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James Capouellez, Kari Drotleff, Gregory Wolfe, Alan Cichosz, Floyd Helsel, Andrew Mikaila, US Army, Research
Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM), Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center
(TARDEC), 6501 E. 11 Mile Rd, Warren MI, 48397 (586) 282-8541
Joseph R. Pickens and Robert W. Semelsberger Jr., Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC), 100 CTC Drive,
Johnstown, PA, 15904 (814) 269-2783
Steve Kerr, GS Engineering, Inc., 47500 US Hwy 41, Houghton, Mi 49931 (906) 482-1235
Ed Wettlaufer, Altair Engineering, Inc., 1820 e. Big Beaver, Troy, MI 48083 (248) 614-2400
Pierre Massoud and Julie Wood, World Technical Services, Inc (WTSI), 2301 W. Big Beaver Rd, Suite 921, Troy, MI
48084 (586) 698-0762
Brett Barringer, AVL, 47519 Halyard drive, Plymouth, MI, 48170 (734) 414-9668
ABSTRACT
U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development
and Engineering Center (TARDEC) technology has been
developed, tested and proven to meet M-ATV current
mine blast requirements with commercial seats and
current HMMWV crushbases. TARDEC achieved this
success by inventing a new vehicle underbody shape to
mitigate most of the energy produced by the mine [1].
The shapes effectiveness is increased by combining high
strength aluminum alloys with friction stir welding to
provide high strength yet extremely elastic welds, and
honeycomb material and composites to further eliminate
energy transferred to the crew. To make the technology
more applicable for military needs/requirements, a
concerted effort focused on making the vehicle lighter,
lower, provide better ergonomics, and minimize
sustainment/life cycle costs. TARDEC developed a
software program to optimize weight, height, and interior
volume yet maintain superior mine blast performance, as
demonstrated by TARDEC previously. State of the art
armor and structural material such as ceramics,
composites, and honeycomb materials were utilized to
further reduce the weight of the vehicle.
The Optimized Light Tactical Vehicle (O-LTV) has
undergone preliminary mine blast finite element analysis
that has shown that the structure should be able to survive
a blast 4 that is four times the threshold requirement for
the M-ATV (this analysis does not include the energy
absorption kit installed under the vehicle, which should
provide additional mine-blast protection). Weight studies
have indicated that it is possible to produce this type of
light tactical vehicle (LTV) at a combat vehicle weight
with full payload less than 15,400 lbs with frag kit 5
(FK5), FK7, and M-ATV underbody protection. No light
tactical vehicle in the US military now or in the near
future has the mine blast performance as demonstrated by
TARDEC. Perhaps most importantly, TARDEC has
developed a new design philosophy that may enable the
US military to keep that completive edge where it counts
most, on the battlefield.
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Profiled Pin
Shoulder
Workpiece
Anvil
Stir Zone
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