Application of Lightweighting Technology to Military Aircraft, Vessels, and Vehicles (2012) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
4 Lightweighting Land-Based Vehicles
4 Lightweighting Land-Based Vehicles
Pages 85-102
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 85... ...
Hence, despite the far greater number of the latter, the chapter focuses on heavy combat vehicles. Use of aluminum alloys in tactical land-based vehicles has not been restricted to the United States.
|
From page 86... ...
. The efficacy of the protection system against small arms, missiles, rocket propelled grenades, and anti-tank mines was proven during the United Nations operations in Bosnia.4 Despite the performance enhancements obtained from the use of aluminum alloys in structural components of ground vehicles, their use in armor systems for tactical vehicles has met with mixed success.5 The difficulty of using aluminum alloys in armor can be attributed at least in part to an inadequate understanding of the ballistic and blast properties of these alloys over the pertinent threat range.
|
From page 87... ...
Section 4.5, which describes examples of lightweighting vehicle systems, begins with three such successes: the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier, the M551 Sheridan Light Tank, and the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. That does not mean that the Army no longer has interest in lightweighting.
|
From page 88... ...
4.2 BARRIERS AND KEYS TO SUCCESS 4.2.1 Technological Challenges Materials Achieving protection goals while holding down costs is a continual challenge. In armor systems, significant weight reductions can be achieved through the replacement of armor steels with advanced aluminum alloys, com posites, ceramics, and expanded steel.
|
From page 89... ...
Combat Systems, "Lightweighting in Military Vehicles," presentation to the committee, 2010; and "Army Materials Research: Transforming Land Combat Through New Technologies," AMPTIAC [Advanced Materials and Process Technology Information Analysis Center] Quarterly, Vol.
|
From page 90... ...
Figure 4-4.eps August. bitmap bombs.11 Improved vehicle survivability in this evolving production and upgrading of vehicles will be accomplished by added armor and alterations in design approaches.12 4.2.2 Reducing the Acquisition Cycle The technological challenges are exacerbated by a protracted acquisition process during which the vehicle requirements often "creep." That is, various DoD agents sequentially add requirements from the time of initial design to that of vehicle production and delivery.
|
From page 91... ...
18 Indeed, with the escalation in "scope growth and requirements creep" -- that is, the expansion of the requirements of a single vehicle in order to meet a multitude of mission types and increased operational performance, such as increased warfighter protection, increased vehicle range, and reduced energy utilization, while minimizing development and production costs of multiple vehicle variants -- the need for lightweighting is arguably more acute than ever. Numerous opportunities exist to improve tactical utility of future military vehicles through lightweighting.
|
From page 92... ...
4.3.4 Lightweight Materials A number of relatively lightweight materials such as titanium, magnesium, and structural composites show outstanding potential for lightweighting and for expanding the capabilities of military vehicles. But in many instances the implementation of these materials is hampered by their high costs, low technology or manufacturing readiness levels, and limited domestic availability.
|
From page 93... ...
Implementation of lightweighting strategies will require a multi-pronged approach involving not only scientific discovery and technology development but also coordinated federal strategies and policies. Perhaps the largest barrier stems from the broad perception that the fields of structural materials and manufacturing are sufficiently mature so as to warrant only minimal research support and development.
|
From page 94... ...
23 The development and qualification of aluminum alloys did not progress as quickly for use in land vehicles as for use in aerospace applications.
|
From page 95... ...
It was airdrop-capable The M551 illustrates the mixed success experiand fully amphibious, but these advantages of light enced in replacing steels with aluminum alloys weight came at a cost. in military vehicles for which survivability and In its first combat mission, the Sheridan drove performance are both important.
|
From page 96... ...
Haworth, 1999, The Bradley and How It Got That Way: Technology, Institutions, and the Problem of Mechanized Infantry in the United States Army, Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press; "Army Materials Research: Transforming Land Combat Through New Technologies," AMPTIAC [Advanced Materials and Process Technology Information Analysis Center] Quarterly, Vol.
|
From page 97... ...
Combat survivability concerns were raised about the Bradley because it used aluminum armor, and ammunition is stored in the middle of the vehicle, but the Bradley has not experienced many losses. To improve survivability and armor protection designers added spaced laminate belts and high-hardness steel skirts to later versions.
|
From page 98... ...
With upgrades, the existing fielded Paladin possessed sufficiently advanced performance characteristics to make it still an effective weapon in the land-based vehicle category to meet Army needs. In the context of the lightweighting focus of this report, the desired C-17 transportability featured significantly in the design requirements central to the 155mm Crusader but did not take into account the transport of the sup porting equipment.
|
From page 99... ...
However, in 2005 the Army removed the C-130 transportability requirement and substituted the stipulation that three FCS vehicles must fit in a C-17 heavy lift transport aircraft, thereby allowing the FCS vehicle weight to increase from 18 to 25 tons.29 During 2003-2009, the program underwent several rounds of restructuring. In April 2009, Secretary Gates recommended cancellation of the FCS Manned Ground Vehicle program.
|
From page 100... ...
Together they bring their latest 32 Bruno Barthelemy, Ford Motor Company, "Lightweight Technologies," presentation to the committee, October 2010.
|
From page 101... ...
Moreover, the welds that are retained are designed to be easily applied with good access for the weld machines. In addition, the turns and twists permitted with the hydroformed substructures offer greater energy absorption for crash protection in the lighter weight structure.
|
From page 102... ...
SOURCE: Bruno Barthelemy, Ford Motor Company, Figure 4-11.eps "Lightweight Technologies," presentation to the committee, October 2010. bitmap 4.6 CONCLUSIONS • Lightweighting of land-based vehicles has been pursued as a means to facilitate air transport capability for rapid deployment, improve fuel economy, more readily cross open-water barriers, and enhance battlefield mobility and speed.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.