Amphibious Armor Jacket Striking and Buoyancy Foam
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing armor systems for military amphibious vehicles, such as the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle and Marine Personnel Carrier, are inadequate in protecting occupants from various caliber rounds and armor-piercing projectiles like 7.62 mm or 14.5 mm bullets or bomb fragments.
Innovation Solution
A buoyant armor system featuring a laminate-reinforced strike face with a hardness greater than 640 Brinell to strip the jacket off incoming rounds, an inner laminate-reinforced strike face to fragment the core, and a thick low-density foam layer for dispersion and buoyancy, providing enhanced protection and floatation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing armor systems are used for amphibious vehicles, then the vehicle structure is simple, but the protection against armor-piercing projectiles is inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The armor system is divided into multiple functional layers: an outer laminate-reinforced strike face for jacket stripping, an inner laminate-reinforced strike face for core fragmentation, and a thick foam layer for dispersion and buoyancy. Each layer performs a specific function to progressively neutralize the projectile threat.
Solution Approach 2:
The armor system uses composite materials including laminate-reinforced steel strike faces with hardness greater than 640 Brinell and thick low-density foam layers. This combination provides both ballistic protection and buoyancy, addressing multiple requirements simultaneously.
2Reliability
If thicker foam layers are added for buoyancy, then buoyancy is improved, but the armor thickness and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The armor system incorporates thick low-density foam layers that provide buoyancy while maintaining a relatively low weight increase. The foam's porous structure allows it to disperse projectile fragments effectively while contributing to the overall buoyancy of the amphibious vehicle.
3Reliability
If harder strike faces are used to strip projectile jackets, then projectile neutralization is improved, but the strike face becomes more brittle
Solution Approach 1:
The strike faces are made from laminate-reinforced materials with hardness greater than 640 Brinell. The laminate reinforcement provides the necessary toughness to prevent brittle failure while maintaining the hardness required for effective jacket stripping and core fragmentation of armor-piercing projectiles.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The armor system effectively disperses and neutralizes projectile fragments, reducing their impact on the vehicle hull while providing buoyancy, meeting STANAG Level III and IV threat requirements and protecting occupants from high-velocity projectiles.
Implementation Method 1
an outer, laminate reinforced strike face having a hardness greater than 640 Brinell and configured to strip the jacket of a projectile as it passes through the strike face
Implementation Method 2
foam greater than 40 mm thick is disposed behind the strike face and is configured to disperse the round and/or its fragments
Implementation Method 3
foam greater than 40 mm thick is disposed behind the strike face and is configured to disperse the round and/or its fragments and also to provide buoyancy to the armor
Data Source
AI summary
Buoyant armor for jacketed rounds includes an outer, laminate reinforced strike face having a hardness greater than 640 Brinell. The strike face is configured to strip the jacket off a projectile as it passes through the strike face and to rotate the projectile. An inner, laminate reinforced strike face is separated from the outer, laminate reinforced strike face by a spacer layer. Foam greater than 40 mm thick is disposed behind the inner strike face and is configured to disperse a round and/or its fragments and to provide buoyancy to the armor.