Head Impact Modeling to Support a Rotational Combat Helmet Drop Test

Abstract

The Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH) military specification (mil-spec) provides blunt impact acceleration criteria that must be met before use by the U.S. warfighter. The specification, which requires a helmeted magnesium Department of Transportation (DOT) headform to be dropped onto a steel hemispherical target, results in a translational headform impact response. Relative to translations, rotations of the head generate higher brain tissue strains. Excessive strain has been implicated as a mechanical stimulus leading to traumatic brain injury (TBI). We hypothesized that the linear constrained drop test method of the ACH specification underreports the potential for TBI.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Sep 11, 2021
Source ID
10.1093/milmed/usab374

Entities

People

  • Alice Lux Fawzi
  • Chad Hovey
  • Christian Franck
  • Rika Wright Carlsen
  • Ron Szalkowski
  • Ryan Terpsma
  • Sushant Malave

Organizations

  • Brown University
  • Office of Naval Research
  • Robert Morris University
  • Sandia National Laboratories
  • University of Wisconsin–Madison

Tags

Readers

  • Mathematics or Statistics
  • Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics of Materials.
  • Neurotrauma and Rehabilitation Medicine.