Liquid-Filled Blast Reducing Structure for Lightweight Shielding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blast reducing structures are ineffective in mitigating the harmful forces of blast waves without significant increases in mass or size, and they often fail to provide comprehensive protection against the growing threat of bomb blasts, which poses a risk to buildings and their occupants.
Innovation Solution
A blast reducing structure featuring a web configuration with energy-absorbing liquids, where the webs collapse in response to impact pulses, dissipating energy through liquid-structural friction and internal energy release, thereby reducing the impact of blast waves without substantial mass or size increments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional solid structure designs are used to withstand blast waves, then structural strength is improved, but mass and size increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the filling material from solid to liquid, exploiting the liquid's ability to flow and redistribute under blast loading. This parameter change allows the structure to absorb blast energy through liquid motion and pressure redistribution rather than relying solely on solid material strength, thereby reducing mass while maintaining protection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs hydraulic principles by filling the hollow chambers with liquid material. The liquid acts as a hydraulic medium that transmits and redistributes blast pressures uniformly throughout the structure, providing protective effect without requiring heavy solid reinforcement. The liquid's incompressibility and flow characteristics enable effective energy dissipation
2Weight of stationary object
If hollow structures are used to reduce mass, then weight is reduced, but ability to withstand localized intense blast pressures decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential weakness of hollow structures into a strength by filling them with liquid material. The liquid transforms the harmful concentrated blast pressures into beneficial distributed hydrostatic pressures, where the incompressible liquid transmits forces uniformly to the structure walls, preventing localized failure while maintaining lightweight construction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite system combining the structural framework with liquid filling material. This composite approach integrates the mechanical strength of the structure with the pressure-redistributing properties of the liquid, achieving both lightweight construction and enhanced blast resistance through the synergistic interaction of different materials
3Strength
If liquid filling is used to absorb energy, then blast resistance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the protective structure into multiple hollow chambers or cells that are separately filled with liquid material. This segmentation allows each chamber to independently absorb and dissipate blast energy through liquid motion, while the modular design simplifies construction and maintenance. The segmented approach also prevents catastrophic failure propagation across the entire structure
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 structure effectively absorbs and redirects blast energy, reducing the risk of damage and casualties by dissipating energy through liquid flow and structural collapse, providing enhanced shielding capabilities while maintaining a lightweight design.
Implementation Method 1
An energy absorbing liquid is disposed in the volume, such that the first section, the second section, and the interconnecting section cooperate to collapse in response to an impact pulse, thereby dissipating energy associated with the impact pulse
Data Source
AI summary
A blast reducing structure having a first web and a second web. Each of the webs having a first section defining a first plane, a second section defining a second plane, the second plane being generally parallel to the first plane, an interconnecting section interconnecting the first section to the second section. The first web is disposed in mirrored relationship to the second web to define a volume. An energy absorbing liquid is disposed in the volume, such that the first section, the second section, and the interconnecting section cooperate to collapse in response to an impact pulse, thereby dissipating force associated with the impact pulse. Alternate volumes may be air-filled so as to accept the expelled liquid.