Characterization of the Blast Simulator elastomer material using a pseudo-elastic rubber model

To investigate the response of large scale structures to blast loading in laboratory conditions it is important to design and verify the performance of mechanical devices that are able to produce such impulsive loading on structures. An important component of the UCSD Blast Simulator is the hydraulic rams, which incorporate an Adiprene L-100 elastomer at the front in order to apply tailored impulsive loads similar to those observed in explosive events. The material behavior of this elastomer needs to be characterized for the purpose of performing LS-DYNA simulations. Since the range of strains and strain rates experienced during Blast Simulator testing is relatively narrow, and computational cost is a priority, a pseudo-elastic, tabulated, LS-DYNA rubber model was chosen. This model incorporates a particular formulation of Ogden hyperelasticity, where rate effects on the loading response are handled in a simplified manner, and unloading is considered separately through a damage function. This rubber model is characterized using quasi-static and Drop Tower tests, and then validated by performing LS-DYNA simulations of an actual Blast Simulator test series.