Transparent Armor Using Refractive Index Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laminated transparent armor is prone to lateral tearing or bursting upon impact, offering limited multi-hit protection, is heavy due to thickness requirements, and has limited design flexibility and transparency issues, making it unsuitable for applications like military vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A composite armor comprising transparent pellets embedded in a visco-elastic polymer matrix with matching refractive indices, forming a monolithic structure for enhanced transparency and mechanical properties, including a backing layer of the same polymer class for improved integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If laminated transparent armour is made thicker to provide adequate antiballistic protection, then protection level is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite structure consisting of a hard transparent material layer (providing scratch resistance and initial impact protection) bonded to a transparent resilient material layer (absorbing impact energy). This composite approach achieves adequate antiballistic protection with reduced thickness compared to conventional single-layer laminated armour, thereby reducing weight while maintaining protection level.
2Reliability
If laminated transparent armour is made thicker to provide adequate antiballistic protection, then protection level is improved, but thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure of hard transparent material and resilient transparent material layers provides adequate antiballistic protection with optimized thickness. The hard layer handles surface impacts and scratching while the resilient layer absorbs penetration energy, achieving protection requirements with thinner overall construction than conventional laminated armour.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional laminated armour is used, then manufacturing is simpler, but transparency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the refractive index of the transparent materials used in both the hard and resilient layers to match each other and to glass, minimizing optical distortion and maximizing transparency. This parameter optimization allows the armour to maintain high transparency (luminous transmission 85% or more) while using the simpler composite layer structure.
4Device complexity
If conventional laminated armour is used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but multi-hit protection is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure with hard transparent material layer and resilient transparent material layer provides superior multi-hit protection. The resilient layer absorbs and dissipates impact energy from multiple projectiles, preventing lateral tearing and bursting that plagues conventional laminated armour. This maintains structural simplicity while dramatically improving reliability against multiple impacts.
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 provides lightweight, thin, and transparent armor with improved multi-hit protection, maintaining high transparency and allowing for complex shapes, as demonstrated by successful ballistic tests and manufacturing examples.
Implementation Method 1
the ratio of the refractive index of the pellets to the refractive index of the polymeric material is in the range of 0.9:1 to 1.1:1
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 1D~1F
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a transparent armour suitable for providing ballistic protection from an impacting projectile, the armour comprising a plurality of transparent pellets (1) arranged in a layer and embedded in a transparent matrix (2), wherein the ratio of the refractive index of the pellets (1) to the refractive index of the matrix (2) is in the range of 0.9:1 to 1.1:1.