One-piece whipple shield impact protection structure textile composite and method of making

Abstract

This invention relates to a one-piece molded Whipple's Shield impact protection structure textile composite material and its preparation method. The product comprises, from top to bottom, an impact-facing fabric layer, a spacer fabric layer, and a back fabric layer. The impact-facing fabric layer is a single-layer or multi-layer fabric, with adjacent layers bonded together by resin. The spacer fabric layer is a hollow multi-layer structure consisting of a top layer, a bottom layer, and a spacer layer. The back fabric layer is also a multi-layer fabric, with adjacent layers bonded together by resin. The spaces between the impact-facing fabric layer and the top layer of the spacer fabric layer, as well as between the bottom layer of the spacer fabric layer and the back fabric layer, are filled with resin. Resin is impregnated between the back fabric layer, the spacer fabric layer, and the impact-facing fabric layer using a vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process. After impregnation, the vacuum is removed, and the product is cured and demolded to obtain the final product. This invention features a simple preparation method; the product has high energy absorption, low specific gravity, high damage tolerance, and good impact protection performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of aerospace technology and relates to a one-piece molded Whipple shield impact protection structure textile composite material and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of the aerospace industry, space debris is gradually increasing, and the probability of spacecraft colliding with space debris and micrometeoroids during long-term space activities is also increasing, making the spacecraft's survival environment increasingly harsh. To improve the spacecraft's ability to protect against space debris, it is generally necessary to install protective structures to withstand high-speed impacts. Currently, the most commonly used space debris protection structure is the Whipple shield structure. The traditional Whipple shield is generally composed of multiple layers of metal plates, spaced apart on the outside of critical parts of the spacecraft to withstand high-speed impact damage from space debris or micrometeoroids. When the Whipple shield is impacted by space debris, both the Whipple shield and the space debris will undergo pulverization, forming a large number of small secondary debris clouds that then impact the spacecraft, dispersing the energy of the space debris into a large number of small fragments, reducing the damage to the spacecraft's outer walls. In the aerospace field, achieving lightweight structural design for spacecraft is particularly important for reducing energy consumption and costs. However, the density of the pure metal plate Whipple shield structure is relatively high, making it difficult to balance the requirements of both mass and strength. Therefore, current applied research on space debris protection structures mainly focuses on Whipple shield-filled structures or multi-layered structures, such as multi-layered panel structures and honeycomb sandwich structures, which have greater energy absorption and lower specific gravity.

[0003] Patent CN110155375A discloses a Whipple shield-like protective structure with a silicon carbide fiber-filled titanium alloy honeycomb structure. This structure involves laterally welding a titanium alloy honeycomb structure between two titanium alloy plates and filling the honeycomb structure with silicon carbide fibers. This structure can buckle and surround the target, achieving protection over a larger area or against larger fragments. While negative stiffness honeycomb structures have good energy absorption, titanium alloys have a high density, and the connection strength between different titanium alloy components and between silicon carbide fibers and the alloy is poor. Furthermore, the honeycomb structure has poor lateral strength and stiffness, resulting in weak energy dispersion against high-speed impacts from small fragments. The discontinuous arrangement of the silicon carbide fibers within the hexagonal honeycomb structure prevents them from effectively utilizing their high hardness and modulus.

[0004] Patent CN105109709A discloses a protective integrated structure of a multilayer board filled with silicon carbide fabric and reinforced with ceramic fiber-reinforced silica nano-aerogel. The filling layer of this structure consists of 3-5 alternating layers of fiber fabric and aerogel board, with the fiber fabric playing a major role in energy absorption, while the addition of aerogel significantly reduces the density of the protective structure. However, the high-porosity silica nano-aerogel structure generally exhibits poor impact resistance, is difficult to manufacture in large areas, and is costly. Furthermore, replacing the aerogel with it reduces the impact protection effect, resulting in a larger back convexity or indentation depth. The compromise of using ceramic fiber reinforcement, due to the discrete distribution of ceramic fibers in the aerogel, increases density without significantly improving impact resistance.

[0005] Therefore, it is of great significance to study the integrated Wheatstone shield impact protection structure textile composite material and its preparation method to solve the problems existing in the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems existing in the prior art and to provide a one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material and its preparation method.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0008] The one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure is a textile composite material comprising, from top to bottom, an impact-side fabric layer, a spacer fabric layer, and a back fabric layer.

[0009] The fabric of the impact surface fabric layer is a single-layer fabric or a multi-layer fabric, and the adjacent layers of the multi-layer fabric are bonded together with resin.

[0010] The spacer fabric layer has a hollow multi-layer structure, consisting of an upper layer, a lower layer, and a spacer layer;

[0011] The back fabric layer is a multi-layered fabric, with adjacent layers bonded together by resin.

