2017-2018 Assessment of the Army Research Laboratory Interim Report (2018) / Chapter Skim
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3 Sciences for Lethality and Protection
3 Sciences for Lethality and Protection
Pages 38-53
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From page 38... ...
This chapter provides an evaluation of that work. ARL's research in the area of sciences for lethality and protection during 2017 ranged from basic research that improves our fundamental understanding of the scientific phenomena and technology generation that supports battlefield injury mechanisms in human response to threats and human protective equipment, directed energy programs, and programs that address weapon-target interactions and armor and adaptive protection developments to benefit the warfighter.
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From page 39... ...
Projects focus on development of a predictive ballistic injury model; identification of critical injury size scale using pig data; measurement of mechanical properties of tissues, cells, and biological molecules as required input to the injury model; and linking the animal data to humans to predict human response. Overall, the area focus is well described, and integration of the various and diverse technologies to achieve the stated goals is well formulated.
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From page 40... ...
A baseline model has been created that can be used to evaluate human data. Clearly this fits into ARL core mission priorities to provide the resources and staff to improve protective equipment standards for soldiers and discover baseline data of actual forces that cause injury to the brain.
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From page 41... ...
An example of DIC use is characterizing the constitutive behavior of the skull subjected to ballistic loading conditions, which is a crucial step in the development of predictive models for blunt trauma. The experimental program has developed a methodology to characterize the material strength of skull bone matter by coupling DIC with the quasi-static compression experiments to obtain this type of data.
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From page 42... ...
Finally, ARL's battlefield injury mechanisms programs have reached the level of maturity where timelines, well-defined goals, and a well-defined overall program roadmap are critical to guide future work. Modeling Modeling the porcine response to mechanical loading is very challenging, and its satisfactory solution requires expertise in the areas of constitutive modeling, estimating values of material parameters from test data (assuming that it is available under test conditions likely to prevail in the impact event)
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From page 43... ...
Understanding behind-helmet blunt trauma injury using the mini-pig model to study and quantify trauma to the human brain is a potentially powerful analogue. The major challenge is the comparison of the animal model to what may occur in a human.
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From page 44... ...
Characterizing the constitutive behavior of the skull subjected to ballistic loading conditions is a crucial step in the development of predictive models for blunt trauma. Challenges exist in relating quasistatic material properties to the simulation of dynamic impacts along with the development of material strength models suitable for representing the large human population from singular experiments.
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From page 45... ...
The work reported on exploiting Raman lasers to greatly improve fiber power output is exceptional and is an archetype for research at ARL that compliments other DOD laboratories while not duplicating academic or industrial research. The key evaluation metrics were exceeded in the presentation of this work and include excellent contextual reference with alignment to the overall strategy; definition of quantitative objectives based on models (e.g., using the chart that identified Raman gain predictions)
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From page 46... ...
The overall scientific quality of the research is comparable to that at leading national and international institutions, with several projects demonstrating impressive quality and uniqueness with realistic potential for high payoffs, such as diode clad pumped broadband Raman fiber lasers working to achieve potential power scaling in the ballpark of 80-100 KW from a single fiber aperture, and nonlinear optical materials and coatings that are frequency agile in the visible spectrum to passively protect army optical sensors from DE laser threats such as that from straight damage, jamming, dazzling, and so on. ARL demonstrated a willingness to push and even lead the technological edge by pursuing a focused selection of exciting, high-risk work that the ARLTAB encourages ARL to continue.
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From page 47... ...
The work on utilizing the thermal signature of an ultrashort pulsed laser filament for guiding fiber lasers investigates a high-risk, low-TRL technique to improve laser propagation through atmospheric mediums using high peak power ultra-short laser pulses to "burn" their way through the air and obscurants to create quasi-steady-state waveguides called filaments is a complex, high-risk area of basic research. The work is encouraged to continue maturing novel waveguide concepts.
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From page 48... ...
Another example of advanced diagnostic work at ARL is the development of time-resolved, in situ imaging. ARL researchers are conducting experiments using phase-contrast X-ray imaging at the Advanced Photon Source (Argonne National Laboratory [ANL]
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From page 49... ...
One project is notable because of its success while highlighting a concern. The study used a modeling and simulation tool set that had been developed over the last few years to facilitate mine blast simulations.
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From page 50... ...
ARL management is encouraged to investigate what can be done to allocate dedicated ranges to some of its important efforts in the penetration, armor, and adaptive protection program areas. There is a start of work in the UQ area of research, but there is a long way to go.
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From page 51... ...
While the technical efforts fall under the purview of ARL, many small, remotely connected projects provide management challenges for a well-integrated program. One project used a modeling and simulation tool set that had been developed over the last few years to facilitate mine blast simulations.
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From page 52... ...
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARL's research on sciences for lethality and protection ranges from basic research that improves its basic understanding of scientific phenomena to the generation of technology that supports battlefield injury mechanisms, human response to threats, and human protective equipment; directed energy programs; and penetration, armor, and adaptive protection developments.
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From page 53... ...
Recommendation: ARL should form even deeper and more frequent collaborations both internal and external to ARL to foster rapid innovation with operational and contextual relevance as well as to improve the quality of the directed energy programs. In the penetration, armor, and adaptive protection area, ARL has begun to quantify uncertainties in computational results.
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