Inflatable Enclosure for Shock Wave Attenuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing countermeasures are inadequate in mitigating the destructive effects of shock waves generated by explosive ordnance, particularly for personnel and lighter vehicles, as they are either ineffective or excessively heavy and cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A system involving an inflatable enclosure filled with gas at a pressure and temperature different from ambient, positioned between the shock wave and the protected region, which reflects, refracts, and absorbs the shock wave, using sensors to detect incoming threats and rapidly inflate the enclosure to intercept the shock wave before it reaches the protected area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If armor is applied to vehicles to protect against shrapnel, then protection effectiveness is improved, but vehicle weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an inflatable enclosure made of flexible material that can be rapidly deployed to protect vehicles from shock waves. This thin-film approach provides protection without the weight penalty of traditional rigid armor, directly resolving the contradiction between protection effectiveness and vehicle weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective system transitions from a static rigid armor to a dynamic inflatable enclosure that can be rapidly inflated and deflated as needed. This dynamic approach allows the vehicle to carry lightweight protective structures that only become active when threats are detected, maintaining protection effectiveness while minimizing weight.
2Reliability
If heavy armor is applied to vehicles to withstand shock waves, then protection effectiveness is improved, but vehicle mobility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable enclosure uses flexible thin-film structures that provide shock wave protection without the mass of heavy armor. This enables vehicles to maintain their mobility and speed while gaining protective capabilities against shock waves from explosive ordnance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses pneumatic inflation to rapidly deploy protective enclosures around vehicles. This allows the protection system to be lightweight yet effective, as the pressurized gas provides structural integrity without adding significant weight, thereby preserving vehicle mobility.
3Reliability
If body armor is worn by individuals to protect against shrapnel, then protection effectiveness is improved, but coverage completeness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable enclosure acts as an intermediary protective structure between the explosive threat and the personnel inside. This external protective barrier provides comprehensive coverage for all personnel within the enclosure, eliminating the need for individuals to wear partial body armor and leaving no unprotected portions.
4Reliability
If stationary structures are hardened to withstand shock waves, then protection effectiveness is improved, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces static hardened structures with dynamic inflatable enclosures that can be rapidly deployed and removed as needed. This reduces structural complexity by using simple inflatable membranes instead of complex hardened concrete or steel structures, while maintaining protection effectiveness through rapid deployment capabilities.
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 system effectively diminishes the impact of shock waves on protected regions by reflecting, refracting, and absorbing the energy, providing rapid deployment and lightweight, portable protection against explosive threats.
Implementation Method 1
the enclosure and/or the gas it contains diminish the effect of the shock wave on the protected region by reflecting at least a portion of the shock wave
Implementation Method 2
refracting and defocusing at least a portion of the shock wave
Implementation Method 3
absorbing at least a portion of the shock wave
Implementation Method 4
The differences in temperature and pressure of the volume of gas in the inflated enclosure from ambient may change the refractive index at the boundary between ambient air in which the shock wave travels and the gas within the inflated enclosure
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 3~5
Figure 6
AI summary
According to an embodiment, a method for attenuating shock waves (42) may include detecting at least one of an incoming hostile threat (40) or electromagnetic radiation from an explosion (38) from the hostile threat (40) and filling an enclosure with a gas, the enclosure being positioned between the explosion (38) and a region to be protected. According to one embodiment, a system may include a sensor (22, 24) configured to detect at least one of the direction of an incoming threat and an explosion (38) from the incoming threat, an inflatable enclosure (26), and an inflation device (12) configured to receive a trigger signal from the sensor (22, 24) indicating the arrival of the threat or explosion from the threat and inflate the inflatable enclosure (26) in time to allow the inflated enclosure (26) to reflect, absorb and/or refract and defocus at least a portion of the shock wave (42) from the explosion (38) before it reaches the protected region (44).