[0012] The space between the impact fabric layer and the upper layer of the spacer fabric layer, as well as between the lower layer of the spacer fabric layer and the back fabric layer, is filled with resin. In addition to molding each fabric layer into one piece, the resin also restricts the misalignment and slippage of the fibers during impact, which can give full play to the characteristics of the fibers and play the role of stress transmission, load equalization and energy dispersion.

[0013] The thickness of the impact-facing fabric layer is less than that of the back fabric layer, and the thickness of the impact-facing fabric layer does not exceed 8mm; the stiffness of the impact-facing fabric layer is greater than that of the back fabric layer; the significance of the impact-facing fabric layer is to convert a small number of high-energy impacts into multiple fragments of relatively low-energy impacts, thereby improving the energy absorption rate of the back fabric layer and reducing the possibility of it being completely broken down; therefore, the impact-facing fabric layer can be more easily broken into fragments if it has greater stiffness, so that the energy of the micrometeoroid can be dispersed into more fragments. However, high stiffness generally means low elongation (given the currently available materials), which often results in poor energy absorption. Therefore, the stiffness of the back fabric layer cannot be too high, i.e., the stiffness of the impact-facing fabric layer is greater than that of the back fabric layer; furthermore, the Whipple Shield structure requires a thinner front impact plate and a thicker back energy-absorbing plate to achieve better protection. If the impact-facing fabric layer is too thick, it will not be easily broken down into a large number of small fragments, and the protection effect will be worse.

[0014] As a preferred technical solution:

[0015] As described above, the thickness of the one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material is 0.3-8 mm for the impact surface fabric layer, 7-70 mm for the spacer fabric layer (i.e., the thickness of the entire spacer fabric layer from the top layer to the bottom layer is 7-70 mm), and 4-45 mm for the back fabric layer.

[0016] As described above, in the one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material, the layup angle of any layer in the multi-layer fabric is 0°, -45°, +45° or 90°.

[0017] As described above, the one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material has an upper layer formed by interlacing upper warp yarns and pile warp yarns with upper weft yarns, a lower layer formed by interlacing lower warp yarns and pile warp yarns with lower weft yarns, and a spacer layer formed by pile warp yarns interlacing back and forth between the upper and lower layers.

[0018] As described above, in the integrally molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material, the fabric of the impact surface fabric layer and the upper warp and weft yarns are each independently selected from one or more of carbon fiber, basalt fiber and glass fiber; the pile warp yarn is selected from one or more of carbon fiber, basalt fiber, glass fiber and PBO fiber; and the fabric of the back fabric layer and the lower warp and weft yarns are each independently selected from one or more of Kevlar fiber, polyimide fiber, polyphenylene sulfide fiber and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber.

[0019] As described above, in the one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material, the ratio of pile warp yarn to upper warp yarn and to lower warp yarn is 1-5:1-3, that is, the number of consecutive pile warp yarns does not exceed 5, and the number of consecutive upper and lower warp yarns does not exceed 3.

[0020] As described above, the integrally molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material uses a thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin; the thermosetting resin is epoxy resin, thermosetting polyimide resin, vinyl resin or unsaturated polyester resin, and the thermoplastic resin is polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, ABS resin or thermoplastic polyimide resin.

[0021] The present invention also provides a method for preparing the one-piece molded Whipple's Shield impact protection structure textile composite material as described in any of the preceding claims, comprising the following steps:

[0022] (1) The fabric of the back fabric layer, the fabric of the spacer fabric layer and the fabric of the impact surface fabric layer are sequentially laid into the mold;

[0023] (2) The mold cavity is sealed with a vacuum bag and a vacuum is drawn;

[0024] (3) The resin is impregnated between the back fabric layer, the spacer fabric layer and the impact surface fabric layer by vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process. After impregnation, the vacuum is removed, so that the spacer fabric layer returns to the upright state from the collapsed state (the vacuum bag is evacuated when the resin is injected, the spacer fabric is flattened, and the vacuum bag is removed after the spacer fabric layer is impregnated with resin, and the spacer fabric returns to the upright state through its own elasticity).

[0025] (4) After curing and molding, demold and remove to obtain the one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material.

[0026] Invention principle:

[0027] The essence of the Whipple Shield structure lies in using a multi-layered plate structure to gradually weaken and fragment the energy of micrometeoroids. This invention employs an advanced textile structure instead of traditional metal materials, significantly reducing the weight of the protective structure. Through the rational selection and configuration of the textile material distribution, it achieves superior performance compared to typical Whipple Shield impact protection structures. Upon impact, the impact-side fabric layer in the integrally molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure of this invention is damaged first. However, its primary purpose is not to absorb energy, but rather to utilize its greater rigidity to undergo pulverizing damage, forming a fragment cloud together with the fractured impactor. A small amount of fragment cloud further impacts inward, impacting the spacer fabric layer and causing it to break, further expanding and dispersing the fragment cloud. After these two impacts, the initially concentrated high-energy impact of the micrometeoroids transforms into a dispersed low-energy impact. Subsequently, the expanded fragment cloud impacts the back fabric layer, which has greater tensile strength and elongation, and the thicker back fabric layer absorbs all the remaining energy of the fragment cloud.

