Non-Spherical Blast in a Cluttered Environment

To ensure that we are providing our warfighters with the best possible weapon systems to defend the United States a great deal of effort is undertaken to maximize their survivability.  Maximizing the survivability involves determining the actual effects of weapon systems likely to be used against the aircraft and changing the aircraft to negate those effects.  This process includes testing, physics based structural/dynamic simulation, as well as functional simulation using empirical models.  The current technique for simulating blast in a Lagrangian physics based simulation, is much better than previous options, and is compatible with empirically based function survivability tools.  Unfortunately, this method in LS-DYNA is still deficient in that it cannot account for reflections in an enclosed space nor can it account for shadowing of structure by other structure.  In order to ensure that our troops have the most survivable systems available to them, simulations and testing need to have all of the rigor our warfighters deserve and run in time frame that delivers the systems they need when they need them.  RHAMM Technologies, LLC is well positioned to fully develop the capability to achieve realistic blast pressures in a Lagrangian simulation. BENEFITS: To ensure that we are providing our warfighters with the best possible weapon systems to defend the United States, a great deal of effort is undertaken to maximize the lethality and in the case of a reusable weapon system like an aircraft or UAV, to maximize the survivability.  Survivability has two components: susceptibility and vulnerability.  An aircraft is susceptible if an enemy weapon system can see and successfully cause the weapon system to interact with the aircraft in a detrimental manner.  An aircraft is vulnerable if the successful weapon system interaction can cause the aircraft to abort its mission or prevent it from returning to base.  To maximize the ability of an aircraft to complete its mission or return to base, every new or modified aircraft must go through some process of survivability or live fire testing.  This process involves determining the actual effects of weapon systems likely to be used against the aircraft and changing the system to negate those effects.  This process includes testing, physics based structural/dynamic simulation, as well as functional simulation using empirical models.  In order to ensure that our troops have the safest, most survivable, and most lethal weapon systems available to them, we must ensure that we get the most out of the testing and simulations that we perform.  The simulations and testing need to have all of the rigor our warfighters deserve and run in time frame that delivers the systems they need when they need them.       RHAMM Technologies, LLC., with its modeling and simulation expertise in the area of aircraft survivability, is well positioned to fully develop the capability to achieve realistic blast pressures in a completely Lagrangian simulation.  We will do this by extending the ACE-like LS-DYNA user defined load we''''ve developed previously to include blast reflections and shadows.        At the completion of Phase II, RHAMM Technologies, LLC will have developed and demonstrated software that will allow realistic blast pressures in a completely Lagrangian LS-DYNA simulation.  This software will be offered to LSTC through lease or sale to be included in LS-DYNA or sold as a standalone package for use by other LS-DYNA analysts looking at the effects of non-spherical blasts on structures.  The intellectual capital that will be amassed through the completion of this work will also be used by RHAMM to obtain and complete additional contracts of a related nature.