Optimization of Joint Design for Side Panel of A Military Vehicle for Shock Reduction
Dr. Mohamed Trabia, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Dr. Brendan O'Toole, UNLV
Dr. Samaan Ladkany, UNLV
Dr. Jinhua Huang, UNLV

Abstract:
Military vehicle is a crucial component of modern warfare. These vehicles can be subjected to significant damage due to transient loads such as impact of a projectile or blast loading. Electronic components within the vehicle can fail due to these shocks, which can limit the effectiveness of the vehicle, especially in combat situations.

This paper proposes designing joints between the various components of the vehicle to reduce transmitted shock from one section of the vehicle to another.

A finite element model of the vehicle including the joint is created. The model is in a parametric form such that mesh is regenerated whenever one of the geometry of the joint changes. In this paper, the variables describing geometry of the joint between the side panel and the remainder of the vehicle are the optimization search parameters. The vehicle is assumed to be subjected to an impact of a 0.5 kg mass at 970 m/s. The objective function of the optimization is the acceleration measure at various critical points such as the commander location, driver location, and instrumentation panel. Results show marked improvement of the transmitted acceleration measures.

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