[0028] The unique textile structure of the spacer fabric and the multi-layered hollow structure (thin on top, thick on the bottom) formed by the impact face fabric layer and the back fabric layer are key to the superior performance of the Whipple Shield textile composite material. The choice of different fabric layer materials and thicknesses are crucial factors affecting the protective performance of the Whipple Shield impact protection structure's textile composite material. The Whipple Shield structure requires a thinner front impact plate and a thicker back energy-absorbing plate to achieve better protection. The composite material of spacer fabric and two-dimensional fabric can effectively simulate or even optimize the structure of a standard Whipple Shield. In addition to the thin-on-top, thick-on-bottom structure formed by the impact face fabric layer and the back fabric layer, the spacer fabric layer also provides support from spacer fibers, assisting in buffering and expanding the debris cloud, resulting in better energy dispersion. Furthermore, textile materials such as carbon fiber, aramid, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene have densities far lower than most metals, achieving equal or even better protective performance at a lower density. Reasonable material configuration and layer thickness are essential to further improve the protective performance of the Whipple Shield; if the impact face has low stiffness and high thickness, the protective performance will be significantly reduced.

[0029] Beneficial effects:

[0030] (1) The integrated molded Whipple shield impact protection structure textile composite material of the present invention has high energy absorption, low specific gravity, high damage tolerance, and good impact protection performance.

[0031] (2) The preparation method of the one-piece molded Whipple shield impact protection structure textile composite material of the present invention does not use any metal parts, is simple to manufacture and has low cost. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the integrated molded Whipple's Shield impact protection structure made of textile composite material according to the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the impact surface fabric layer of the integrated Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the spacer fabric layer portion of the textile composite material of the integrally molded Whipple's Shield impact protection structure of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the molding process of the one-piece molded Whipple's Shield impact protection structure textile composite material of the present invention;

[0036] Among them, 1-integrated Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material, 2-impact surface fabric layer, 3-spacer fabric layer, 4-back fabric layer, 11-resin, 20-fabric of impact surface fabric layer, 31-upper layer, 311-upper warp yarn, 312-upper weft yarn, 32-lower layer, 321-lower warp yarn, 322-lower weft yarn, 33-spacer layer, 331-pile warp yarn, 41-mold, 42-sealant, 43-vacuum bag, 44-resin injection hole, 45-resin outflow hole. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, it should be understood that after reading the teachings of this invention, those skilled in the art can make various alterations or modifications to the invention, and these equivalent forms also fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0038] The testing method involved in this invention is as follows:

[0039] Critical size of ballistic impact and energy absorbed per unit volume: Referring to GB / T32493.2016 "Test Method for Elastic Performance of Fiber Reinforced Composite Materials - Penetration Specific Energy Absorption Method", a two-stage light gas gun system was used to conduct ballistic tests on the samples. By changing the pressure of the first-stage gas chamber (10-23 MPa), the gas injection pressure of the pump pipe (0.03-0.05 MPa), and the projectile diameter (3-14 mm), impacts at different velocities (2-6 km / s) were simulated to obtain the damage to the samples under different impact velocities from projectiles of different sizes. As the projectile size increases, the size of the projectile at which the sample first penetrates is the critical size. The ballistic limit curve was obtained through data fitting, i.e., the critical size of the sample under different impact velocities from projectiles of different sizes. Critical size curves at impact velocities; specifically: (i) at an impact velocity of 6 km / s, the pressure in the first-stage gas chamber is 21.5 MPa, the pump injection pressure is 0.05 MPa, and the projectile diameter is 13.5 mm; (ii) at an impact velocity of 4.2 km / s, the pressure in the first-stage gas chamber is 17 MPa, the pump injection pressure is 0.04 MPa, and the projectile diameter is 7.6 mm; (iii) at an impact velocity of 3 km / s, the pressure in the first-stage gas chamber is 11 MPa, the pump injection pressure is 0.03 MPa, and the projectile diameter is 4.2 mm; the method for calculating the energy absorbed per unit volume is as follows: the total energy of the projectile is obtained from the mass and velocity of the projectile, and then divided by the sample volume to obtain the energy absorbed per unit volume.

