Blast Mitigation Team

Romesh Batra: High-performance multiscale mathematical and computational modeling of high strain rate, large strain, and elevated temperature phenomena

S.W. Case: Durability-based design and lifetime assessment of composite materials and structures

J.J. Lesko: Design, rapid manufacturing and characterization of structural composite systems

R.C. Moffitt: Polymer and composite processing

Goals

• Develop inexpensive lightweight low-cost structures to safeguard civilian and defense assets against blast loads (thermo-mechanical shocks, high energy directed threats).
• Identify anticipated threats and devise techniques to mitigate them.
• Learn socio-economic and other factors (e.g. upbringing, education, job opportunities) that promote persons to engage in life-threatening events.
• Educate and train personnel in identifying likely threatening events, evacuating people quickly, safely, and providing emergency medical help and counseling.

Current Project: Analysis of Injuries in Persons Wearing Soft Body Armor due to Impact Loads

Simulation of a projectile impacting a soft body armor (Batra et al. (2007)

Fig. from Roberts et al., JHU APL Tech. Digest (2005)

Model of soft body armor,

skin, ribs and soft tissue behind ribs

Publication: G. M. Zhang, R. C. Batra and J. Zheng, Effect of Frame Size, Frame Type, and Clamping Pressure on the Ballistic Performance of Soft Body Armor, Composites B (in press, available online).

Project recently completed:Blast Resistant Light-Weight Laminated Composites

Objectives: Develop a science based tool to optimally design blast resistant marine composites.

Approach:  Use thermodynamically consistent material and geometric nonlinear theory of internal variables to account for energy dissipated due to different failure mechanisms, and determine optimum values of parameters.

Work Completed: Have developed, verified and validated a 3-D FE code to analyze transient finite deformations of a laminated composite structure subjected to explosive loads, and ascertained the effect of material, geometric and damage parameters on energy dissipated.

Relevance:  The developed mechanics  based tool will enable engineers design lightweight blast resistant structures.

Publications:

• Blast Resistance of Unidirectional Fiber Reinforced Composites, Composites B (in press; available on line)
• Response of Fiber Reinforced Composites to Underwater Explosive Loads, Composites B, 38, 448-468, 2007.
• Modeling Damage Development in Polymeric Composites, Composites B (in press, available online)