Finite element analysis of a transparent composite armor with computational ballistic testing

Transparent armor systems are created for combining protection with vision. Vision is important for spotting the threat. With the usage of transparent armor, threat can be detected more effectively and do not have to sacrifice safety and protection of the target which is/are threatens. Transparent armors usage is more common when there is a delicate situation like protecting important people, military vehicles etc. This study aims to develop a transparent armor, analyze and test it, and compare it with the conventional armors to see the results. Material selection, projectile type and velocity, armor design, transparency, armor impact resistance and response are some of the points, which are investigated with researches and simulation in finite element analysis. Ballistic testing, tube test, composing materials are the techniques, which, are used for determining the results. Projectile is military type 7.62 millimeters bullet and its velocity is tested between 400-1200 m/s. Several materials and composite materials are tested, in order to find the proper selection for this study. For transparency and better resistance to projectile, materials are epoxy-resin composite and float glass. A new design is created for better resistance. Honeycomb transparent armor has minimum penetration, high performance and low cost according to results, when compare to other models. At final model only the first layer is failed and do not let the bullet through. According to this result, armor is successful at stopping the bullet.