[0040] Ballistic impact is generally divided into the ballistic zone (<3km / s), the fragmentation zone (3-7km / s), and the liquefaction / vaporization zone (>7km / s). In the ballistic zone, the projectile basically only deforms; the higher the impact velocity, the smaller the size of the projectile that can be protected. However, in the fragmentation zone, due to the protective effect of the Whipton structure, the impact surface fabric layer causes the projectile to break up, forming a fragment cloud that impacts the back fabric layer. The higher the impact velocity, the larger the fragment cloud, the faster it expands, the more uniform the energy dispersion, and the higher the energy absorption efficiency of the back fabric layer. Therefore, the size of the projectile that can be protected actually increases. When this energy dispersion gradually saturates and the fragment cloud energy is relatively large (velocity >7km / s), the critical size of the projectile decreases again with increasing impact velocity.

[0041] In the following embodiments, there are no strict requirements for the negative pressure inside the vacuum bag; it can be within the range of 0.1 to 0.2 MPa.

[0042] Example 1

[0043] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material 1 includes an impact surface fabric layer 2, a spacer fabric layer 3 and a back fabric layer 4 arranged from top to bottom.

[0044] The impact-resistant fabric layer 20 is made of plain weave fabric of 12K carbon fiber with a basis weight of 200 g / m². 2The impact-surface fabric layer 20 is a multi-layer fabric, and the adjacent layers of the multi-layer fabric are bonded together by e51 epoxy resin 11; the impact-surface fabric layer has a total of 8 layers, and the layup angle of each layer from bottom to top is 0°, 90°, +45°, -45°, 0°, 90°, +45°, -45°.

[0045] The spacer fabric layer 3 is a hollow multi-layer structure, consisting of an upper layer 31, a lower layer 32 and a spacer layer 33;

[0046] The upper layer 31 is formed by interlacing upper warp yarns 311 and pile warp yarns with upper weft yarns 312 respectively; the ratio of pile warp yarns to upper warp yarns 311 is 1:1; the material of upper warp yarns 311 is 224tex carbon fiber; the material of pile warp yarns is 800tex glass fiber; the material of upper weft yarns 312 is 224tex carbon fiber.

[0047] The lower layer 32 is formed by interlacing the lower warp yarns 321 and the pile warp yarns with the lower weft yarns 322 respectively; the ratio of the pile warp yarns to the lower warp yarns 321 is 1:1; the material of the lower warp yarns 321 and the lower weft yarns 322 is 660tex Kevlar fiber; the material of the pile warp yarns is 800tex glass fiber; the upper layer and the lower layer have the same thickness;

[0048] The spacer layer 33 is formed by the back-and-forth interlacing of the pile warp yarns 331 between the upper layer 31 and the lower layer 32; the weft is beaten at multiple sheds on the double rapier loom, and the heddles are lifted up and down through the multi-heddle frame, and a 10mm spacer bar is inserted at the shed to make the spacer height 10mm, that is, the thickness of the spacer layer 33 is 10mm.

[0049] The back fabric layer 4 is made of 1000D polyimide fiber plain weave fabric and 660tex Kevlar fiber unidirectional fabric. The back fabric layer 4 is a multi-layered fabric, with adjacent layers bonded together using E51 epoxy resin 11. The back fabric layer has a total of 40 layers, with each layer having a layup angle of +45°, -45°, +45°, -45°… from bottom to top. The top 20 layers of the back fabric layer that contact the spacer fabric layer 3 are 1000D polyimide fiber plain weave fabric with a basis weight of 300g / m². 2 The bottom 20 layers are 660tex Kevlar unidirectional fabric with a weight of 220g / m². 2 ;

[0050] The space between the upper layer 31 of the impact fabric layer 2 and the spacer fabric layer 3, and the space between the lower layer 32 of the spacer fabric layer 3 and the back fabric layer 4, are filled with e51 epoxy resin 11.

[0051] The thickness of the impact-side fabric layer 2 is 2.4 mm, the thickness of the spacer fabric layer 3 is 10.8 mm, and the thickness of the back fabric layer 4 is 7.5 mm.

[0052] The density of this one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material is 1.79 g / cm³. 3 At an impact velocity of 6 km / s, the critical ballistic impact dimension of a traditional metal Whipple's shield protective structure is 7 mm, while that of the one-piece molded Whipple's shield impact protective structure made of textile composite material is 10 mm. At an impact velocity of 4.2 km / s, a traditional metal Whipple's shield protective structure can protect against 4.5 mm projectiles, while the one-piece molded Whipple's shield impact protective structure made of textile composite material can protect against 8 mm projectiles without penetration. At an impact velocity of 3.0 km / s, the critical ballistic impact dimension of a traditional metal Whipple's shield protective structure is 3 mm, while that of the one-piece molded Whipple's shield impact protective structure made of textile composite material is 6.5 mm, with an energy absorption per unit volume reaching 2.28 J / cm². 3 The traditional metal Whipple Shield protective structure is used for comparison. It consists of two layers of aluminum alloy plates (Zhongheng Chuangshi 6061 series) spaced 20mm apart. One layer is a 2mm thick impact-side aluminum alloy plate, and the other layer is a 5mm thick back aluminum alloy plate.

