Novel Ceramic Armour for Land Vehicles: Identifying the Chink in our Knowledge

Vehicle armour is a complex multi-material system, typically comprising of both ceramics and metals. It must meet highly demanding performance criteria; resistance to penetration (often at incredibly high strain rates) must be maximised whilst weight and encumbrance must be minimised. The principles of armour are well-established, although much of the science is under-researched. Some notable knowledge gaps are the adjoining between the ceramic and metal at the interface, the transmission of energy through this interface and how this contributes to armour being defeated. This project aims to further investigate and understand what happens at this interface, ultimately intending to optimise future armour systems. This is to be achieved through computational modelling, initially investigating different combinations of materials and interlayer thicknesses. These models can then be validated against basic ballistic test data, replicating the conditions of the simulations. Once validated, the models can test innovative and non-conventional interlayer geometries, thickness and material combinations, highlighting promising avenues of further research. Whilst still in the infancy of this research, a spreadsheet has been created to allow the visualisation of damaging shock waves through user-defined materials, layer thicknesses and projectile materials. Once validated, it is intended to make this accessible to the wider scientific community.