Testing of an Inertial Reference System Concept to Measure Blast-Induced Displacements of Vehicles.
Abstract
This work is the first phase of a project to develop an inertial reference system to measure the displacement of military vehicles exposed to a blast wave in large shock tubes or high-explosive simulations of nuclear weapons. Experimental data describing the movement of military vehicles by blast is required for survivability assessments of such vehicles and for validation of computer models predicting their movement. The sensor array selected for tracking six degrees-of-freedom vehicle movement consisted of three linear accelerometers and three angular rate sensors. For a preliminary evaluation of an inertial reference system using such a sensor array, the capability of two accelerometers and one rate sensor to track displacement and rotation in a plane was investigated. A test facility was designed and constructed to simulate the overturning of a vehicle by blast. Off-the-shelf gages were obtained and placed on the rotating component of the test facility, and overturning tests were conducted. A data reduction program was written to predict the trajectory of the sensor array from the gage readings for comparison with that which actually occurred. The results showed that such a sensor array tracked overturning through 90 degrees and displacement for about two metres with acceptable errors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA194693
Entities
People
- Lisa A. Dixon
- Noel H. Ethridge
- Willis F. Jackson.