Innovative Impact Energy Absorber Appliqué

Severe head and body trauma resulting from vehicular accidents and explosions is a major concern to the military. The objective of this Phase II effort is to develop and deliver quickly to the field, a cost effective Energy Absorbing (EA) appliqué for up-armored tactical vehicles. This EA applique would save lives and reduce serious casualties. Phase I of the project utilized LS-DYNA finite element modeling (FEM) to develop an innovative, high-performance, thin energy absorber based on aluminum honeycomb with blast resistant polyurea top skin. Our optimized EA applique outperformed three commercially available EA systems that were evaluated to the FMVSS 201u specification over a 3/8 inch cold rolled steel. We will use 19 evaluation criteria identified in Phase I to select the most cost effective EA solution for vehicle field tests and production. FEM capability will be developed to include a Free Motion Head Form (FMH) with standard Army issue helmets and full vehicle collisions or rollovers. Armor Holdings will provide TRI with detailed interior layouts, input on suitable surfaces for the appliqué, and assist with marketing and inclusion of this new technology in tactical vehicles. Full-vehicle crash tests will be conducted by an independent testing laboratory, MGA Research.