Multi-Composite Armor Areal Density Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ballistic resistant composite armor struggles to achieve a balance between superior ballistic penetration resistance and low backface signature, with conventional solutions often resulting in excessive bulk and weight, which is unsuitable for body armor applications.
Innovation Solution
A multi-composite article comprising non-woven fibrous plies with unidirectionally oriented high-strength fibers, where each ply has a unique longitudinal fiber direction relative to adjacent plies, and an areal density distribution that prioritizes the first composite as the strike face with greater than 50% of the total combined areal density, enhancing both ballistic penetration resistance and reducing backface signature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If energy absorbing backing materials (foams or honeycomb) are coupled with high V50 fabric composites to reduce backface deformation, then backface signature is reduced, but the armor articles gain excessive bulk and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of backface deformation by using high strength fibers with tenacity ≥7 g/denier and tensile modulus ≥150 g/denier, combined with specific areal density distribution (>50% in first composite), to achieve low backface signature without energy-absorbing foams, thus avoiding the weight and bulk penalty
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction with multiple non-woven fibrous plies having different fiber orientations (non-parallel longitudinal directions) and combines them in a layered structure with specific areal density ratios, creating a composite material system that simultaneously achieves high V50 and low backface signature
2Strength
If fiber strength properties (tenacity and tensile modulus) are increased to improve V50 ballistic performance, then penetration resistance is improved, but backface signature reduction is not correspondingly improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different functional zones within the armor: the first composite with higher areal density (>50% of total) serves as the primary strike face for ballistic resistance, while the multi-ply construction with non-parallel fiber orientations provides localized stiffness and deformation control to reduce backface signature
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials with multiple fiber plies having non-parallel longitudinal directions, where each ply contributes differently to the overall performance - some plies optimize for V50 while the layered non-parallel structure optimizes for backface signature reduction
3Strength
If conventional fibrous composites are used to achieve ballistic penetration resistance, then V50 performance is obtained, but backface signature remains high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the parameters of fiber selection (tenacity ≥7 g/denier, tensile modulus ≥150 g/denier) and areal density distribution (>50% in first composite) to simultaneously achieve high V50 and low backface signature, moving beyond conventional composite designs
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a sophisticated composite structure with multiple non-woven plies with non-parallel fiber orientations, where the interaction between plies creates a structure that dissipates impact energy more effectively, reducing backface signature while maintaining penetration resistance
Data Source
AI summary
Ballistic resistant composite articles that are resistant to both backface deformation and ballistic penetration. Multiple composites are attached to each other such that fibers in each adjacent composite are oriented at different angles. Each composite has an areal density of at least about 100 g/m2 wherein the areal density of the strike face composite is greater than half of the total areal density of overall multi-composite article.