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 DHS Fellow developing new breed of armor to protect U.S. soldiers

 (Oct. 9, 2006)

    As our U.S. military personnel engage enemy forces in Iraq and on other fronts, discussion continues on the need for armor of a quality sufficient to protect soldiers, their vehicles and other equipment. One DHS Fellow may have a solution.

    Matt Dawson (at left), a 2004 Fellow and Mechanical Engineering PhD student at MIT, is developing a state-of-the-art reactive armor. The new armor incorporates a uniquely designed fluid in porous media with  characteristics that allow protection from the shockwave created by an explosive detonation.

    “Prior research on armor focused on protection against ballistics,” says Matt. “This led to advanced armor that is useful for defense against projectiles, but highly inefficient at protecting against the enormous pressure gradients generated by explosive devices. These blast waves can cause severe damage to mechanized systems, infrastructure, and the human body.”

    This innovative device behind this new breed of armor proposed by Matt and his team at the Cellular Solids Lab at MIT is found deep within the armor. “We are incorporating a thin foam layer filled with a non-Newtonian, shear thickening fluid that delays the propagation of the shockwave long enough to decrease the pressure gradient to tolerable levels, “explains Matt.

    “While some research has been done on flow through porous media, understanding and characterizing the contribution to the energy absorption of a fluid-filled foam under dynamic loading is still a critical area of research,” says Matt. Based on the theory behind Matt’s modeling, the new armor will be reactive, absorbing the energy of a blast, reducing the impact upon the soldier, a vehicle or any surface to which the armor has been applied.

    Matt looks to graduate in 2008. He is also the CEO of Emeon Technologies, INC., developing automated investing technology based on proven innovative investing techniques.