Embedded energetic material space debris protection structure incorporating impedance mismatch effects

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of embedded energetic material space debris protection structure combining impedance mismatch effect, for protecting the space debris of 1cm below particle size, including high impedance metal plate and energetic material block, the energetic material block is evenly spaced embedded in high impedance metal plate inside, the energetic material is composed of inert material and reactive metal particles.The present application not only gives full play to the protection characteristics of high impedance metal material, but also introduces the impact initiation characteristics of energetic material, and utilizes the impedance difference of both, impedance mismatch effect is generated, so as to improve the protection effect of protection structure.The present application combines the advantages of energetic material and high impedance metal material, and significantly improves the comprehensive performance of protective plate by the composite use of two kinds of materials.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of space debris protection technology, and specifically to an embedded energetic material space debris protection structure that incorporates impedance mismatch effects. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of space technology, human activities in outer space are becoming increasingly frequent, but the resulting problem of space debris is also becoming more serious. This space debris includes abandoned satellites, rocket remnants, mission-residual components, and fragments from various explosions. These fragments are diverse in type and size, and their high-speed characteristics pose a serious threat to spacecraft in orbit. In particular, high-speed impacts can cause structural damage, system failures, and even jeopardize the successful completion of the entire space mission. To ensure the safety of spacecraft and reduce the impact of space debris on space activities, countries have conducted extensive research on protective structures for spacecraft. These protective structures typically focus on protecting against small, undetectable debris, i.e., debris smaller than 1 cm in size.

[0003] Currently, spacecraft protection structures primarily rely on the traditional Whipple structure and its improved versions. This structure typically consists of multiple layers. The outer layers initiate initial fragmentation of debris, reducing its destructive force, while the inner layers trap the debris, achieving effective protection. Based on this, improved Whipple structures have evolved into various forms, including multi-layered structures, filled structures, and sandwich panel structures. Multi-layered structures further enhance debris energy dissipation by increasing the number of layers and optimizing material distribution. Filled structures use special materials, such as foamed metal or ceramic particles, between the layers to enhance protection. Sandwich panel structures add lightweight, high-strength core materials (such as honeycomb structures or foam materials) between two layers, reducing weight while improving protective performance. However, the mechanisms of these protective forms are relatively simple, typically relying on the material's inherent strength to absorb impact energy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an embedded energetic material space debris protection structure that combines impedance mismatch effect. It combines the advantages of energetic materials and high impedance metal materials. Through the composite use of the two materials, the overall performance of the protective plate is significantly improved.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is: to construct an embedded energetic material space debris protection structure that combines impedance mismatch effect for protecting space debris with a particle size of less than 1 cm, including a high impedance metal plate and energetic material blocks, wherein the energetic material blocks are uniformly spaced and embedded inside the high impedance metal plate, and the energetic material is composed of inert material and reactive metal particles.

[0006] According to the above scheme, the mechanical impedance of the high-impedance metal plate is greater than 10. 7 N·s / m 3 .

[0007] According to the above scheme, the high-impedance metal plate is made of aluminum alloy or titanium alloy.

[0008] According to the above scheme, the energetic material block can generate a deflagration reaction when it is impacted at a speed greater than 2 km / s.

[0009] According to the above scheme, the energetic material block is made of a mixture of metal and polymer.

[0010] According to the above scheme, the energetic material block uses an intermetallic compound.

[0011] According to the above scheme, the energetic material block uses PTFE / Al, THV / Ta, or Al / Ni materials.

[0012] According to the above scheme, the energetic material block is a cuboid or a cylinder.

[0013] According to the above scheme, a thin metal plate is also provided on the inner side of the high-impedance metal plate.

[0014] According to the above scheme, the high-resistivity metal plate and the metal sheet are integrally formed.

[0015] The embedded energetic material space debris protection structure of the present invention, which incorporates impedance mismatch effect, has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] 1. High-resistivity metallic materials, with their excellent mechanical properties, can effectively resist high-speed impacts and initially disperse and weaken debris. However, when facing high-speed impacts, the structural impedance alone may be insufficient to fully dissipate the impact energy of space debris. Embedding energetic materials allows them to rapidly release energy upon impact, further dispersing and weakening the destructive force of the debris, utilizing the explosive properties of these materials. Furthermore, due to the significant impedance difference between the embedded energetic material and the metallic material (impedance mismatch), some stress waves propagating within the plate are reflected back into the space debris, further accelerating its fragmentation and improving overall protection capabilities.

