NPS Division of Physics Affiliate Professor Ray Gamache and his former graduate scholar, NPS alumnus U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Chris Phifer, developed and not too long ago patented a brand new polymer-based, self-sealing gas line able to withstanding a .50 caliber bullet with out dropping a lot as a single drop.
“We’re not only a physics division, we’re the utilized physics division,” Gamache stated. “Whereas we’re doing issues that contain elementary analysis, what we’re in the end doing is pursuing utilized options with our army college students which might be essential to the warfighter.”
Gamache credit the operational expertise and tenacity of Phifer to develop and take a look at a number of prototypes for his thesis to reach on the proper design of a “heterogeneous elastomer system” for a pressurized gas line to right away snap again into place sealing simulated fight harm.
“It was a course of to construct, take a look at, study till we received it proper,” Phifer recalled. “The problem was that I needed to fear about each entry and exit factors, so we created a number of 8-inch lengths of hose produced from the polymers we chosen, sealed on one facet and a stress fixture on the opposite, and located sure properties carried out higher on sealing the entry wound and others carried out higher sealing the exit wound.
“It was through the second part of this course of that we determined to include multilayered polymers with opposing materials traits, and found by trial and error that too many layers decreased the efficiency however the design with two totally different composites was capable of self-seal.”
Self-sealing know-how has been round for a while – since World Struggle I, to be exact. Legacy programs relied on particular interactions with fossil fuels to operate and thus proved out of date with the introduction of latest varieties of gas. The problem, Gamache defined, was discovering the right supplies to make use of.
After testing out varied supplies to various results, Gamache and Phifer discovered that polyureas and polythioureas labored greatest. Able to 300 p.c elongation – “rubber on steroids,” in accordance with Gamache – the supplies instantly “snapped again” after being pierced by the bullet.
“It isn’t rocket science,” Gamache stated. “You merely want a cloth that has elongation and power to it in order that it has a reminiscence of what it was once like. When the bullet pokes a gap by it, it simply goes again and pushes the whole lot to the place it was once.”
Whereas the analysis by Gamache and Phifer was initially conceived for aviation purposes, Gamache famous that the know-how also can apply past gas traces.
“It may be any form of line,” he stated. “It’s a know-how that provides you self-sealing and – most significantly – instantaneous self-sealing. There’s rather a lot being printed on self-healing, i.e., closing up over time, however you don’t need self-healing on a gas line since you’re going to be out of fuel earlier than lengthy. Self-sealing is what we’re after and elastomeric supplies do this.”
Phifer is now stationed at U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) serving to develop the joint Superior Reconnaissance Automobile (ARV) for the Marine Corps, and agreed that the know-how is essential, however so is the method.
“This was a group effort with Dr. Gamache, the machine store, the physics lab techs and even a summer time highschool intern,” Phifer added. “I’ve used what I discovered from each my physics research and my utilized analysis course of in my position with the ARV program. My time at NPS allowed me to work and perceive physics and engineering ideas and develop my problem-solving abilities to deal with the day by day points that come up in a program workplace.”
The analysis into self-sealing gas traces might not essentially alter the face of contemporary warfare, however the know-how developed has the potential to offer a marked battlespace benefit for America’s army forces. Elevated survivability of warfighter and tools, prolonged loiter occasions and decreased upkeep calls for are just some examples of this know-how’s potential impression.
Entitled “Self-Sealing Hose,” the patent went public in November 2022 and is obtainable for licensing by NPS’ Know-how Switch Program.
Innovation pushed, NPS develops warfighters and warfighting options. Learn extra in regards to the know-how patent:
https://techlinkcenter.org/applied sciences/self-sealing-hose/7b946c58-00de-4437-8505-e98747d7295e
The first goal of the NPS Know-how Switch Program is to provoke partnerships with business and/or academia, license present applied sciences, and encourage and help college and workers to switch newly-developed applied sciences to the personal sector. For extra data on this system and the way to work with NPS, go to https://nps.edu/internet/analysis/technology-transfer.
