Compressible fluid filled micro-truss for energy absorption

• US 8,353,240 B1
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.), Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.), Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Jacobsen, Alan J., Qiao, Yu, Schaedler, Tobias A., Carter, William
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US12/928,947
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 89/360.2, 89/360.5, 899/20, 899/21, 899/22, 899/23, 2/25
• US Class Current: 89/36.02
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/007 Reactive armour; Dynamic armour
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/0414 Layered armour containing ceramic material
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/0442 Layered armour containing metal in combination with ceramic layers F41H5/0421; heat treatment of armour plate C21D9/42
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/0492 Layered armour containing hard elements, e.g. plates, spheres, rods, separated from each other, the elements being connected to a further flexible layer or being embedded in a plastics or an elastomer matrix

Abstract

A kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material includes: a micro-truss structure including: a plurality of first struts extending along a first direction; a plurality of second struts extending along a second direction; and a plurality of third struts extending along a third direction; and a compressible fluid comprising a liquid or gel and a nanoporous material, wherein the micro-truss structure contains the compressible fluid.

Claims

1. A kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material comprising:

a micro-truss structure comprising;

a plurality of first struts extending along a first direction;

a plurality of second struts extending along a second direction; and

a plurality of third struts extending along a third direction; and

a compressible fluid comprising a liquid or gel and a nanoporous material,

wherein the micro-truss structure contains the compressible fluid.

2. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 1, wherein the compressible fluid is a compressible nano-porous materials functionalized (NMF) fluid.

3. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 2, wherein the compressible NMF fluid is in a liquid or gel form.

4. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 2, wherein the liquid or gel is:

an infiltration fluid,

wherein the infiltration fluid is nonwetting to the nanoporous material.

5. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 4, wherein the nanoporous material is a silica based hydrophobic nanoporous material.

6. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 4, wherein the nanoporous material is a hydrophobic zeolite.

7. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 4, wherein the nanoporous material is a nanoporous carbon.

8. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 7, wherein the nanoporous carbon is a mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHA) treated nanoporous carbon.

9. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 4, wherein the nanoporous material has a surface area at 100 m²/g or 2000 m²/g or between 100 m²/g and 2000 m²/g.

10. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 4, wherein the infiltration fluid comprises water, an aqueous solution of electrolytes, a viscous liquid, a liquid metal, a gel, a polymer, or a combination thereof.

11. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 1 further comprising an armor plate attached to a plurality of second ends of the plurality of first, second, and third struts.

12. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 11, wherein the kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material is configured to be a part of a vehicle with the armor plate on an outward facing portion of the vehicle.

13. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 1, wherein the struts are hollow.

14. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 13, wherein the compressible fluid is located within the hollow struts.

15. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 13, wherein each of the struts has an inner diameter from 10 microns to 10 mm.

16. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 13 wherein a wall of each of the struts has a thickness from 1 micron to 1 millimeter.

17. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 1, wherein the compressible fluid is located between the struts.

18. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 1, wherein the kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material is configured to be a part of a protective piece of clothing.

19. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 1, wherein the kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material is configured to be a part of a wall of a building.

20. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third struts comprise a metal.

21. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 20, wherein the metal is nickel, aluminum, titanium, steel, or alloys thereof.

22. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 1, wherein the struts comprise a polymer.

23. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 22, wherein the polymer is a polycarbonate, an aramid, a high impact polystyrene, a nylon, an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, and combinations thereof.

24. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 1, wherein the micro-truss structure fills 0.5% to 30% of a volume of the material and wherein the compressible fluid fills 5% to 95% of the volume.

25. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, and third directions is at an angle between 45°

and 70°

with respect to a facesheet attached to a plurality of first ends of the first, second, and third struts.

26. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of fourth struts extending in a fourth direction substantially perpendicular with respect to a facesheet attached to a plurality of first ends of the first, second, and third struts.

27. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 26, wherein the plurality of first, second, third and fourth struts are hollow and comprise metal and the first, second, third and fourth struts each have a diameter of 2 mm and a wall thickness of 0.1 mm,

wherein the micro-truss structure has a unit cell height of 15 mm,

wherein each of the first, second, and third directions is at an angle of 60°

with respect to the facesheet,

wherein the compressible fluid is an aqueous suspension of 40% by weight hydrophobic nanoporous silica gel in water and is located within the hollow portions of plurality of first, second, and third struts, and

wherein the micro-truss structure fills 5% of the volume of the kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material and the compressible fluid fills 25% of the volume of the kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material.

28. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 26, wherein the plurality of first, second, third and fourth struts are, hollow and comprise metal and the first, second, third and fourth struts each have a diameter of 2 mm and a wall thickness of 0.1 mm,

wherein the micro-truss structure has a unit cell height of 15 mm,

wherein each of the first, second, and third directions is at an angle of 60°

with respect to the facesheet,

wherein the compressible fluid is an aqueous suspension of 7% by weight hydrophobic nanoporous silica gel in polyacrylic acid gel and is located within the hollow portions of plurality of first, second, and third struts, and

wherein the micro-truss structure fills 5% of the volume of the kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material and the compressible fluid fills 25% of the volume of the kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material.

29. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 26, wherein the plurality of first, second, third and fourth struts are hollow and comprise metal and the first, second, third and fourth struts each have a diameter of 1 mm and a wall thickness of 0.1 mm,

wherein the micro-truss structure has a unit cell height of 10 mm,

wherein each of the first, second, and third directions is at an angle of 60°

with respect to the facesheet,

wherein the compressible fluid is an aqueous suspension of 7% by weight hydrophobic nanoporous silica gel in water and is located within the open volume between the struts, and

wherein the micro-truss structure fills 5% of the volume of the kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material and the compressible fluid fills 85% of the volume of the kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material.

30. The kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material of claim 26, wherein the plurality of first, second, third and fourth struts are hollow and comprise metal and the first, second, third and fourth struts each have a diameter of 1 mm and a wall thickness of 0.1 mm,

wherein the micro-truss structure has a unit cell height of 10 mm,

wherein each of the first, second, and third directions is at an angle of 60°

with respect to the facesheet,

wherein the compressible fluid is an aqueous suspension of 7% by weight hydrophobic nanoporous silica gel in polyacrylic acid gel and is located within the open volume between the struts, and

wherein the micro-truss structure fills 5% of the volume of the kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material and the compressible fluid fills 85% of the volume of the kinetic energy and blast energy absorbing material.