Elastomer-Coated Armor Plate for Ship Blast Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ship hull designs face challenges in effectively mitigating damage from explosive projectiles, as conventional armor technologies are heavy, costly, and brittle, making them unsuitable for widespread use in ships, and fail to adequately address the combination of blast and fragment resistance.
Innovation Solution
A blast and fragment resistant wall section comprising a pair of ductile metal layers with elastomeric material in between, where the armor steel plate 'floats' between these layers, allowing for increased resistance to fragments and maintaining structural integrity without significant load transfer during blasts or impacts, and can be assembled in situ to minimize weight and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional armor technologies (hard grade steel, ceramics, fabrics of strong fibers) are used to protect against high velocity fragments, then fragment resistance is improved, but weight and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure consisting of an armor plate with an elastomer coating layer. The elastomer material has different mechanical properties than the hard armor plate, creating a composite system that combines the high strength of the armor plate with the energy-absorbing characteristics of the elastomer, achieving fragment resistance without requiring excessive weight
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical and mechanical parameters of the protective system by introducing an elastomer coating with specific properties (thickness, modulus, density) that differ from conventional rigid armor materials. This parameter change allows the system to mitigate fragment impact through mechanisms other than pure structural strength, reducing the required weight
2Strength
If hard materials are used for armor plates to resist fragments, then fragment resistance is improved, but the materials become brittle and vulnerable to pressure surge from explosions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from rigid hard materials to elastomeric materials with appropriate elasticity and toughness. This parameter change enables the armor plate to respond to pressure surge through elastic deformation rather than brittle failure, improving reliability under explosive loading while maintaining fragment resistance
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure of armor plate plus elastomer coating creates a system where the elastomer layer absorbs and distributes pressure surge loads, preventing stress concentration that would cause brittle failure of the hard armor plate, thereby improving overall reliability
3Reliability
If armored bulkheads are installed to provide blast and fragment protection, then protection effectiveness is improved, but the number of plates required increases leading to higher costs and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomer-coated armor plate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides fragment resistance through the hard armor plate, absorbs blast pressure through elastomer deformation, and can be integrated with ship structural elements. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate protective components, simplifying the overall system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the armor plate and elastomer coating into a single integrated protective element that can be directly installed as part of the ship's bulkhead structure. This merging reduces the total number of separate components and simplifies installation compared to conventional multi-layer armored systems
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 provides enhanced protection against high-speed fragments and pressure pulses by allowing the ductile metal layers to stretch independently of the armor steel plate, reducing deformation and penetration risks while maintaining structural functionality, as demonstrated by experimental resistance to simulated fragment projectiles.
Implementation Method 1
Roland et al note that the origin of blast and ballistic mitigation remains to be fully understood, but they mention energy absorption by rubber and strain delocalization
Implementation Method 2
Roland et al note that the origin of blast and ballistic mitigation remains to be fully understood, but they mention energy absorption by rubber and strain delocalization
Implementation Method 3
By coating the plate, a layer is formed that has no rigidity of its own, but is attached everywhere to the armor plate, so that it stretches everywhere together with the armor plate. The coating serves to increase penetration resistance.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A protective wall for use in a structure such as a ship comprises a first and second metal layer, with an armor plate in between and layers of elastomeric material between the armor plate and the first and second metal layer respectively. The first and second metal layer having a higher ductility than the armor plate, the armor plate being mounted between the first and second metal layer in a way that allows the first and second metal layers to stretch relative to armor steel plate at least in response to forces resulting from impact by fragments from an explosion. When an explosion occurs in a space bounded by the protective wall, the first and second metal layer deflect under the pressure pulses due to blasts, stretching relative to the armor plate. The armor plate blocks high speed fragments. The elastomeric material has a double function: it increases the resistance of the armor plate to fragments and it allows for separation of the armor plate from the first and second metal layer, allowing them to stretch.