I. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to material structures that include ductile, lightweight, high fatigue strength and high fracture strength characteristics. More particularly, this invention relates to a system and method for providing ease of mobility and protecting a host against an impacting ballistic element.
II. Detailed Description of the Prior Art
Many typical examples of systems, such as airplanes, spacecraft, cars, tanks, boats, buildings and personnel are subjected to ballistic impact by projectiles. For example, among others, a ballistic element includes a bullet directed at personnel, an artillery shell impacting a tank, a missile fired at a ship, a high speed particle hitting a satellite, and flying debris impacting an automobile or window. Impacts by ballistic elements often result in catastrophic or terminal damage to these systems. To mitigate or prevent impact damage, structural systems are often armored with laminates, i.e. protective layers of material deposited on the system, or are structurally composed of an anti-ballistic material.
Unfortunately, armored systems are often heavy and slow moving in that the mass density of armor typically increases with increasing ballistic protection. Thus, there exists an increased risk of detrimentally compromising the overall performance of a system as more armor is added to the system. For example, to adequately protect military aircraft from potential ballistic threats, weight from added armor protection could prevent an aircraft from maneuvering, mobilizing over long distances, or even limit the performance of basic flight operations such as taking off and landing for example. In another example, to protect a satellite system from impacts from celestial projectile particles, satellite components are often plated with armor but any increased weight from the armor would dramatically increase the cost for delivering that satellite payload into space.
All of these existing types of armor suffer from the inability to provide a lightweight material having high fatigue and fracture strength. Many typical examples that provide protection against ballistic elements include either a thick and heavy armor-type or a lighter armor type that provides easy mobility but with less ability to sustain a ballistic impact than heavy armor. Heavy armor types typically provide greater fatigue and fracture strength whereas lightweight composites provide greater mobility while often compromising fracture and fatigue strength.
Illustratively, tanks, ships, and armored personnel vehicles typically include armor often having metallic or other high density components that render such devices as bulky, heavy, and slow moving. However, to provide greater requisite mobility, lightweight armor often includes composite materials that are brittle and sacrifice the fatigue and fracture strength provided by heavy armor. Some examples of lightweight armor include protective material for aerospace applications and for personnel such as bulletproof vests and helmets.
For example, a typical tank includes heavy, bulky armor for sustaining engagement with a wide range of ballistic elements in combat. However, the weight associated with the armor often makes the tank difficult to move. For example, a tank may encounter difficulty during military maneuvers or as the tank is mobilized to the theatre front. For one specific example, a US-made M1 Abrahams tank, although ideal for sustaining projectiles at high speeds, incorporates a uranium-based armor. During mobilization to the theatre front, this armor prohibits the M1 tank from transport through ideal avenues of air and truck transport exclusively to the slower options of by ship or rail due to the extreme weight of the uranium armored tank. On the other hand, lightweight armor provides for ease of movement but often compromises the ability to sustain a greater range of projectile sizes and/or projectile speeds as that of heavier armor. Armored aircraft, such as for example tactical or strategic aircraft, require lightweight armor for optimal maneuverability through the air. For tactical aircraft, graphite-epoxy composites provide lightweight armored protection against a narrow range of projectile sizes and/or speeds.
In short, existing types of armor do not provide for the aspects of lightweight as well as high fatigue and fracture strength. Many other problems and disadvantages of the prior art will become apparent to one skilled in the art after comparing such prior art with the present invention as described herein.