2009-2010 Assessment of the Army Research Laboratory (2011) / Chapter Skim
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7 Weapons and Materials Research Directorate
7 Weapons and Materials Research Directorate
Pages 78-92
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From page 78... ...
CHANGES SINCE THE PREVIOUS REVIEW WMRD's principal scope and vision for the future continue to be the importance of materials and manufacturing science and technology for providing the Army with advanced materials and manufac turing science-based solutions that increase lethality and survivability. The 2009 review of the protec tion portfolio examined a broad overview of how ARL is using its materials science and engineering enterprise to develop technology to increase warfighting ground vehicle survivability and thus protect the warfighter.
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From page 79... ...
2009. 2007-2008 Assessment of the Army Research Laboratory.
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From page 80... ...
If reproducibility can be demonstrated, this work should receive DoD-wide expansion through the Army Research Office (ARO) , the Office of Naval Research (ONR)
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From page 81... ...
Brittle Materials and Related Technologies for Armor The ceramic armor materials efforts within WMRD presented for the panel details of the armor con cepts under development, particularly in the areas of effective plasticity and multiscale modeling. This presentation detailed the overall context to the work being done in ceramics and transparent materials.
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From page 82... ...
WMRD's research to develop woven ballistic fabric models, and the use of these models to opti mize the design and performance of woven ballistic fabrics for use in personnel armor and as backing materials and shock isolation systems or ceramic laminate armors, show strong promise and growth. This is a combined theoretical and experimental research project that has a complementary manufacturing technology program.
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From page 83... ...
The lethality S&T program is currently focused on five research areas: energetics materi als and propulsion, affordable precision munitions, projectiles and multifunctional warheads, materials and manufacturing science for lethality, and advanced weapon concepts. The lethality strategic vision addresses a number of user-identified deficiencies arising from current operations in Iraq and Afghani stan, and WMRD pointed out some of the current important lethality deficiencies and user needs in the current warfighting environment.
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From page 84... ...
However, the objectives are laudable even if scaled back, and given sufficient time it should produce dramatic payoffs for DoD. As presented, the energetics material modeling program appears to emphasize quantum chemical modeling and experimental investigation heavily, and verification appears to recieve less emphasis.
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From page 85... ...
Are the force fields to be used to model the shock wave in a decomposing energetics material, or are the goals more reasonable -- for example, to predict mesostruc ture parameters? Also, there was no evidence of a carefully constructed experimental program to look at energetics materials beyond the atomic level.
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From page 86... ...
WMRD has invested heavily in developing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models for the design and analysis of hypergolic liquid bipropellant rocket engines with selectable thrust capabilities as well as hybrid rocket engines (i.e., solid fuel with hypergolic liquid oxidizer)
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From page 87... ...
Although probably important to questions related to scalability, the project is not particularly ambitious. Precision Simulation Environment Initiative The precision simulation environment initiative within WMRD grew from internal capabilities of the Lethality Division and was stimulated by the Very Affordable Precision Projectile (VAPP)
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From page 88... ...
is interesting and offers the possibility of reducing collateral damage in complex urban environments. Working on various approaches to scale and adapt warhead performance using careful experimentation and computational tools is encouraged and could have high potential payoff in the future.
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From page 89... ...
The WMRD affordable precision munitions technology program attempts to address the user's need for more affordable precision munitions by developing and demonstrating new technologies that go beyond those considered by other researchers. The WMRD program focuses on several areas: reducedstate guidance, navigation, and control; unsteady aerodynamics; structural dynamics; and precision munitions technology demonstrations, including guide-to-hit tests.
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From page 90... ...
• Ceramic Gun Barrel Materials: Ceramic gun barrels are once more being considered by the Army as an alternative to metal gun barrels. The advantage that ceramics provide is that they can reduce the weight carried by soldiers in the field.
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From page 91... ...
The low-cost precision munition work is a strong, exemplary success story. Much of WMRD's energetics materials modeling program appears to emphasize quantum chemi cal modeling and experimental investigation heavily; verification appears to receive less emphasis.
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From page 92... ...
and using the results of such a study to help guide and optimize the munition design concept. OVERALL TECHNICAL QUALITY OF THE WORK The Weapons and Materials Research Directorate continues to conduct science and technology of very wide breadth and great depth, protecting warfighters and providing them with robust lethal instru ments to carry out their mission objectives.
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