Blast Protection Wall With Plastic Baffle

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional blast protection walls are heavy due to the need for thick corrugated or stiffened metal plates, which increases weight and reduces their effectiveness in absorbing blast energy efficiently, and they fail to adequately manage dynamic deflections caused by resonance modes excited by blast forces.

Innovation Solution

A lightweight blast protection wall design featuring a sandwich panel with fiber layers between metal plates and a mechanically plastic baffle that mediates forces between the panel and the support structure, allowing for plastic deformation to absorb blast energy and reduce structural vibrations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If thick corrugated or stiffened metal plates are used to increase wall stiffness for blast resistance, then the wall can withstand explosion forces, but the wall weight increases considerably

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveblast resistanceVSAvoidwall weight
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The wall is divided into multiple functional layers: a front corrugated plate for initial impact, a sandwich panel with fiber core for energy absorption, and a back plate for structural support. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function efficiently, reducing the need for excessively thick single-layer plates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses a composite sandwich structure combining metal plates with a fiber core material (such as aluminum foam or other porous materials). This composite construction provides high strength-to-weight ratio, achieving blast resistance while minimizing weight compared to solid metal plates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 3:

The fiber core material in the sandwich panel is a porous material that efficiently absorbs blast energy through cellular collapse and deformation. This porous structure provides superior energy absorption per unit weight compared to solid metal, resolving the contradiction between strength and weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

2Stability of the object's composition

If high wall stiffness is used to minimize dynamic deflection amplitude, then resonance modes are suppressed, but the wall mass increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeflection controlVSAvoidwall mass
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The porous fiber core material in the sandwich panel provides excellent damping characteristics that suppress resonance modes and reduce dynamic deflection amplitude. The cellular structure dissipates vibration energy efficiently, allowing for lighter wall mass while maintaining stability during dynamic loading.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The composite sandwich construction combines the stiffness of metal face plates with the damping properties of the fiber core, achieving both deflection control and reduced mass. The interface between the face plates and core material provides additional damping through friction and shear deformation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 reduces the risk of damage by absorbing blast energy through plastic deformation of the baffle, minimizing the transmission of impact pulse forces to the support structure, thus providing effective blast protection with reduced weight compared to conventional designs.

Implementation Method 1

a mechanically plastic baffle (20) connected between the sandwich wall panel and the support structure, the mechanically plastic baffle (20) allowing for plastic deformation to absorb blast energy

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPlastic deformation: Plasticity

Implementation Method 2

the sandwich wall panel comprises a layer of fibers between the first and second metal plate, the layer of fibers interconnecting the first and second metal plate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFiber reinforcement: Composite Materials

Implementation Method 3

Blast protection walls, also known as 'blast walls', are designed to maintain a closed wall surface when exposed to an air pressure surge from an explosion

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure resistance: Compression

Data Source

PatentEP3535461B1Blast protection wall
Publication Date: 2022.10.12 INTERDAM HLDG BV
  • EP3535461B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3535461B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3535461B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A blast protection wall uses a sandwich wall panel of a first and second metal plate and a layer of fibers of e.g. mineral wool between the first and second metal plate. The sandwich panel is held in place using a support structure comprising support posts. A mechanically plastic baffle connected between the support structure and the sandwich wall panel. The mechanically plastic baffle may be elastically compressible at least for small compressions, plastic compression arising for larger compression. The baffle may contain a mechanically plastic folding zone, configured to make a contact with the support structure or the sandwich wall panel only after a distance between the support structure and the sandwich wall panel is reduced by a predetermined amount by elastic compression of the baffle.