Function-oriented Material Design of Joints for Advance Armors under Ballistic Impact

The objective of this research is to develop a system of software tools based on a new design methodology for the efficient composite armor structural design under ballistic impact loading conditions with a special focus on the joints design. An innovative design methodology, Function-Oriented Material Design (FOMD), is extended for the joint design problem of composite armor. The FOMD process includes the fundamental ballistic impact analyses of the composite armor, function analyses and targets setting of the joints, algorithms of the optimal design process, the design optimization of the joints, and evaluation of the new designs. The performance of a nominal joint design is virtually evaluated using LSDyna3D, which provides loading and boundary conditions for the optimal design process of an advanced joint. An integrated design environment developed on the basis of FOMD enables quick design process and user interaction. The final goal of this research is to develop an efficient design tool to lay out new joint concepts that improve the structural performances and prevent the early damage of the joints under ballistic impacts. An example design obtained is evaluated using the virtual prototyping, and it can be tested with the rapid prototypes developed in this research. Other design objectives, such as manufacturability and reliability of the design, will also be considered in the future.