Hope College Engineering Department Research Experiences for Undergraduates Summer 2007 Project Summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate blast mitigating materials to protect an aircraft during an onboard explosion. The protective layers were mounted to vertical frames of a test panel replicating the internal structure of an aircraft. The completed panels were then clamped to a vacuum tank and a charge of C-4 was detonated at a standoff distance of 6 inches. Two combinations were successful: a sheet of aluminum 2024-T3 coated on one side with a thermoplastic elastomer, and a fiber-metal laminate backed with a Kevlar reinforced elastomer. The aluminum and the fiber-metal laminate were by themselves ineffective in preventing panel rupture, indicating that a stiff layer coupled with an elastic backing allows the protective panel to fracture while preventing rupture of the fuselage skin. Further exploration into material combinations would be beneficial.

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We acknowledge U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the funding and Battelle Memorial Institute for their support of the experimental portion of this work.