[0053] The preparation method of the above-mentioned one-piece molded Whipple's Shield impact protection structure textile composite material, such as Figure 4 As shown, the specific steps are as follows:

[0054] (1) The fabric of the back fabric layer 4, the fabric of the spacer fabric layer 3 and the fabric of the impact surface fabric layer 2 are sequentially laid into the mold 41.

[0055] (2) The mold cavity is sealed by vacuum bag 43, that is, the vacuum bag 43 is sealed into a closed environment by sealant 42;

[0056] (3) Vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process: vacuum is drawn from resin outlet hole 45, and e51 epoxy resin 11 is injected into the mold cavity through resin injection hole 44 by negative pressure in vacuum bag 43. It is impregnated between back fabric layer 4, spacer fabric layer 3 and impact surface fabric layer 2. After impregnation, the vacuum is removed so that the fabric of spacer fabric layer 3 returns from the flat state to the upright state.

[0057] (4) After curing at 80℃ for 18 hours, the material is demolded and removed to obtain the one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material.

[0058] Example 2

[0059] The one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure is a textile composite material comprising, from top to bottom, an impact-side fabric layer, a spacer fabric layer, and a back fabric layer.

[0060] The impact-resistant fabric layer is made of 12K carbon fiber biaxial fabric with a basis weight of 300 g / m².2 The impact-surface fabric layer is a multi-layered fabric, with adjacent layers bonded together by 905N vinyl resin. The impact-surface fabric layer consists of 8 layers, with layup angles of 0°, +45°, 90°, -45°, 0°, +45°, 90°, and -45° from bottom to top.

[0061] The spacer fabric layer has a hollow multi-layer structure, consisting of an upper layer, a lower layer, and a spacer layer;

[0062] The upper layer is formed by interlacing upper warp yarns and pile warp yarns with upper weft yarns; the ratio of pile warp yarns to upper warp yarns is 2:2; the material of the upper warp yarns is 1200tex basalt fiber; the material of the pile warp yarns is 12K carbon fiber; the material of the upper weft yarns is 1200tex basalt fiber.

[0063] The lower layer is formed by interlacing the lower warp yarns and the pile warp yarns with the lower weft yarns respectively; the ratio of the pile warp yarns to the lower warp yarns is 2:2; the material of the lower warp yarns is 800D polyimide fiber; the material of the pile warp yarns is 12K carbon fiber; the material of the lower weft yarns is 800D polyimide fiber; the upper layer and the lower layer have the same thickness.

[0064] The spacer layer is formed by the back-and-forth interlacing of the pile warp yarns between the upper and lower layers; on the double rapier loom, the weft is beaten at multiple sheds, and the heddles are lifted up and down through the multi-eye heddle frame. A 40mm spacer bar is inserted at the shed, so that the spacer height is 40mm, that is, the thickness of the spacer layer is 40mm.

[0065] The back fabric layer is made of Kevlar unidirectional fabric and polyphenylene sulfide unidirectional fabric. The back fabric layer is a multi-layered fabric, with adjacent layers bonded together using 905N vinyl ester resin. The back fabric layer has 40 layers in total, with layup angles of 0°, +45°, 90°, -45°, 0°, +45°, 90°, -45°… from bottom to top. The top 10 layers in contact with the interlayer fabric are 800tex Kevlar unidirectional fabric with a basis weight of 300 g / m². 2 The middle 20 layers are 400D polyphenylene sulfide fiber unidirectional fabric with a basis weight of 280g / m². 2 The bottom 10 layers are 800tex Kevlar unidirectional fabric with a weight of 300g / m². 2 ;

[0066] The space between the impact-side fabric layer and the upper layer of the spacer fabric layer, as well as the spacer fabric layer and the back fabric layer, are filled with 905N vinyl resin.

[0067] The thickness of the impact-side fabric layer is 2.6 mm, the thickness of the spacer fabric layer is 40.7 mm, and the thickness of the back fabric layer is 7.3 mm; the stiffness of the impact-side fabric layer is greater than that of the back fabric layer; the strength of the impact-side fabric layer is less than that of the back fabric layer.

