Electric reactive armour

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9897418-B2
Application number	US-201515315917-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2015
Priority date	Jun 2, 2014
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

An electric reactive armor ( 10 ) comprises a first electrode ( 1 ) and a second electrode ( 2 ) spaced apart from the first electrode, to which electrodes ( 1, 2 ) a high voltage can be applied so as to disrupt a charge contacting the electrodes. The second electrode ( 2 ) comprises an electrically conductive structure ( 21 ) having a plurality of surfaces ( 22 ) embedded in an insulating material ( 23 ), such that the charge jet penetrates successive surfaces of the electrically conductive structure. The electrically conductive structure ( 21 ) comprises a meandering structure and/or a structure of linked cavities, such as a honeycomb structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric reactive armor, comprising
a first electrode and a second electrode electrically insulated from the first electrode, between which electrodes an electric voltage can be applied so as to disrupt a charge contacting the electrodes,

wherein the second electrode comprises
an electrically conductive structure having a plurality of parallel surfaces embedded in an insulating material, such that the charge penetrates successive surfaces of said plurality of parallel surfaces of the electrically conductive structure, wherein the parallel surfaces are electrically connected in series in a series connection along the parallel surfaces, configured such that, in case of a short circuit between the first electrode and one of the parallel surfaces that is closest to the first electrode, a short circuit current to said one of the surfaces that is closest to the first electrode flows successively along successive ones of the parallel surfaces that are successively closer to the first electrode.

2. The armor according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of surfaces of the electrically conductive structure are made of a single metal foil, which extends successively along successive ones of the surfaces that are successively closer to the first electrode.

3. The armor according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive structure comprises electrical connections between successive ones of the parallel surfaces alternately on opposite edges of the surfaces.

4. The armor according to claim 1 , wherein the second electrode further comprises a base element on which the electrically conductive structure is mounted and to which the electrically conductive structure is electrically connected, said base element comprising a solid metal plate.

5. The armor according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between two successive surfaces of said plurality of surfaces, in a penetration direction, lies between 5 and 20 mm.

6. The armor of claim 5 , wherein the distance between two successive surfaces of said plurality of surfaces, in the penetration direction, is between 9 mm and 11 mm.

7. The armor according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between each pair of successive surfaces of said plurality of surfaces, in a penetration direction, lies between 5 and 20 mm.

8. The armor according to claim 7 , wherein the distance between each pair of successive surfaces of said plurality of surfaces, in the penetration direction, is between 9 mm and 11 mm.

9. The armor according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of a surface of said plurality of surfaces lies between 5 and 20 μm.

10. The armor according to claim 9 , wherein the thickness of the surface of said plurality of surfaces is between 9 μm and 11 μm.

11. The armor according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is constituted by a solid metal plate.

12. The armor according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is constituted by a first solid metal plate, and the second electrode comprising a second solid metal plate extending in parallel with the first solid metal plate, the surfaces each extending in parallel with said first and second solid metal plate.

13. The armor according to claim 1 , further comprising a stripper plate arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode for reducing a width of the charge.

14. A system for protecting a vehicle or vessel, the system comprising at least one high voltage source and an electric reactive armor according to claim 1 .

15. A vehicle or vessel provided with a system according to claim 14 .

16. A method of protecting a vehicle or a vessel, comprising the step of applying a system according to claim 14 .

17. An electric reactive armor, comprising:
a first electrode and a second electrode electrically insulated from the first electrode, between which electrodes an electric voltage can be applied so as to disrupt a charge contacting the electrodes,

wherein the second electrode comprises
an electrically conductive structure having a plurality of surfaces embedded in an insulating material, such that the charge penetrates successive surfaces of said plurality of surfaces of the electrically conductive structure, wherein the electrically conductive structure comprises a structure of linked cavities within the electrically conductive structure.

18. The armor according to claim 17 , wherein the structure of linked cavities forms a honeycomb structure.

19. An electric reactive armor, comprising:
a first electrode and a second electrode electrically insulated from the first electrode, between which electrodes an electric voltage can be applied so as to disrupt a charge contacting the electrodes,
wherein the second electrode comprises
an electrically conductive structure having a plurality of surfaces embedded in an insulating material, such that the charge penetrates successive surfaces of said plurality of surfaces of the electrically conductive structure, wherein the electrically conductive structure comprises a plurality of electrically conductive elements made of electrically conductive foil, wherein the electrically conductive elements each constitute a hexagonal cylinder or a hexagonal torus.

20. An electric reactive armor, comprising
a first metal plate and a second metal plate extending in parallel with the first metal plate and electrically insulated from the first metal plate,
insulating material between the first and second plate,
connectors coupled to the first and second metal plate respectively, for applying an electric voltage between the first and second metal plate, and
an electrically conductive structure comprising a stack of a plurality of layers of electrical conductor material located between the first and second metal plate, embedded in the insulating material, each of the plurality of layers extending in parallel with the first and second metal plate, the plurality of layers being electrically coupled to each other and to the second metal plate.

Assignees

• TNO

Inventors

• Evenblij Berend Hendrik
• Heskes Petrus Jacobus Marie
• Diederen Andre Marcel
• Hilvers Frederik Johannes
• Borsboom Walterus Wilhelmus Johannes
• Verhorst Frederik M

Classifications

• F41H5/0442

  Layered armour containing metal (in combination with ceramic layers F41H5/0421; heat treatment of armour plate C21D9/42) · CPC title

• F41H5/007 Primary

  Reactive armour; Dynamic armour · CPC title

• F41H7/04

  Armour construction (in general F41H5/00) · CPC title

• B63G13/00

  Other offensive or defensive arrangements on vessels; Vessels characterised thereby · CPC title