Serrated and Louvered Armor Plates for Ballistic Impact Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional armor designs face challenges in effectively deflecting and damaging a broad range of ballistic threats, particularly harder, higher-velocity projectiles, while also being heavy and brittle, which can lead to catastrophic failure and reduced effectiveness in damp environments.
Innovation Solution
The development of serrated and louvered armor plates with specific geometric configurations, including recessed and raised lands with columnar projections, and flat plates at oblique angles, which induce yaw and stress concentrations in projectiles, reducing kinetic energy and re-orienting them to enhance penetration resistance and multi-hit performance, using ductile materials to minimize weight and maximize robustness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional homogeneous metallic armor plates are used, then strength and protection capability are improved, but weight increases and brittleness occurs leading to catastrophic failure
Solution Approach 1:
The armor plate is segmented into multiple functional zones including a deformation zone with controlled defect distribution, a transition zone, and an intact zone. This segmentation allows the armor to manage projectile impact through progressive deformation rather than requiring homogeneous high-strength material throughout, reducing overall weight while maintaining protection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The armor plate implements local quality by creating a non-uniform microstructure with controlled defects concentrated in specific regions. The deformation zone contains a predetermined distribution of micro-defects that facilitate controlled deformation under impact, while other regions maintain different properties. This localized variation in material quality allows weight reduction in non-critical areas while maintaining strength where needed.
2Strength
If conventional homogeneous metallic armor plates are used, then protection capability is improved, but brittleness increases leading to catastrophic failure
Solution Approach 1:
The armor plate incorporates a deformation zone with predetermined micro-defects that act as energy absorption mechanisms before impact. These pre-engineered defects serve as 'cushioning' elements that initiate controlled deformation and dissipate impact energy through progressive yielding, preventing the catastrophic brittle failure that would occur in homogeneous high-strength materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the microstructural parameters of the armor plate by creating a non-uniform distribution of defects and phases. The deformation zone has controlled porosity, inclusion distribution, and grain structure that promote ductile behavior under impact, transforming the material's response from brittle to controlled plastic deformation and improving reliability.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If armor plates are designed to deflect and damage ballistic projectiles, then protection effectiveness is improved, but areal density increases
Solution Approach 1:
The armor plate performs preliminary action by pre-positioning a deformation zone with controlled micro-defects on the impact surface. This pre-engineered zone is designed to initiate projectile deflection and energy dissipation at the point of impact, creating a 'kill zone' that disrupts projectile integrity before it can penetrate deeper into the armor structure, thereby reducing the total material required.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite microstructure within the armor plate, combining regions with different mechanical properties. The deformation zone contains controlled defects and phase distributions that differ from the bulk material, creating a functionally graded composite structure that optimizes projectile interaction while minimizing overall areal density through localized material optimization.
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 serrated and louvered armor systems effectively deflect and damage various ballistic threats, including armor-piercing projectiles, while being lighter and more robust, with improved tolerance to multiple impacts and reduced areal density, making them suitable for vehicle, aircraft, and body armor applications.
Implementation Method 1
impacting the projectile on at least one serrated plate having a base, recessed lands, raised lands, and columnar projections extending from the recessed lands to the raised lands
Implementation Method 2
reducing a kinetic energy of the projectile and re-orienting the projectile upon rupture through the at least one serrated plate or louvered plate assembly
Implementation Method 3
re-orienting the projectile upon rupture through the at least one serrated plate or louvered plate assembly
Data Source
AI summary
An armor and a system for projectile neutralization. The armor has at least one serrated plate or louvered plate system. The serrated plate has a base, recessed lands, raised lands, and columnar projections extending from the recessed lands to the raised lands to form serrations on the serrated plate. The louvered plate system has a series of angled plates, a base, a top and a support structure connecting the louvered plates with the base and the top. The system has a serrated or louvered armor plate configured to reduce a kinetic energy of the projectile and re-orient the projectile upon rupture through the armor plate, and has a projectile-receptor configured to capture the projectile after rupture through the armor plate. Projectiles which impact on the serrated or louvered plate system have a kinetic energy thereof reduced and become re-oriented upon rupture through the serrated or louvered plate system.