Optimization of a silent mortar baseplate with increased ground contact area

Abstract

This study presents a parametric optimization of the outer aluminum baseplate of a silent mortar system to improve ground-contact performance while satisfying mass and structural safety constraints. To preserve the system architecture, only the outer baseplate was redesigned, whereas the inner steel baseplate remained unchanged. FEM-based optimization was performed in ANSYS Mechanical under equivalent static recoil loading to evaluate the effects of key geometric parameters on the Von Mises stress, deformation, and minimum safety factor. The optimized design achieved a mass of 5.9 kg, increased the ground-contact area by 53%, and improved the minimum safety factor by 9.8% compared with the original design. Field firing tests under identical soil conditions further reduced settlement by 44.4% after the first firing round and 40.5% after five consecutive rounds. The proposed design effectively improves ground-support capability without compromising structural integrity or operational mobility.