Breaking Down Ballistic Armor: Mechanisms of Energy Absorption in Multi-Layered Protection Systems

Synopsis

Understanding ballistic armor effectiveness is crucial for designing protective gear capable of mitigating impact energy and preventing penetration. Experimental studies alone often fall short of capturing the full complexity of ballistic impacts, necessitating the support of analytical models. This talk presents insights from the analytical framework developed by Niranjan K. Naik et al. (2013), exploring the mechanisms by which a multi-layered armor tile absorbs the kinetic energy of an incoming projectile. Key mechanisms - such as projectile erosion and deformation, ceramic layer compression, tensile failure in composite plate, and shear plugging across armor layers - are examined to highlight their roles in energy dissipation. Through this analysis, the presentation aims to provide a deeper understanding of the principles that optimize armor design for enhanced ballistic protection.

N. Naik, S. Kumar, D. Ratnaveer, M. Joshi, and K. Akella, "An energy-based model for ballistic impact analysis of ceramic-composite armors," Int. J. Damage Mech. 22, 145 (2013)