Armor protection against explosively-formed projectiles

Abstract

A hybrid armor architecture is provided that is effective against explosively-formed and other high-energy ballistic projectiles. The architecture includes at least one laminate reactive armor panel including a layer of non-explosively reactive material sandwiched between outer layers of a ductile material, an armor plate disposed behind the laminate reactive armor panel, and a flyer plate disposed behind the armor plate. The flyer plate or a portion thereof is configured to move toward and impact a body panel that is being protected on impact of a high-energy ballistic projectile with the flyer plate or the portion thereof, to thereby increase the total area of impact with the body panel relative to the projectile alone.

1 . A hybrid armor architecture adapted to protect a body panel from a high-energy ballistic threat, said architecture comprising a laminate reactive armor panel, an armor plate disposed behind said laminate reactive armor panel and a flyer plate disposed behind said armor plate,
 said laminate reactive armor panel comprising a layer of non-explosively reactive material sandwiched between outer layers of ductile material,   said flyer plate or a portion thereof being configured to move toward and impact said body panel on impact of a high-energy ballistic projectile with said flyer plate or said portion thereof, to thereby increase the total area of impact with said body panel relative to the projectile alone.   
     
     
         2 . The armor architecture of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of said laminate reactive armor panels spaced apart from one another by a distance of ⅛ inch to 2 inch. 
     
     
         3 . The armor architecture of  claim 2 , said layers of ductile material in each of said laminate reactive armor panels being aluminum layers having a thickness of 0.05 to 0.25 inch. 
     
     
         4 . The armor architecture of  claim 3 , said layer of non-explosively reactive material in each of said laminate reactive armor panels being a polyethylene layer having a thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 inch. 
     
     
         5 . The armor architecture of  claim 1 , said armor plate comprising steel rolled homogeneous armor having a thickness of 0.1 to 0.75 inch. 
     
     
         6 . The armor architecture of  claim 1 , said flyer plate comprising a plurality of discrete plate sections that are attached to one another in a coplanar arrangement to form said flyer plate. 
     
     
         7 . The armor architecture of  claim 6 , said flyer plate being formed from a single sheet of material, said plurality of discrete plate sections being formed therein by a series of slits provided through the flyer plate to provide an array said discrete plate sections that remain attached to one another. 
     
     
         8 . The armor architecture of  claim 7 , said discrete plate sections being substantially square in shape and remaining attached to adjacent ones at their respective corners. 
     
     
         9 . The armor architecture of  claim 8 , said substantially square-shaped plate sections having dimensions of about 4-inches by 4 inches. 
     
     
         10 . The armor architecture of  claim 6 , said flyer plate having a thickness of 0.1 to 0.75 inches. 
     
     
         11 . The armor architecture of  claim 2 , said plurality of laminate reactive armor panels being disposed in a first armor module, said armor plate and said flyer plate both being disposed in a second armor module, the first armor module being removably secured to the second armor module to provide all of said laminate reactive armor panels, armor plate and flyer plate in layered arrangement at selected distances from one another. 
     
     
         12 . The armor architecture of  claim 11 , further comprising a reinforcing layer disposed in said second armor module between said armor plate and said flyer plate. 
     
     
         13 . The armor architecture of  claim 11 , further comprising a further reinforcing layer disposed behind said flyer plate in said second armor module. 
     
     
         14 . The armor architecture of  claim 1 , said outer layers of ductile material being inner and outer concentric tubes and said layer of non-explosively reactive material being disposed in the space defined between said inner and outer concentric tubes, said laminate reactive armor panel comprising a plurality of pairs of said inner and outer concentric tubes arranged in a layer array. 
     
     
         15 . The armor architecture of  claim 14 , said layer array of pairs of inner and outer concentric tubes being sandwiched in between additional layers of material to provide said laminate reactive armor panel. 
     
     
         16 . The armor architecture of  claim 2 , said plurality of laminate reactive armor panels being parallel to one another. 
     
     
         17 . The armor architecture of  claim 2 , said plurality of laminate reactive armor panels being alternately arranged at oblique angles. 
     
     
         18 . The armor architecture of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of said flyer plates. 
     
     
         19 . The armor architecture of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of said armor panels. 
     
     
         20 . The armor architecture of  claim 1 :
 said ductile material of the outer layers of said laminate reactive armor panel being selected from the group consisting of copper, aluminum, iron, steel, molybdenum, tantalum, magnesium, titanium and alloys of these, and non-metallic materials that possess ductility, including fiberglass, fiber-reinforced polymers and elastomers polymers;   said non-explosively reactive material being selected from the group consisting of polyethylenes, gum rubbers, polytetrafluorethylenes, polyurethanes and copolymers thereof, mixtures of zinc and sulfur or sulfur embedded within incompressible liquids or waxes, aluminum powder mixed with perchlorates, inorganic ammonium salts, and low-molecular-weight materials prone to sublimation, mixtures of thermite and easy-to-sublime materials, materials participating in ballotechnic reactions and mixtures of the foregoing;   said armor plate and flyer plate each individually being made of a material selected from the group consisting RHA, HHA, dual hard steel armor, alloy steels, titanium alloys, reinforced metals, reinforced plastics, ceramic layers backed by RHA or other composite materials, and combinations thereof, either alone or in conjunction with reinforcing materials.   
     