[0017] 2. Energetic materials, due to their low impedance and high vulnerability, are difficult to withstand high-speed impacts or complex impact environments when used alone. By embedding them in a high-impedance metal, the high-impedance metal provides robust support and protection for the energetic material, preventing premature failure or damage to the protective structure under high-speed impact conditions. This embedded structural design not only compensates for the low impedance of energetic materials but also enhances the impact resistance of vulnerable parts of the protective structure, thereby significantly improving the durability and reliability of the protective plate.

[0018] This invention organically combines energetic materials with high-resistivity metal materials, so that the deflagration characteristics of energetic materials and the mechanical properties of high-resistivity metals complement each other, thereby improving the overall performance of the protective structure. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. In the accompanying drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a front view of the embedded energetic material protective structure of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the embedded energetic material protective structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the protective structure of the present invention, in which the embedded energetic material is circular;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal dimensions of the embedded structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a specific simulation working condition provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the protective effect of the embedded structure of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To provide a clearer understanding of the technical features, objectives, and effects of the present invention, specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the embedded energetic material space debris protection structure of the present invention, which incorporates impedance mismatch effect, includes a high-impedance metal plate 1 and an energetic material block 2, and its specific protection mechanism is as follows: Figure 2 As shown.

[0028] High-impedance metal plate 1 can be made of aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, etc., as the high-impedance material, requiring a mechanical impedance greater than 10. 7 N·s / m 3Energetic materials consist of inert materials and reactive metal particles, and are required to produce a deflagration reaction upon impact with a speed greater than 2 km / s. Mixtures of metals and polymers, or intermetallic compounds, such as PTFE / Al, THV / Ta, and Al / Ni, can be used. The energetic material is embedded in a high-resistivity metal, and the embedded shape can be designed into different geometric forms such as rectangles and circles to adapt to various protection applications. Figure 3 As shown, the metallic portion of the composite structure layer utilizes its high impedance characteristics to provide strong primary protection against space debris. When space debris impacts the metallic portion, the metal material reflects a strong stress wave. Simultaneously, the significant impedance difference between the embedded energetic material and the metal material (impedance mismatch) causes some of the stress wave propagating within the plate to be reflected back into the space debris, thus accelerating its fragmentation. The energetic material portion of the composite structure layer introduces a novel mechanism for space debris protection. After detonation, the energetic material generates a strong recoil force through deflagration, effectively reducing the kinetic energy of the debris and further promoting its breakup into smaller particles, thereby significantly improving the protective effect.

[0029] Preferably, a thin metal plate 3 is also provided on the inner side of the high-resistivity metal plate 1. The high-resistivity metal plate 1 and the inner thin metal plate 3 are integrally formed, thereby maintaining good strength and stability in the overall structure. The thin metal plate 3 is made of the same material as the outer high-resistivity metal plate 1. The inner thin metal plate 3 not only plays a direct protective role, but also supports the energetic material, compensating for the shortcomings of the energetic material's inherent mechanical properties. In addition, due to the deflagration characteristics of energetic materials, they experience greater losses compared to traditional materials, which is detrimental to subsequent protection. The inner thin metal plate 3 can solve this problem to a certain extent and extend the service life of the protective structure.

[0030] To meet the needs of different spacecraft and different protected areas, the embedded energetic material protective structure of this invention offers high design flexibility. The thickness, material selection, and geometric design of the two-layer structure can all be optimized and adjusted according to actual application requirements. For example, in areas requiring high-strength protection, the thickness of the inner metal plate 3 can be increased, or the embedding area of ​​the energetic material can be increased, and the embedding shape of the energetic material can be optimized; in weight-sensitive areas, lighter materials can be selected, or the thickness of the metal plate 3 can be appropriately reduced.

