Case Study: TNO Prins Maurits Laboratory achieves advanced explosion, ballistics and blast simulation with ANSYS AUTODYN

TNO Prins Maurits Laboratory - Customer Case Study

TNO Prins Maurits Laboratory (TNO-PML) is a Netherlands defense research center specializing in explosion safety, munition effects, ballistic protection and platform survivability. To complement its experimental facilities, TNO-PML needed advanced numerical-analysis tools to simulate highly dynamic phenomena—shaped charges and KE projectiles, blast-wave injury biomechanics, water-filled barricades, structural blast effects, explosive processing and mineblast/fragment impacts—and selected ANSYS (using the AUTODYN solver) to address these challenges.

ANSYS AUTODYN was deployed across those applications, with TNO-PML developing user subroutines and working with Century Dynamics for custom material models and support. The ANSYS solution served as a virtual diagnostic system—allowing sensor placements not feasible in physical tests—expanded TNO-PML’s analysis capabilities for complex experiments, and improved accessibility for less-regular users through AUTODYN’s user-friendliness.

TNO Prins Maurits Laboratory

D.W. Hoffmans

Program Director