Lightweight Multi-layer Arch-structured Armor Energy Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional armor systems face challenges in achieving a balance between lightweight design, high load capacity, and energy absorption while maintaining structural integrity under dynamic loads, as they often compromise on toughness, stiffness, and affordability due to limitations in 2D and 3D composite materials.
Innovation Solution
The development of a Lightweight Multi-layer Arch-structured Armor (LMAR) that incorporates arch-shaped mesoscopic structural elements with reinforce plates and a filling material, allowing for enhanced flexibility and energy absorption by smearing out localized deformations and dissipating impact energy, while maintaining global structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If conventional 2D and 3D composite materials are used for armor systems, then structural integrity can be maintained, but weight reduction and energy absorption capacity are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies arch-shaped curved structures instead of flat plates. The arch geometry naturally distributes stress along its curve, enhancing load-bearing capacity and energy absorption while using thinner, lighter materials. The curvature allows the structure to deflect impact forces more effectively than conventional flat composite armor.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses multi-layer composite construction combining different materials with complementary properties. The arch structure incorporates metal layers for strength, polymer layers for flexibility and energy absorption, and potentially ceramic or other specialized materials. This multi-material approach achieves weight reduction while maintaining or enhancing structural integrity compared to single-material conventional armor.
2Strength
If conventional armor systems are designed for high load capacity, then protection performance is improved, but weight increases and energy absorption capacity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The armor is divided into multiple thin layers with different material properties rather than using a single thick layer. Each layer serves a specific function: metal layers provide structural strength, polymer layers provide flexibility and energy dissipation through deformation. This segmentation allows the total weight to be optimized while achieving the required load capacity through cooperative behavior of layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes key parameters including material composition ratios, layer thicknesses, and arch geometry parameters to optimize the strength-to-weight ratio. By carefully controlling these parameters, the armor achieves high load capacity with minimal weight, surpassing conventional designs that use uniform thick plates.
3Weight of moving object
If conventional armor systems are designed for lightweight construction, then weight is reduced, but toughness and stiffness are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The multi-layer composite structure combines materials with complementary mechanical properties. Metal arches provide stiffness and structural integrity, while polymer layers provide toughness and energy absorption through plastic deformation. This composite approach ensures that weight reduction does not compromise toughness, as the polymer layers specifically address this property while keeping weight low.
4Loss of energy
If arch-shaped structures are used to improve energy absorption, then impact resistance is enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex arch structure is divided into multiple flat or slightly curved layers that can be manufactured separately using conventional techniques. Each layer can be cut, formed, and prepared independently, then assembled into the final arch configuration. This segmentation makes manufacturing easier compared to attempting to form a single complex three-dimensional arch structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple simple layers are combined to create the functional arch structure. The assembly process merges separately manufactured components into the final energy-absorbing configuration. This approach allows standard manufacturing techniques to be used for each layer while achieving the energy absorption benefits of arch geometry through the combined 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
LMAR achieves improved energy absorption and resistance to blasts and penetrations with reduced weight, preventing shear band formation and maintaining structural integrity, making it suitable for military and civilian applications with potential for cost-effective mass production.
Implementation Method 1
allowing for enhanced flexibility and energy absorption by smearing out localized deformations and dissipating impact energy
Implementation Method 2
The implant of a filling material does not compromise the advantages associated with the cellular characters enhanced to the composite
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a class of arch-structured, multi-layer, lightweight composites with high capacity to absorb and disperse single or multiple incoming objects with associated energy flux that directly strikes onto one side of the composite, so as minimize the impact and possible damage to the objects behind another side of the composite, wherein the upcoming moving objects can be projectiles, or an upcoming shock wave front produced by blasts, or the impact during a collision, for examples, a crush-landing of an air-vehicle and the impact of heavy truck's wheel to a bridge's deck. This class of composite is termed “Lightweight Multi-layer Arch-structured Composite”, in short, LMAR, which implements the art of arch bridges' design into the art of mesoscopic structural design of the composites, allowing optimized combination in geometries and materials to gain desired physical properties and to manufacture with affordable cost.