[0031] Specifically, two sets of simulation comparison experiments were designed to verify the protective performance of the embedded energetic material protective structure under space debris impact conditions. First, based on the proposed embedded structure scheme, a composite protective plate with a specific configuration was designed. The energetic material of the protective plate was selected as PTFE / Al, a fluoropolymer-based energetic active material with a density of 2.20 g / cm³. 3The high-resistivity metal material is selected from 2024 aluminum alloy, with a density of 2.78 g / cm³. 3 In the design configuration, a square energetic material is embedded into an aluminum alloy matrix to form an embedded geometry, the dimensions of which are as follows: Figure 4 As shown, the dimensions of a and b are 4 mm and 3 mm respectively; the dimensions of h1 and h2 are 4 mm and 2 mm respectively. The calculated areal density of this composite structure is 1.047 g / cm³. 2 This is equivalent to a 3.77mm thick 2024 aluminum alloy sheet. For performance comparison, a 2024 aluminum alloy sheet with the same areal density was selected as a control group.

[0032] To evaluate the protective performance, a typical real-world impact condition was set up, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the simulation depicts the impact of spherical space debris at different velocities onto two target plates. The first layer consists of different protective structures (an embedded composite protective plate or a control aluminum alloy plate), while the second layer is the bulkhead to be protected. Both the space debris and the bulkhead are made of 2024 aluminum alloy. The diameter of the space debris was set to 5 mm, and the impact velocities were set to 3 km / s, 5 km / s, and 7 km / s to simulate typical high-speed impact scenarios. These velocity ranges are highly representative and can simulate the space debris impact environment that a spacecraft may encounter during its orbital operation.

[0033] Under the aforementioned working conditions, simulation calculations were performed on the designed embedded composite protective structure and the control aluminum alloy plate, respectively. The simulation results are as follows: Figure 6 As shown in the figure, at all set velocities, the embedded energetic material composite protective structure exhibits superior protective performance compared to aluminum alloy plates of the same areal density. This is due to the synergistic effect of the energetic material and the high-resistivity metal material: the high-resistivity metal material provides strong impact resistance and initial fragment dispersion, while the embedded energetic material releases energy through deflagration during the impact, and combined with the impedance mismatch effect of the two, further weakens the kinetic energy of the fragments. Simulation results further show that the composite protective plate can still effectively protect the bulkhead when facing a 7 km / s hypersonic impact, demonstrating higher protection efficiency and reliability. In contrast, the aluminum alloy plate has a relatively weaker protective effect under the same conditions and is more easily penetrated by high-speed fragments. This indicates that the embedded energetic material space debris protection structure exhibits a more significant advantage under hypersonic impact conditions.

[0034] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. All of these forms are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An embedded energetic material space debris protection structure incorporating impedance mismatch effect, used to protect against space debris with a particle size of less than 1 cm, characterized in that, The system comprises a high-impedance metal plate and energetic material blocks, wherein the energetic material blocks are uniformly embedded within the high-impedance metal plate. The energetic material is composed of inert materials and reactive metal particles. The size of the energetic material blocks is smaller than the size of the space debris to be protected. The mechanical impedance of the high-impedance metal plate is greater than 10. 7 N·s / m 3 The energetic material block can produce a deflagration reaction when it is impacted at a speed greater than 2 km / s.

2. The embedded energetic material space debris protection structure combining impedance mismatch effect according to claim 1, characterized in that, The high-impedance metal plate is made of aluminum alloy or titanium alloy.

3. The embedded energetic material space debris protection structure combining impedance mismatch effect according to claim 1, characterized in that, The energetic material block is made of a mixture of metal and polymer.

4. The embedded energetic material space debris protection structure combining impedance mismatch effect according to claim 1, characterized in that, The energetic material block is made of an intermetallic compound.

5. The embedded energetic material space debris protection structure combining impedance mismatch effect according to claim 1, characterized in that, The energetic material block is made of PTFE / Al, THV / Ta, or Al / Ni.

6. The embedded energetic material space debris protection structure combining impedance mismatch effect according to claim 1, characterized in that, The energetic material block is a cuboid or a cylinder.

7. The embedded energetic material space debris protection structure combining impedance mismatch effect according to claim 1, characterized in that, The high-impedance metal plate is also provided with a thin metal plate on its inner side.

8. The embedded energetic material space debris protection structure combining impedance mismatch effect according to claim 7, characterized in that, The high-resistivity metal plate is integrally formed with the metal sheet.

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