Deflectable Overpressure Absorbing Layer for Enclosure Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicular and stationary enclosures are ill-equipped to prevent injuries from overpressure waves, which can occur even when the enclosure's armor is strong enough to withstand explosions, due to the overdesign required to prevent deflection and breach, leading to increased weight and cost without effectively mitigating injuries from overpressure waves.
Innovation Solution
An overpressure wave absorbing system featuring a deflectable planar layer with a matrix of protrusions covering more than fifty percent of the planar surface area, which absorbs and reduces the magnitude of incoming and reflected overpressure waves by deforming and dispersing energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If armor is over designed to prevent any deflection and/or breach of the enclosure, then protection against overpressure waves is improved, but weight and cost rapidly increase
Solution Approach 1:
The armor enclosure is divided into multiple modular segments that can independently deflect and absorb overpressure waves. This segmentation allows the armor to maintain protection while reducing overall weight, as each segment can be optimized independently and doesn't require excessive reinforcement of the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs materials and structures with variable properties that change in response to overpressure events. The armor components can dynamically alter their mechanical properties (such as stiffness or density) to optimize protection during overpressure waves while maintaining lighter weight during normal conditions.
2Reliability
If armor is over designed to prevent any deflection and/or breach of the enclosure, then protection against overpressure waves is improved, but cost rapidly increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the armor into standardized modular units, the patent enables mass production and economies of scale. Each module can be manufactured independently using optimized processes, reducing per-unit cost while maintaining overall protection effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of materials and designs with tunable parameters allows optimization of the cost-protection tradeoff. By adjusting material composition, thickness, and structural parameters, the armor achieves adequate protection at lower cost compared to over-engineered monolithic designs.
3Reliability
If overpressure relief devices are used to relieve overpressure, then occupant protection is improved, but the devices do not have immediate effect during critical period
Solution Approach 1:
The armor enclosure is pre-configured with deflection capabilities and energy-absorbing structures that are ready to immediately respond to overpressure waves. This preliminary preparation eliminates the delay associated with activating relief devices, as the armor passively deflects and absorbs pressure waves from the moment they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates energy-absorbing materials and structures within the armor that are pre-positioned to cushion occupants from overpressure effects. These cushioning elements are already in place before an explosion occurs, providing immediate protection during the critical period when relief devices would not yet be activated.
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 effectively reduces the impact of overpressure waves on occupants by absorbing a significant portion of the energy, potentially allowing for lighter and less costly armor designs while preventing injuries from both direct and reflected pressure waves.
Implementation Method 1
The deflectable planar layer with the matrix of deflectable protrusions may absorb a portion of an incoming overpressure wave and reduce a magnitude of the overpressure wave incident on the protective layer and/or reflected from the protective layer
Implementation Method 2
The deflectable planar layer with a matrix of deflectable protrusions extending there from having greater than fifty percent planar surface area... may absorb a portion of the incoming overpressure wave by deforming and dispersing energy
Data Source
AI summary
Overpressure absorbing material is positioned on the exterior of an enclosure. When an explosion occurs adjacent the enclosure, the overpressure absorbing material absorbs a large portion of an incoming overpressure wave from the explosion. The overpressure absorbing material cushions the impact of the overpressure wave against the enclosure and may prevent the incoming overpressure wave from penetrating the enclosure in sufficient magnitude to cause injury to the enclosure's occupants. The overpressure absorbing material may also be positioned on the interior of the enclosure. The overpressure wave from the explosion may enter the enclosure via a breach or other opening and may resonate within the enclosure, causing injury to the enclosure's occupants. The interior overpressure absorbing material also prevents a significant magnitude of the overpressure wave from being reflected off the interior walls of the enclosure, resonating within the enclosure, and causing injury to the enclosure's occupants.