Study of low cost lightweight ceramic sacrificial claddings for the protection of vehicles against IED threats

This project deals with the design of blast attenuation systems for protection of military vehicles against IEDs. This can be achieved by improving both the structural concept of the blast mitigation system and the nature of the material used. This project proposes to study (and design) low cost lightweight sacrificial claddings (SC) composed of a ceramic foam core positioned between two lightweight ceramic composite skins (front and rear plate). Recent research on blast mitigation shows that ceramic foams are promising materials given their low density, fire resistance and blast energy absorption capacity. Compaction and disintegration are mechanisms ensuring the reduction of the transmitted pressure and impulse to the vehicle as a function of the dynamic mean crush load of the foam core. The proposed concept combines a novel material with an interesting closed cell structure. The properties of the core, i.e. density and thickness, should be selected to allow for the complete deceleration of the front panel before the entire crushing of the core. Hence, a multi parameter analysis is needed for the design of the ceramic SC for effective mitigation of the blast energy applied to vehicles, by considerably reducing pressure and impulse transmitted to the vehicle.