Interlocking Ceramic Cross-Pellets for Ballistic Armor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ceramic-based armors are limited by their brittleness, leading to disintegration upon impact and reduced effectiveness against multiple hits, and existing composite materials face challenges with weight, cost, manufacturing complexity, and insufficient properties such as impact resistance and heat transfer.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight ballistic armor system utilizing interlocking ceramic cross-pellets with a repeating cross-section design, supported by a polymer resin and flexible structure, which minimizes open space between pellets to enhance energy dissipation and structural integrity, while incorporating materials like alumina and boron carbide for improved toughness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If ceramic materials are used for armor applications, then hardness and lightweight properties are improved, but impact resistance and toughness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The ceramic armor is divided into multiple small spherical pellets arranged in a matrix, rather than using a single solid ceramic plate. This segmentation allows individual pellets to fracture independently upon impact, preventing catastrophic failure of the entire armor structure and enabling multiple hit capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure combining ceramic pellets with a polymer matrix material. The ceramic provides hardness and ballistic resistance, while the polymer matrix provides toughness and ductility, allowing the composite to absorb impact energy through both ceramic fragmentation and polymer deformation.
2Weight of moving object
If ceramic materials are used for armor applications, then lightweight properties are improved, but repeat hit capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the ceramic into multiple small pellets, each pellet can be independently replaced after fracture. The polymer matrix holds the pellets in place and allows for economical replacement of only the damaged pellet row, enabling repeat hit capability without sacrificing lightweight properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows for selective replacement of fractured ceramic pellets while retaining the intact polymer matrix and undamaged pellets. This partial replacement strategy maintains lightweight properties while restoring protective capability after ballistic events.
3Reliability
If traditional ceramic tile armor is used, then ballistic protection is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The armor is manufactured as modular panels with standardized pellet arrangements. Each panel can be independently produced and assembled, simplifying manufacturing and enabling parallel production to reduce complexity and cost while maintaining ballistic protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental parameters of ceramic armor from solid tiles to spherical pellets in a matrix, which fundamentally alters the manufacturing process to be simpler and more cost-effective while maintaining or improving ballistic protection characteristics.
4Reliability
If existing composite armor designs are used, then protection capabilities are improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the composite structure by using small spherical ceramic pellets with high surface-area-to-volume ratio, which provides superior ballistic protection per unit weight compared to traditional solid ceramic tiles or large pellet configurations, thereby improving protection capabilities while reducing weight.
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 armor system effectively dissipates kinetic energy from high-velocity projectiles, offering improved impact resistance, reduced weight, and lower manufacturing costs, while maintaining structural strength and flexibility, making it suitable for tactical vehicles and body armor applications.
Implementation Method 1
The armor system effectively dissipates kinetic energy from high-velocity projectiles
Implementation Method 2
Ballistic resistant armor is used in many applications including, for example, protection of vehicles and persons from ballistic threats
Implementation Method 3
an array of interlocking ceramic cross-pellets of repeating shape
Implementation Method 4
supported by a polymer resin and flexible structure
Data Source
AI summary
An armor uses optimally shaped ceramic cross-pellets and a matrix for containing the cross-pellets. The armor comprises front and back plates and an array of interlocking ceramic cross-pellets of repeating shape between front and back plates. Each cross-pellet may have a horizontal cross-section in the shape of a cross and comprises a center and four fingers projecting therefrom. Each cross-pellet in a non-peripheral portion of the array may be supported by fingers of other cross-pellets which may include two fingers from each of four other cross-pellets. The result is lightweight, composite hybrid structure. The dense, hard armor has good fracture toughness, hardness and a high capacity to absorb impacts for ballistic protection particularly suited to tactical ground vehicles. Valley spaced is minimized. A polymer resin may be situated in spaces between the ceramic cross-pellets and between the array and at least one of the back plate and front plate.