steel. Results indicate similar damage modes but larger degree of internal damage for the actual blast-tested composite sandwich panels, but a similar level of permanent deformation for the steel panels. The sandwich panels exhibited up to 37% reduction in initial-average transmitted acceleration and 76% reductions in peak transmitted acceleration compared to steel armor panels, at a weight savings of up to 49%. This non-explosive test allows for generating consistent and repeatable wide area pressure pulse loads to facilitate performance comparison and optimization of armor panel designs.