System and method for protecting a vessel and vessel

Abstract

A protective casing for a vessel includes an outer shell surrounding the vessel wall. A spacer extends from adjacent the vessel wall toward the outer shell and spaces the outer shell away from the vessel wall. The spacer permits substantially uninhibited deformation of the outer shell to failure inward toward the vessel wall when a missile impact is imparted on the outer shell such that the outer shell substantially dampens the transmission of the energy of the missile impact to the exterior vessel wall. The spacer can position the outer shell to allow reinforcing fibers of the outer shell to elongate to the yield point to maximize energy absorption. Embodiments of the protective casing and a protected vessel, as well as a kit and method for forming the protective casing, are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vessel protected to inhibit the vessel from perforating when a missile impact is imparted on the vessel, the vessel comprising;
 an exterior vessel wall;   an outer shell surrounding the exterior vessel wall, the outer shell comprising an energy absorbing material deformable when the missile impact is imparted thereupon to absorb energy of the missile impact;   a spacer extending from adjacent the exterior vessel wall toward the outer shell and spacing the outer shell away from the exterior vessel wall, the spacer being configured to permit substantially uninhibited deformation of the outer shell inward toward the vessel wall when the missile impact is imparted on the outer shell such that the outer shell substantially dampens the transmission of the energy of the missile impact to the exterior vessel wall.   
     
     
         2 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the spacer is configured to permit the outer shell to deform to failure prior to engaging the exterior vessel wall. 
     
     
         3 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 2  wherein the spacer comprises a cellular formation oriented transverse to the vessel wall and extending from an inner end located adjacent the vessel wall to an outer end located adjacent the outer shell. 
     
     
         4 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the cellular formation defines a plurality of honeycomb cells extending axially between the vessel wall and the outer shell. 
     
     
         5 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 4  wherein the cellular formation surrounds the vessel wall. 
     
     
         6 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 3  further comprising at least one anchor anchoring the cellular formation to the vessel wall. 
     
     
         7 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 6  wherein the anchor comprises a dowel have a threaded end threadably received in the vessel wall and a free end secured to the cellular formation. 
     
     
         8 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the cellular formation is configured to compressively deform when the outer shell deforms inward toward the exterior wall in response to the missile impact. 
     
     
         9 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the deformation of the outer shell is configured to absorb from about 85% to about 95% of the energy of the missile impact and wherein the spacer is configured to absorb from about 5% to about 15% of the energy of the missile impact. 
     
     
         10 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 8  wherein the deformation of the outer shell is configured to absorb at least about nine-times as much of the energy of the missile impact as the deformation of the spacer. 
     
     
         11 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the cellular formation comprises paper. 
     
     
         12 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising an inner shell surrounding the vessel wall and located between the vessel wall and the outer shell. 
     
     
         13 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 12  wherein the spacer is disposed between the inner shell and the outer shell. 
     
     
         14 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 12  wherein the inner shell is bonded to the vessel wall. 
     
     
         15 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 12  wherein the inner shell comprises fiber-reinforced polymer. 
     
     
         16 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the outer shell comprises fiber-reinforced polymer. 
     
     
         17 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the outer shell comprises a first layer of fiber-reinforced polymer having fibers oriented substantially in a first direction and a second layer of fiber-reinforced polymer having fibers oriented substantially in a second direction transverse to the first direction. 
     
     
         18 . A vessel as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the fiber-reinforced polymer comprises glass fibers and resin. 
     
     
         19 . A kit for protecting an exterior wall of a vessel to inhibit the vessel from perforating when a missile impact is imparted on the vessel, the kit comprising:
 a spacer configured to be mounted on the exterior wall of the vessel and to extend away from the exterior wall a spacer thickness when mounted thereupon; and   an outer shell configured to be mounted on the spacer when the spacer is mounted on the exterior wall of the vessel such that the spacer spaces the outer shell apart from the exterior wall by the spacer thickness, the outer shell comprising an energy absorbing material when mounted on the spacer, the energy absorbing material being deformable inward toward the vessel wall when the missile impact is imparted thereupon to absorb energy of the missile impact.   
     
     
         20 . A method of protecting an exterior wall of a vessel to inhibit the vessel from perforating when a missile impact is imparted on the vessel, the method comprising:
 mounting a spacer on the exterior wall of the vessel; and   mounting an outer covering on the spacer such that the spacer spaces the outer covering from the exterior vessel wall, the outer covering forming an outer shell around the exterior wall when mounted on the spacer, the outer shell comprising an energy absorbing material that is deformable inward toward the vessel in response the missile impact being imparted thereupon to absorb energy of the missile impact.