Computational evaluation of some lower limbs protective systems under explosive loading

Universidad de los Andes, Mechanical Engineering Department, Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract

Different types of protective equipment for human lower limb, such as boots and gaiters, have been developed in order to reduce the injury caused by blast antipersonnel-mines. Damage is mainly studied by the energy transmitted to the extremity that has stepped on the mine; nonetheless, side effects that may affect adjacent limbs cannot be left aside. This study is divided into three stages due to the complexity in modeling the different phenomena related to the problem. The first stage is the study of the energy transmitted when a mine is activated. Different results are gathered according to the variation of parameters such as: deep of burial, standoff between ground and protective equipment, explosive mass, energy absorbing material placed between the ground and the protected limb, and computational issues like the distance of the boundary conditions and the discretization level. The second stage is the base and first approximation to the modeling and evaluation of lower limb behavior. It includes the interaction of the detonation products and a lower limb that is placed in a mechanical measuring device. The energy transferred to the mechanical device is correlated to the damage caused by the explosion products in an attempt to validate previously experimental data. Finally, in the third stage, the side effect on the lower contiguous leg is assessed: pressure and temperature measures are taken at different distances according to the human pace in order to evaluate the worst-case scenario. The first and third stages propose different material arrangements or configurations to reduce the energy transmitted to the mechanical device and to mitigate damage caused to the contiguous limb respectively. All the three stages are simulated using two-dimensional (2D) hydrocode Ansys AUTODYN ® and material previously reported in literature.