Hard Armor Trade Space Analysis System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023141261-A1
Application number	US-202217862621-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 12, 2022
Priority date	Aug 6, 2021
Publication date	May 11, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A technique for determining armor weight requirements for a specific set of ballistic threats at specific stand-offs or velocities allows for the selection of armor that is not excessively heavy, thus improving mobility, comfort, and survivability.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of selecting an armor system based on a threat having a given velocity, the method comprising:
providing a database comprising (1) a listing of armor plates, each having associated therewith a mass, an area, and an energy per armor area, E a ; and (2) a listing of ballistic threats, each having associated therewith data sufficient to determine threat projected energy, E n , presented by the threat at a provided velocity, wherein E n is a kinetic energy of the threat at said velocity divided by a projected area of the threat; receiving an input comprising a threat and a threat velocity; determining a threat E n of the threat at the threat velocity; comparing the threat E n to the E a of the armor plates to obtain a group of armor plates each having an E a greater than or equal to the threat E n ; determining the toughness of each armor plate in the group based on the values stored in the database for the plate's mass, area, and energy per armor area; and then providing an output listing comprising armor requirements to defeat the threat at the threat velocity.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) said data sufficient to determine E n comprises a threat maximum diameter and a threat mass, and said determining E n at said threat velocity comprises calculating said kinetic energy of the threat and said projected area of the threat; or (b) said data sufficient to determine E n comprises values for threat kinetic energy E and/or threat projected energy E n that have already been determined for at least one threat velocity.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said comparing step involves a safety factor to ensure that, for each armor plate in said group, E a is sufficiently greater than said threat E n .

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said input comprises inputting a set of multiple threats and further comprising determining which threat in the set has the greatest E n , and then using said greatest E n in said comparing step.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said output listing comprises a minimum plate weight set of a given size to defeat the threat.

6 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein said input comprises inputting a set of multiple threats and further comprising determining which threat in the set has the greatest E n , and then using said greatest E n in said comparing step; and wherein said output listing comprises a list of all armor plates in said group and an identification of the threat from the set with the greatest E n .

7 . A method of selecting an armor system based on a threat having a given standoff distance, the method comprising:
providing a database comprising (1) a listing of armor plates, each having associated therewith a mass, an area, and an energy per armor area E a ; and (2) a listing of ballistic threats, each having associated therewith ballistics information sufficient to determine a threat velocity at a given standoff distance and data sufficient to determine threat projected energy, E n , presented by the threat at a given velocity, wherein E n is a kinetic energy of the threat divided by a projected area of the threat; receiving an input comprising a threat and a standoff distance; determining a threat velocity from the standoff distance; determining a threat E n of the threat at the threat velocity; comparing the threat E n to the E a of the armor plates to obtain a group of armor plates each having an E a greater than the threat E n ; determining the toughness of each armor plate in the group based on the values stored in the database for the plate's mass, area, and energy per armor area; and then providing an output listing comprising armor requirements to defeat the threat at the standoff distance.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:
(a) said data sufficient to determine E n comprises a threat maximum diameter and a threat mass, and said determining E n at said threat velocity comprises calculating said kinetic energy of the threat and said projected area of the threat; or (b) said data sufficient to determine E n comprises values for threat kinetic energy E and/or threat projected energy E n that have already been determined for at least one threat velocity.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said comparing step involves a safety factor to ensure that, for each armor plate in said group, E a is sufficiently greater than said threat E n .

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said input comprises inputting a set of multiple threats and further comprising determining which threat in the set has the greatest E n , and then using said greatest E n in said comparing step.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said output listing comprises a list of all armor plates in said group.

12 . The method of claim 7 ,
wherein said input comprises inputting a set of multiple threats and further comprising determining which threat in the set has the greatest E n , and then using said greatest E n in said comparing step; and wherein said output listing comprises a list of all armor plates in said group and an identification of the threat from the set with the greatest E n .

13 . A method of selecting an armor system based on a threat at muzzle velocity, the method comprising:
providing a database comprising (1) a listing of armor plates, each having associated therewith a mass, an area, and an energy per armor area, E a ; and (2) a listing of ballistic threats, each having associated therewith data sufficient to determine threat projected energy, E n , at a muzzle velocity of the threat; receiving an input comprising a threat; determining a threat E n of the threat at the threat muzzle velocity; comparing the threat E n to the E a of the armor plates to obtain a group of armor plates each having an E a greater than the threat E n ; determining the toughness of each armor plate in the group based on values stored in the database for the plate's mass, area, and an energy per armor area; and then providing an output listing comprising the armor plate in the group having the greatest toughness.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said data sufficient to determine E n comprises a threat maximum diameter, a threat mass, and said threat muzzle velocity, and said determining E n comprises calculating said kinetic energy of the threat and said projected area of the threat.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said comparing step involves a safety factor to ensure that, for each armor plate in said group, E a is sufficiently greater than said threat E n .

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said input comprises inputting a set of multiple threats and further comprising determining which threat in the set has the greatest E n , and then using said greatest E n in said comparing step.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said output listing comprises a list of all armor plates in said group.

18 . The method of claim 13 ,
wherein said input comprises inputting a set of multiple threats and further comprising determining which threat in the set has the greatest E n , and then using said greatest E n in said comparing step; and wherein said output listing comprises a list of all armor plates in said group and an identification of the threat from the set with the greatest E n .

Assignees

• Us Gov Sec Navy

Inventors

• Moser Alex E
• Pierce Nicholas D
• Stephens Cherelda V

Classifications

• F41H5/00 Primary

  Armour; Armour plates (processes for manufacturing or treating B21, C21, {heat treatment C21D9/42; wall or panel structure for safes E05G1/024}) · CPC title

• G06F16/24575 Primary

  using context · CPC title