Posted on 12/02/2007 9:38:10 AM PST by monkeycard
A Bartlesville High School junior is reaping rewards for improving the body armor of United States troops. Melissa Carvell was awarded an $8,000 scholarship from the U.S. Navy and $1,500 from the U.S. Air Force for her efforts in reinforcing ceramic plates in body armor with carbon fibers. She was recognized during a State Board of Education meeting November 29, receiving a certificate from State Superintendent Sandy Garrett in Oklahoma City.
The body armor currently used by U.S. forces is basically comprised of ceramic plates placed inside of Kevlar sleeves. Through her research, Melissa Carvell determined the strength of the plates could be improved by more than 8,000 times by reinforcing them with carbon fibers.
The ceramic plates used in body armor are notably strong in compression but weak in tension, meaning they can shatter upon impact. Carvell’s idea was to reinforce the back of the plates with two layers of carbon fibers at 90-degree angles to each other.
Carvell’s work earned a second place finish in the Engineering Materials and Bio-Engineering category of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, held in Albuquerque in May. Carvell won a $1,500 cash prize in the science fair.
The International Science and Engineering Fair featured more than 1,500 students competing in several categories. The students hailed from more than 50 countries and territories. Among the judges were five Nobel Laureates, former Nobel Prize winners in science and engineering.
When I saw the headline, I thought a high school student had been rewarded for academic achievement by being given a set of body armor. Times being what they are, and all that.
Putting some faith back into our education.
There’s still some good teenagers out there.
She should have patented the design first. Some defense contractor witll patent it and make millions off the govt.
End Chanelling of the DUmmies.
Wow. This is really impressive. Thanks for posting.
With this level of publicity and the awards she has received for this, I suspect that anyone attempting to patent it will have to purchase the rights from her for a pretty penny.
It can not be patented now. Any attempt to do so would fail the test of “prior art”.
If this article is correct in its details, it seems remarkable that no defense contractor already thought of this. It seems like an obvious thing to do. Yes, sometimes people don’t see the obvious. Good for this young lady for trying it.
When an object strikes a surface the point of impact is in compression, a good thing in armor. The dispersal of that force places the armor in tension, forces radiating out, the carbon is glue or does it redirect the lines of force.
I wanna know how she tested it.
What the article suggests is that ceramic is good for the pressure, but not for tension. It shatters. I presume that the carbon fiber threads help that from happening, because they hold it together.
A vest that shatters would be dangerous if there is more than one bullet. The first would shatter it, and those that follow would then go right through.
Carbon fibers are known for their high tensile strength for the weight involved.
Heavens no, you don’t think this child would actually shoot a rifle, do you? She should be suspended if she has!
Ping; this is good stuff.
It would be lighter for the most part and as an Ex Grunt that is good.
Hopefully the recent Nobel winner wasn’t one of the judges or I ain’t using her invention.......:o)
Smart kids are cool !
I remember a process we used in building ballistic structures called sifcon where we would mix zig zag shapes of stainless (inox) wire in the high psi rated concrete. It stood up to lots of abuse including RPG’s, 12.7mm, small demolition charges etc ........
Wonder if such an application would work by impregnating the ceramic mix with loose carbon fibers before they are pressed into shapes would improve upon her discovery of backing the plates with carbon fiber ?
Neat stuff !
That would certainly be worthwhile to try. I suspect that’s how modern composite AFV armor works.
As an American, I’m proud of this young woman.
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