Desktop Software for First Order Approximations of the Effects of Blast and Ballistic Impact on Vehicles

A fast, simple, desktop software tool that can predict, with a high degree of certainty, the effects of blast and ballistic events on ground combat vehicles is proposed. This effort builds upon past performance on and present work with advanced survivability algorithms to create a simple software interface that allows rapid user modeling and simulation to execute the necessary multiple iterations. Phase I efforts will focus on creating an integrated desktop software tool that will enable efficient calculation of (1) V50/VXX, and penetration effects of various projectiles in armor; (2) Crater dimensions from charge weight; (3) Pressure and impulse time histories for surface bursts; (4) Two dimensional blast forces with reflected pressure, impulse histories, and three dimensional plots and animations of the blast; (5) Exterior ballistics data; and (6) Plate deflection for homogenous materials, likelihood of plate fracture, and response of a virtual accelerometer anywhere within a modeled structure. Subsequent Phase II program efforts would optimize software performance, and verify and validate the desktop software using existing unclassified ballistic test data to specified performance levels.