[0068] The density of this one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material is 1.72 g / cm³. 3 At an impact velocity of 6 km / s, the critical ballistic impact dimension of a traditional metal Whipple's shield protective structure is 8 mm, while that of the one-piece molded Whipple's shield impact protective structure made of textile composite material is 11 mm. At an impact velocity of 4.2 km / s, the traditional metal Whipple's shield protective structure can protect against projectiles of 4.8 mm, while the one-piece molded Whipple's shield impact protective structure made of textile composite material can protect against projectiles of 8.3 mm without penetration. At an impact velocity of 3.0 km / s, the critical ballistic impact dimension of the traditional metal Whipple's shield protective structure is 3.6 mm, while that of the one-piece molded Whipple's shield impact protective structure made of textile composite material is 6.1 mm, with an energy absorption per unit volume of up to 2.41 J / cm². 3 The traditional metal Whipple shield protective structure is used for comparison. It consists of two layers of aluminum alloy plates spaced 40mm apart. One layer is a 3mm thick impact-facing aluminum alloy plate, and the other layer is an 8mm thick back aluminum alloy plate.

[0069] The specific steps for preparing the above-mentioned one-piece molded Whipple's Shield impact protection structure textile composite material are as follows:

[0070] (1) The fabric of the back fabric layer, the fabric of the spacer fabric layer and the fabric of the impact surface fabric layer are sequentially laid into the mold;

[0071] (2) The mold cavity is sealed with a vacuum bag and a vacuum is drawn;

[0072] (3) Vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process: vacuum is drawn from the resin outlet hole, and 905N vinyl resin is impregnated between the back fabric layer, the spacer fabric layer and the impact surface fabric layer by the negative pressure in the vacuum bag. After impregnation, the vacuum is removed so that the fabric of the spacer fabric layer returns to the upright state from the collapsed state.

[0073] (4) After curing at 80℃ for 18 hours, the material is demolded and removed to obtain the one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material.

[0074] Example 3

[0075] The one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure is a textile composite material comprising, from top to bottom, an impact-side fabric layer, a spacer fabric layer, and a back fabric layer.

[0076] The fabric material of the impact surface layer is unidirectional 24K carbon fiber fabric (300 g / m²). 2 Plain weave fabric with 600tex glass fiber (260g / m²) 2 The impact-face fabric layer is a multi-layered fabric with mixed fibers, and the adjacent layers of the multi-layered fabric are bonded together with styrene (ABS) resin; the impact-face fabric layer has a total of 24 layers, and the layup angle of each layer from bottom to top is 0°, 90°, 0°, 90°...

[0077] The spacer fabric layer has a hollow multi-layer structure, consisting of an upper layer, a lower layer, and a spacer layer;

[0078] The upper layer is formed by interlacing upper warp yarns and pile warp yarns with upper weft yarns; the ratio of pile warp yarns to upper warp yarns is 4:1; the material of the upper warp yarns is 800tex basalt fiber; the material of the pile warp yarns is 1200tex basalt fiber; the material of the upper weft yarns is 24K carbon fiber.

[0079] The lower layer is formed by interlacing the lower warp yarns and the pile warp yarns with the lower weft yarns respectively; the ratio of the pile warp yarns to the lower warp yarns is 4:1; the material of the lower warp yarns is 400D polyphenylene sulfide fiber; the material of the pile warp yarns is 1200tex basalt fiber; the material of the lower weft yarns is 400D ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber; the upper layer and the lower layer have the same thickness.

[0080] The spacer layer is formed by the back-and-forth interlacing of the pile warp yarns between the upper and lower layers; on the double rapier loom, the weft is beaten at multiple sheds, and the heddles are lifted up and down through the multi-heddle frame. A 60mm spacer bar is inserted at the shed to make the spacer height 60mm, that is, the thickness of the spacer layer is 60mm.

[0081] The back fabric layer is made of 400D ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber plain weave fabric; the back fabric layer is a multi-layered fabric, with adjacent layers bonded together using ABS resin; the back fabric layer has a total of 60 layers, with each layer laid up at angles of 0°, +45°, 90°, -45°, 0°, +45°, 90°, -45°… from bottom to top; the multi-layered fabric is ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber plain weave fabric with a basis weight of 240g / m². 2 ;

[0082] The space between the impact-side fabric layer and the upper layer of the spacer fabric layer, as well as the spacer fabric layer and the back fabric layer, are filled with ABS resin.

[0083] The thickness of the impact-side fabric layer is 6.5 mm, the thickness of the spacer fabric layer is 60.8 mm, and the thickness of the back fabric layer is 12.4 mm; the stiffness of the impact-side fabric layer is greater than that of the back fabric layer; the strength of the impact-side fabric layer is less than that of the back fabric layer.

