http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-09/29/content_10131197.htm
現實版"終結者"美軍研發能自我修復的裝甲
2008年09月29日 09:11:47 來源：中青在線-青年參考
還記得阿諾德·施瓦辛格主演的《終結者２》裏那個打不死的液態機器人嗎？它那可以自動愈合的鎧甲帶來了前所未有的視覺衝擊，一舉奪得了當年奧斯卡最佳特效大獎。如今，美軍正準備實現這種科幻作品中的超級技術，打造出可自我修復的戰車。
據美國《國防》月刊１０月號（提前出版）報道，受美國軍方委托的威斯康星－密爾沃基大學復合材料中心，目前正在研發一種可自我修復的裝甲。一旦通過五角大樓的性能檢測，這種裝甲將可能被用于大規模制造坦克和裝甲車。
該中心主任普拉迪普·羅哈特表示，新材料的神奇性能來自于其內部的泡沫結構。這種材料由金屬鎂、鋁與其他特殊材料混合而成，熔點很低。當它還處在液態狀態時，工人通過高壓氣泵向其中泵入輕質材料組成的中空小顆粒，形成千萬個只有在顯微狀態下才可見的“小氣球”。裝甲一旦遭到火箭彈、榴彈及其他重型武器射擊，材料中的氣泡破裂，受創產生的裂縫在幾秒鐘內就會被氣流攜帶的液體填補。待其凝固後，裝甲又會完好如初。根據所受攻擊速度、角度及攻擊武器的不同，還可以通過調整制造工藝，使氣泡排列成特定的空間結構，從而形成更強的自我修復能力。
很多人想當然地以為，要在材料中形成這種特殊排列的氣泡一定耗資不菲，但事實卻並非如此。一方面，要在材料中形成氣泡的確涉及到精密的工程技術，需要大量的研發費用。但另一方面，在材料中加入氣泡將使同樣尺寸的裝甲用到的金屬更少，這不僅減輕了重量，成本也將大大降低，整塊裝甲的總體耗資並未顯著增加。問題在于，用作“小氣球”的輕質材料又來自何方呢？你可能會大跌眼鏡——它不是用貴如黃金的原料制成的，而是來自于煤炭工業中產生的粉塵。
目前，羅哈特的研究小組已制成了厘米級的裝甲樣本，其主體材料為金屬鎂、鋁，下一步還打算嘗試使用陶瓷。他聲稱，如果一切進展順利，三五年後這種技術就可以用于真實的戰車。遺憾的是，當威斯康星－密爾沃基大學向美國自然科學基金會（ＮＳＦ）申請專項撥款時，卻遭到了後者的拒絕。
研究人員並未因此喪氣。項目經理、美軍裝甲汽車研究、發展和工程中心湯姆·瓦格納解釋說，這是因為ＮＳＦ方面認為這一項目“太過理想化”，等再過幾年制成了性能較好的大型裝甲樣本，便極有希望獲得資金支持。 （池晴佳）
http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/archive/2008/October/Pages/Self-Healing%20Armor%20Could%20Be%20In%20Store%20for%20Military%20Vehicles.aspx
Self-Healing Armor Could Be In Store for Military Vehicles
October 2008
By Matthew Rusling
The film “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” depicted a villain whose gaping battle wounds could seal themselves shut just seconds after being inflicted. Now, in a case of science imitating science fiction, self-healing armor may be what is in store for military vehicles.
Pradeep Rohatgi, director of the center for composites at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, has been developing techniques that could soon be used to make self-healing armor for military vehicles.
This is accomplished by mixing microscopic “balloons” into the metals that are used to make armor while those metals are still in liquid form. The microscopic balloons are filled with materials that melt at low temperatures. As a result, cracks in vehicle armor could close up in a matter of minutes or even seconds, Rohatgi said. The balloons would break after a hit from a rocket, RPG or other battlefield projectile, causing the material inside to melt and seep out into the crack. Once it solidified it would close up any cracks caused by the strike.
Once a projectile fractures the balloons, the material inside can melt with enough heat. The heat generated by the hit could theoretically be enough to do the job.
Billions of micro balloons would either be distributed throughout the armor or placed in sections that are more vulnerable to damage, Rohatgi said.
The amount of heat produced depends on the speed of impact, as well as the material of both the armor and the projectile, Rohatgi said.
The possibility of installing these billions of balloons into armor raises questions of cost. But it would not be unaffordable, Rohatgi said.
For one thing, putting micro balloons into the armor means less aluminum or magnesium would be used. This would make the metal lighter, which would ultimately save money, Rohatgi said.
“So on one hand the cost of the micro balloons will [initially] increase the cost, but then the reduced amount of aluminum and magnesium will reduce the cost,” Rohatgi said.
Replacing damaged armor is expensive, he added. And micro balloons can be made from something known as fly ash, which is a cheap waste byproduct of coal.
At this point, Rohatgi’s group is making centimeter-sized samples from aluminum and magnesium, both of which are armor materials. It is also looking into ways to make self-healing ceramic armor.
The next step will be to make and test large samples. “I believe we are looking at a time horizon of three to five years [until] it can be deployed.” But this depends on whether industry is ready to partner with Rohatgi’s group and how quickly companies are willing to make prototypes, he said.
Requests for funds from the National Science Foundation have been turned down, although Rohatgi’s group is still in talks with the NSF, he said.
Tom Wagner, a senior engineer at the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center and manager of Rohatgi’s project, said that the Army is interested in the work and believes it holds promise. In 2008, Congress approved $1.3 million for lightweight materials, including self-healing metals, Wagner said .
“The end product would be very useful to the Army, if they succeed,” Wagner said.
本文於 修改第 1 次
本城市首頁
看回應文章
等級：8
