Blast Resistant Vehicle Hull With Venting Channel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicles designed to mitigate explosive blasts are heavy and large, limiting their tactical utility and transportability, while existing blast attenuators are volumetrically inefficient and increase vehicle size, making them more susceptible to artillery hits and reducing internal space.
Innovation Solution
A blast resistant vehicle hull featuring a blast channel system with a funnel, nozzle, and transit tube that vents pressure waves and accelerates gases to reduce upward force, incorporating throat features to enhance downward force resistance, thereby minimizing vehicle lift and maintaining a compact size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thick steel plate armor is added to protect the vehicle from blast penetration, then the protective capability is improved, but the vehicle weight increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from solid steel plate to a cellular metal structure with controlled porosity (10-90% porosity). This parameter change allows the material to maintain protective capability while reducing weight, as the cellular structure provides energy absorption and blast attenuation without requiring the mass of solid armor plate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction by combining cellular metal with traditional armor materials. The cellular metal layer serves as a blast attenuator that absorbs explosive energy, while the remaining structure provides structural integrity and protection. This composite approach achieves protective capability with reduced overall weight compared to solid steel armor of equivalent protection level.
2Reliability
If crushable elements such as honeycomb, foam, or corrugated panels are added to absorb blast waves, then the blast absorption capability is improved, but the vehicle volume increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state and density parameters of the protective material by using cellular metal with controlled porosity (10-90%). This allows the material to provide effective blast absorption in a much more compact form factor compared to traditional crushable elements like foam or honeycomb, which require large volumes to achieve equivalent energy dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent directly applies porous cellular metal material as the blast attenuator. The porous structure provides numerous internal surfaces and pathways that dissipate blast energy through friction, turbulence, and material deformation, achieving effective blast absorption in a compact volume. The porosity level can be optimized to balance blast absorption efficiency with material density and structural requirements.
3Reliability
If blast attenuators are added to protect the vehicle, then the protective capability is improved, but the overall vehicle size increases, reducing transportability and internal space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the density and porosity parameters of the protective material to achieve high blast attenuation efficiency in a thin profile. The cellular metal structure with 10-90% porosity provides effective blast protection while maintaining a compact thickness, allowing the vehicle to maintain its original size envelope and transportability while gaining protective capability.
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 solution results in a lighter-weight vehicle that effectively withstands blasts with reduced upward force, maintaining maneuverability and internal space, while being less likely to be launched by explosive events, and is compatible with existing transportation equipment.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure wave produced by an explosion beneath the vehicle is vented through the vehicle via the blast channel to reduce the upward force of the explosion upon the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
Accelerating gases produced by explosion 201 are emitted from outlet nozzle 119 to inhibit vehicle lifting and upward movement
Data Source
AI summary
A blast resistant vehicle hull includes an enclosure and a blast channel extending between and through a lower, outer surface of the enclosure and a surface of the enclosure other than the lower, outer surface of the enclosure. A vehicle includes a blast resistant vehicle hull. The blast resistant vehicle hull includes an enclosure and a blast channel extending between and through a lower, outer surface of the enclosure and a surface of the enclosure other than the lower, outer surface of the enclosure.