Drop Test Simulation

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Hello,

I am a Mechanical Engineering graduate student and I wish to simulate drop test of a human head form.

I have a few questions which I have enlisted below:
Can this kind of explicit dynamic simulation be carried out in COMSOL?
Which package supports this kind of simulation?
Is any specific license (Research/Academic, etc.) required?
Can we import a meshed geometry (model is meshed in Hypermesh) directly into COMSOL for analysis?

It would be of a great help if anybody could guide me on these.

Thanks,
Chandrika

2 Replies Last Post 18.11.2025, 14:37 GMT-5
COMSOL Moderator

Hello Chandrika Abhang

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Posted: 1 decade ago 21.10.2014, 06:12 GMT-4

Yes Chandrika: dynamic simulations can be done with COMSOL Multiphysics, but beware: this is done using an implicit time solver. This means that very high speed or high strain-rate simulations may be done with care and will be limited to subsonic velocities.

Sorry: no hypervelocity asteroid crash model available so far ;-)

There is no problem however for viscoelasticity (transient or harmonic loading) or low-to-moderate velocity impact for elastic or elasto-plastic materials.
A few published examples:

www.comsol.com/paper/impact-simulation-of-extreme-wind-generated-missiles-on-radioactive-waste-storag-15492

www.comsol.com/paper/simulation-of-impact-damage-in-a-composite-plate-and-its-detection-13003

For a simple example of the Mesh Import feature, please check out this model :

www.comsol.com/model/eigenvalue-analysis-of-a-crankshaft-986

--
www.comsol.fr
Yes Chandrika: dynamic simulations can be done with COMSOL Multiphysics, but beware: this is done using an implicit time solver. This means that very high speed or high strain-rate simulations may be done with care and will be limited to subsonic velocities. Sorry: no hypervelocity asteroid crash model available so far ;-) There is no problem however for viscoelasticity (transient or harmonic loading) or low-to-moderate velocity impact for elastic or elasto-plastic materials. A few published examples: http://www.comsol.com/paper/impact-simulation-of-extreme-wind-generated-missiles-on-radioactive-waste-storag-15492 http://www.comsol.com/paper/simulation-of-impact-damage-in-a-composite-plate-and-its-detection-13003 For a simple example of the Mesh Import feature, please check out this model : http://www.comsol.com/model/eigenvalue-analysis-of-a-crankshaft-986 -- www.comsol.fr

Jeff Hiller COMSOL Employee

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Posted: 10 hours ago 18.11.2025, 14:37 GMT-5

Starting at version 6.4, released today, the optional Structural Mechanics Module support explicit dynamics, for fast mechanical events problems such as drop tests. For an introduction to this new and exciting capability, see this page.

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Jeff Hiller
Starting at version 6.4, released today, the optional Structural Mechanics Module support explicit dynamics, for fast mechanical events problems such as drop tests. For an introduction to this new and exciting capability, see [this page](https://www.comsol.com/release/6.4/structural-mechanics-module).

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