[0084] The density of this one-piece molded Whipple's Shield impact protection structure textile composite material is 1.42 g / cm³. 3 At an impact velocity of 6 km / s, the critical ballistic impact dimension of the traditional metal Whipple's shield protective structure is 11 mm, while the critical ballistic impact dimension of the one-piece molded Whipple's shield impact protective structure made of textile composite material is 1.8 cm. At an impact velocity of 4.2 km / s, the traditional metal Whipple's shield protective structure can protect against projectiles of 6.8 mm, while the one-piece molded Whipple's shield impact protective structure made of textile composite material can protect against projectiles of 1.3 cm without penetration. At an impact velocity of 3.0 km / s, the critical ballistic impact dimension of the traditional metal Whipple's shield protective structure is 4.7 mm, while the critical ballistic impact dimension of the one-piece molded Whipple's shield impact protective structure made of textile composite material is 5.7 mm, with an energy absorption per unit volume of up to 3.61 J / cm². 3 The traditional metal Whipple Shield protective structure is used for comparison. It consists of two layers of aluminum alloy plates spaced 60mm apart. One layer is a 5mm thick impact-facing aluminum alloy plate, and the other layer is a 13mm thick back aluminum alloy plate.

[0085] The specific steps for preparing the above-mentioned one-piece molded Whipple's Shield impact protection structure textile composite material are as follows:

[0086] (1) The fabric of the back fabric layer, the fabric of the spacer fabric layer and the fabric of the impact surface fabric layer are sequentially laid into the mold;

[0087] (2) The mold cavity is sealed with a vacuum bag and a vacuum is drawn;

[0088] (3) Vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process: vacuum is drawn from resin outlet hole 45, and ABS resin is impregnated between the back fabric layer, the spacer fabric layer and the impact surface fabric layer by negative pressure inside the bag. After impregnation, the vacuum is removed, so that the fabric of the spacer fabric layer returns to the upright state from the collapsed state.

[0089] (4) After curing at 80℃ for 18 hours, the material is demolded and removed to obtain the one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material.

[0090] Example 4

[0091] The one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure is a textile composite material comprising, from top to bottom, an impact-side fabric layer, a spacer fabric layer, and a back fabric layer.

[0092] The impact surface fabric layer is made of 1300tex basalt fiber twill fabric; the impact surface fabric layer is a single-layer fabric.

[0093] The spacer fabric layer has a hollow multi-layer structure, consisting of an upper layer, a lower layer, and a spacer layer;

[0094] The upper layer is formed by interlacing upper warp yarns and pile warp yarns with upper weft yarns; the ratio of pile warp yarns to upper warp yarns is 1:3; the material of the upper warp yarns is 600tex glass fiber; the material of the pile warp yarns is 1200tex PBO fiber; the material of the upper weft yarns is 12K carbon fiber.

[0095] The lower layer is formed by interlacing the lower warp yarns and the pile warp yarns with the lower weft yarns respectively; the ratio of the pile warp yarns to the lower warp yarns is 1:3; the material of the lower warp yarns is 600D polyimide fiber; the material of the pile warp yarns is 1200tex PBO fiber; the material of the lower weft yarns is 600D polyphenylene sulfide fiber; the upper layer and the lower layer have the same thickness;

[0096] The spacer layer is formed by the back-and-forth interlacing of the pile warp yarns between the upper and lower layers; on the double rapier loom, the weft is beaten at multiple sheds, and the heddles are lifted up and down through the multi-eye heddle frame. A 25mm spacer bar is inserted at the shed, so that the spacer height is 25mm, that is, the thickness of the spacer layer is 25mm.

[0097] The back fabric layer consists of 300D ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber plain weave fabric and 660tex Kevlar fiber unidirectional fabric; the back fabric layer is a multi-layered fabric, with adjacent layers bonded together using SY polyimide resin; the layup angle of each layer in the multi-layered fabric from bottom to top is 0°, +45°, 90°, -45°, 0°, +45°, 90°, -45°…, for a total of 32 layers; the top 16 layers in contact with the interlayered fabric are Kevlar fiber unidirectional fabric with a basis weight of 300g / m². 2 The bottom 16 layers are made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber plain weave fabric with a basis weight of 250g / m². 2 ;

[0098] The space between the impact-side fabric layer and the upper layer of the spacer fabric layer, as well as the spacer fabric layer and the back fabric layer, are filled with SY polyimide resin.

[0099] The thickness of the impact-side fabric layer is 0.35 mm, the thickness of the spacer fabric layer is 25.6 mm, and the thickness of the back fabric layer is 5.77 mm; the stiffness of the impact-side fabric layer is greater than that of the back fabric layer; the strength of the impact-side fabric layer is less than that of the back fabric layer.

