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Better protection for U.S. soldiers possible through research

DHS Fellow Ben Langhorst

(August 31 , 2007)

DHS Fellow Ben Langhorst has never been to Iraq. He can, however, recognize the needs of our fighting forces in the Middle East.

As seen in media reports, current vehicles and equipment are not always adequate in protecting our soldiers from explosive detonations and roadside bombs. Langhorst has focused his research on protective plating for vehicles and other structures that make them more blast resistant and better able to manage intense explosive forces and heat.

A material science Ph.D. candidate at the University of California-Irvine, Langhorst has developed blast resistant panels that consist of two metallic sheets, typically made of stainless steel, that overlap like the bread on a sandwich. Packed in between these panels, appropriately called “sandwich panels,” are angled pins that have proven to be reliable in dissipating the energy associated with an explosive blast.

His research is currently focused on how much energy the panels are able to absorb, as well as working with different geometric configurations of the pins sandwiched between the panels.

“The panels are very well-suited to absorb the energy associated with the high-pressure blast wave output by an explosive device, and can prevent the breaching of a structure’s walls by such an explosion,” says Langhorst.

Buildings, ships and land vehicles could all benefit from Langhorst’s creation. Other applications being explored include the use of the panels in commercial aircraft, as they are light in weight yet very durable and heat resistant.

Langhorst’s work is also supported by the National Science Foundation. He will graduate from UC-Irvine in 2008.

(Above, a diagram of Langhorst's sandwich panel, along with

three variations on how the angled pins can be aligned to give

the greatest blast resistance.)