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Investigation of Brass Tubes as Energy Damper in the Underbody Blast Environment

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Biomedical Engineering.
In the US involvement in Iraq from October 2001-January 2005, 79% of wounds in combat were sustained from an explosive mechanism, the highest proportion ever seen in any large-scale conflict. Of that 79%, nearly half of combatants sustained injuries from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Studies have been done in the laboratory setting to mimic the underbody blast (UBB) event but damages to the pelvis were greatly worsened and injuries to the lumbar spine were minimized in comparison to real world injuries, likely due to the unpadded nature of the testing seat. The objective of this thesis is to identify a potential method to dissipate the energy transmitted vertically through a soldier’s seat in the UBB testing scenario. DeRuntz and Hodge introduced the idea of using a brass tube to dissipate force between two plates which was shown to be able to absorb the kinetic energy of a moving mass. Seven different 260 brass tubes, with varying diameters and thicknesses, were compressed radially on a drop tower at differing speeds, lengths, and compression levels. Maximum force (N) and time-to-peak (TTP) were measured for each test, with the best performing tubes having the lowest maximum force values and the highest TTP. The optimal tube design to minimize force while maximizing TTP was a 2” diameter, 0.032” thick tube placed within a 3” diameter, 0.049” thick tube. A rigid seat was then designed, with four sets of said concentric brass tubes situated between two aluminum plates, with appropriate latch and rail systems, and accelerometers attached to the plates. The seat was tested under three speed conditions on the drop tower. Results show brass tubes have promising applications as a force dampener. Future work should be done to further minimize force and optimize the design of the seat before use in post mortem human surrogate (PMHS) UBB testing.
John Bolte, IV (Advisor)
Yun-Seok Kang (Committee Member)
87 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Seidel, L. A. (2017). Investigation of Brass Tubes as Energy Damper in the Underbody Blast Environment [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492605643550189

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Seidel, Laura. Investigation of Brass Tubes as Energy Damper in the Underbody Blast Environment. 2017. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492605643550189.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Seidel, Laura. "Investigation of Brass Tubes as Energy Damper in the Underbody Blast Environment." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492605643550189

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)