[0100] The density of this one-piece molded Whipple's Shield impact protection structure textile composite material is 1.34 g / cm³. 3At an impact velocity of 6 km / s, the critical ballistic impact dimension of a traditional metal Whipple's shield protective structure is 5 mm, while that of the one-piece molded Whipple's shield impact protective structure made of textile composite material is 12.4 mm. At an impact velocity of 4.2 km / s, the traditional metal Whipple's shield protective structure can protect against projectiles of 4.1 mm, while the one-piece molded Whipple's shield impact protective structure made of textile composite material can protect against projectiles of 9.2 mm without penetration. At an impact velocity of 3.0 km / s, the critical ballistic impact dimension of a traditional metal Whipple's shield protective structure is 2.8 mm, while that of the one-piece molded Whipple's shield impact protective structure made of textile composite material is 7.7 mm, with an energy absorption per unit volume of up to 3.46 J / cm². 3 The traditional metal Whipple shield protective structure is used for comparison. It consists of two aluminum alloy plates spaced 25mm apart. One plate is a 0.35mm thick impact-side aluminum alloy plate, and the other is a 5.5mm thick back aluminum alloy plate.

[0101] The specific steps for preparing the above-mentioned one-piece molded Whipple's Shield impact protection structure textile composite material are as follows:

[0102] (1) The fabric of the back fabric layer, the fabric of the spacer fabric layer and the fabric of the impact surface fabric layer are sequentially laid into the mold;

[0103] (2) The mold cavity is sealed with a vacuum bag and a vacuum is drawn;

[0104] (3) Vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process: vacuum is drawn from the resin outflow hole, and SY polyimide resin is impregnated between the back fabric layer, the spacer fabric layer and the impact surface fabric layer by the negative pressure in the vacuum bag. After impregnation, the vacuum is removed so that the fabric of the spacer fabric layer returns to the upright state from the collapsed state.

[0105] (4) After curing at 80℃ for 18 hours, the material is demolded and removed to obtain the one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material.

Claims

1. A one-piece molded Whipple's Shield impact protection structure made of textile composite material, characterized in that: It includes, from top to bottom, an impact-side fabric layer, a spacer fabric layer, and a back fabric layer; The fabric of the impact surface fabric layer is a single-layer fabric or a multi-layer fabric, and the adjacent layers of the multi-layer fabric are bonded together with resin. The spacer fabric layer has a hollow multi-layer structure, consisting of an upper layer, a lower layer, and a spacer layer. The upper layer is formed by interlacing the upper warp yarns and pile warp yarns with the upper weft yarns, respectively. The lower layer is formed by interlacing the lower warp yarns and pile warp yarns with the lower weft yarns, respectively. The spacer layer is formed by the pile warp yarns interlacing back and forth between the upper and lower layers. The back fabric layer is a multi-layered fabric, with adjacent layers bonded together by resin. The space between the impact-side fabric layer and the upper layer of the spacer fabric layer, as well as the spacer fabric layer and the back fabric layer, are filled with resin. The fabric of the impact-side fabric layer, as well as the upper warp and upper weft yarns, are each independently selected from one or more of carbon fiber, basalt fiber, and glass fiber; the pile warp yarn is selected from one or more of carbon fiber, basalt fiber, glass fiber, PBO fiber, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber; and the fabric of the back fabric layer, as well as the lower warp and lower weft yarns, are each independently selected from one or more of Kevlar fiber, polyimide fiber, polyphenylene sulfide fiber, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber. The thickness of the impact-side fabric layer is 0.3~8mm, the thickness of the spacer fabric layer is 7~70mm, and the thickness of the back fabric layer is 4~45mm. The thickness of the impact-side fabric layer is less than that of the back fabric layer, and the stiffness of the impact-side fabric layer is greater than that of the back fabric layer.

2. The one-piece molded Whipple's Shield impact protection structure textile composite material according to claim 1, characterized in that, In a multilayer fabric, the layup angle of any layer is 0°, -45°, +45° or 90°.

3. The one-piece molded Whipple's Shield impact protection structure textile composite material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ratio of pile warp yarn to upper warp yarn and to lower warp yarn is 1~5:1~3.

4. The one-piece molded Whipple's Shield impact protection structure textile composite material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The resin is a thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin; the thermosetting resin is an epoxy resin, a thermosetting polyimide resin, a vinyl resin or an unsaturated polyester resin, and the thermoplastic resin is a polyethylene resin, a polypropylene resin, an ABS resin or a thermoplastic polyimide resin.

5. The method for preparing the one-piece molded Whipple's shield impact protection structure textile composite material as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that... Includes the following steps: (1) The fabric of the back fabric layer, the fabric of the spacer fabric layer and the fabric of the impact surface fabric layer are laid into the mold in sequence; (2) The mold cavity is sealed with a vacuum bag and a vacuum is drawn; (3) The resin is impregnated between the back fabric layer, the spacer fabric layer and the impact surface fabric layer by vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process. After impregnation, the vacuum is removed so that the fabric of the spacer fabric layer returns to the upright state from the collapsed state. (4) After curing and molding, demold and remove to obtain the one-piece molded Whipple Shield impact protection structure textile composite material.

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