Segmented Ceramic Armor Voids for Multi-Hit Ballistic Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ceramic armors lack multi-hit capability due to energy dissipation through cracking and disintegration upon repeated impacts, and existing solutions like air gaps add weight and complicate production.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating defined voids, such as slits, into the ceramic element to control damage, attenuate shock waves, and isolate adjacent tiles, allowing for multiple impacts without performance degradation, eliminating the need for individual tiles and simplifying production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If ceramic armor is made thicker to resist penetration, then penetration resistance is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ceramic element is divided into multiple segments by defining voids (slits or channels) that partition the ceramic material. This segmentation allows the armor to maintain penetration resistance while reducing the overall amount of ceramic material needed, thereby reducing weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The voids are strategically positioned within the ceramic element to create local variations in material distribution. This allows the ceramic to be concentrated in areas where penetration resistance is most needed while reducing material in areas where it is less critical, optimizing the strength-to-weight ratio.
2Strength
If ceramic armor is designed for single-hit performance, then initial impact resistance is improved, but multi-hit capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The ceramic element is segmented into multiple independent sections by voids, so that when one segment is damaged by a projectile impact, the damage is contained within that segment and does not propagate to adjacent segments. This allows the armor to withstand multiple hits as other intact segments remain functional.
Solution Approach 2:
Voids are extracted from the ceramic material to create separation between ceramic segments. These voids act as damage containment barriers, preventing crack propagation between segments and enabling the armor to maintain reliability after one segment is compromised by a hit.
3Reliability
If air gaps are added between ceramic tiles to improve multi-hit performance, then multi-hit capability is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The voids are integrated directly into the ceramic element itself during manufacturing, rather than being added as separate components between tiles. This merging of the void structure with the ceramic material simplifies production by eliminating the need for separate tiling and gap-management operations, while still achieving multi-hit performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The voids serve multiple functions simultaneously: they segment the ceramic to contain damage, they reduce the overall weight of the armor, and they simplify production by being built-in during ceramic manufacturing. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for additional components like air gaps between tiles.
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 solution enhances multi-hit performance by reducing cracking and propagation, maintaining ballistic efficiency, and simplifying production, while maintaining lightweight and durable armor suitable for personal protection.
Implementation Method 1
The defined void in the ceramic element may (1) attenuate shock waves
Implementation Method 2
They function efficiently by shattering the hard core of a projectile during impact on the ceramic material
Data Source
AI summary
A ballistic structure for armor with improved multi-hit behavior includes at least a ceramic element and at least one defined void in the ceramic element to separate the ceramic element into separate ballistic segments. The defined void is, for example, a slit of given depth and width.