     
         21 . The armor architecture of  claim 20 , said ductile material layers being 0.125 inch thick, said non-explosively reactive material layers being 0.25 inch thick, said armor plate being 0.375 inch thick and said flyer plate being 0.375 inch thick. 
     
     
         22 . The armor architecture of  claim 1 , said armor plate being made from a material selected from the group consisting of RHA, HHA, dual hard steel armor, alloy steels, titanium alloys, reinforced metals, metal backed by a ceramic material, metallic fiber reinforced polymer, non-metallic fiber reinforced polymer, reinforced ceramic, monolithic ceramic, lithium aluminosilicate glass ceramic, strengthened glass, silicon, boron carbides, silicon carbides, titanium, aluminum nitrides, aluminum oxides or carbon-based composites. 
     
     
         23 . The armor architecture of  claim 1 , said flyer plate being made from a material selected from the group consisting of RHA, HHA, dual hard steel armor, alloy steels, titanium alloys, reinforced metals, metal backed by a ceramic material, metallic fiber reinforced polymer, non-metallic fiber reinforced polymer, reinforced ceramic, monolithic ceramic, lithium aluminosilicate glass ceramic, strengthened glass, silicon, boron carbides, silicon carbides, titanium, aluminum nitrides, aluminum oxides or carbon-based composites. 
     
     
         24 . The armor architecture of  claim 1 , said flyer plate having an elongation to failure greater than 5% and a tensile strength greater than 40,000 psi. 
     
     
         25 . The armor architecture of  claim 1 , said flyer plate having at least one characteristic selected from an (i) an elongation to failure greater than 5% or (ii) a tensile strength greater than 40,000 psi. 
     
     
         26 . A hybrid armor architecture adapted to protect a body panel from a high-energy ballistic threat, said architecture comprising:
 a plurality of laminate reactive armor panels, each said panel comprising a layer of non-explosively reactive material sandwiched between outer layers of ductile material, said laminate reactive armor panels being spaced from one another a distance of 0.125 to 0.5 inch;   an armor plate having a thickness of 0.1 to 0.75 inch disposed 0.5 to 1 inch behind the laminate reactive armor panel that is to be positioned nearest the body panel in use;   and a flyer plate having a thickness of 0.1 to 0.75 inches disposed 4 to 8 inches behind the armor plate, said flyer plate or a portion thereof being configured to move toward and impact said body panel on impact of a high-energy ballistic projectile with said flyer plate or said portion thereof, to thereby increase the total area of impact with said body panel relative to the projectile alone.   
     
     
         27 . The armor architecture of  claim 26 , said layers of ductile material and said layer of non-explosively reactive material being aluminum and polyethylene layers, respectively, said armor plate and said flyer plate both comprising rolled homogeneous armor. 
     
     
         28 . The armor architecture of  claim 27 , said flyer plate being formed from a single sheet of material having a series of slits provided through the flyer plate to provide an array of discrete plate sections that remain attached to one another. 
     
     
         29 . The armor architecture of  claim 28 , said discrete plate sections being substantially square in shape and remaining attached to adjacent ones at their respective corners. 
     
     
         30 . The armor architecture of  claim 27 , said plurality of laminate reactive armor panels being disposed in a first armor module, said armor plate and said flyer plate both being disposed in a second armor module, the first armor module being removably secured to the second armor module to provide all of said laminate reactive armor panels, armor plate and flyer plate in layered arrangement at the specified distances from one another. 
     
     
         31 . The armor architecture of  claim 27 , said aluminum layers being 0.125 inch thick, said polyethylene layers being 0.25 inch thick, said armor plate being 0.375 inch thick and said flyer plate being 0.375 inch thick, said laminate reactive armor panels being parallel and spaced 0.25 inch from one another, said armor panel being spaced 0.5 to 1 inch behind the laminate reactive armor panel that is to be positioned nearest the body panel in use, said flyer plate being spaced about 6 inches behind said armor plate, said flyer plate further being adapted to be spaced about 2 inches from said body panel in use. 
     
     
         32 . A hybrid armor architecture adapted to protect a body panel from a high-energy ballistic threat, said architecture comprising a laminate reactive armor panel and at least one component selected from the group consisting of (i) an armor plate disposed behind said laminate reactive armor panel or (ii) a flyer plate disposed behind said laminate reactive armor panel, wherein said laminate reactive armor panel comprises a layer of non-explosively reactive material sandwiched between outer layers of ductile material. 
     
     
         33 . The armor architecture of  claim 32 , said flyer plate or a portion thereof being configured to move toward and impact said body panel on impact of a high-energy ballistic projectile with said flyer plate or said portion thereof, to thereby increase the total area of impact with said body panel relative to the projectile alone.