Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41H—ARMOUR; ARMOURED TURRETS; ARMOURED OR ARMED VEHICLES; MEANS OF ATTACK OR DEFENCE, e.g. CAMOUFLAGE, IN GENERAL
  • F41H5/00—Armour; Armour plates
  • F41H5/06—Shields
  • F41H5/16—Shields for ordnance or tanks
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41H—ARMOUR; ARMOURED TURRETS; ARMOURED OR ARMED VEHICLES; MEANS OF ATTACK OR DEFENCE, e.g. CAMOUFLAGE, IN GENERAL
  • F41H5/00—Armour; Armour plates
  • F41H5/007—Reactive armour; Dynamic armour

Definitions

• the invention relates to a laser armor for protecting an object, in particular a vehicle, against laser weapons with an armor element which can be arranged on the object.
• Another object of the invention is a method for protecting an object from laser weapons by means of a laser armor with an armor element arranged on the object and also a vehicle, in particular a military vehicle, with a laser armor.
• various types of laser weapons are used, in which a high-energy laser beam is focused on a target to be attacked.
• the target Due to the energy introduced via the laser beam, the target is strongly locally heated in the region of the irradiation point of the laser radiation, which can lead to impairments of the object even to its complete destruction even after short irradiation times.
• a problem in this context has proven in military land vehicles that although the armor elements provided on these example, against ballistic projectiles or explosives are able to develop a good protective effect, in the case of laser attack, however, are largely ineffective. This is mainly because of the laser beam large amounts of energy are placed on a localized space in the existing example of a steel armor armoring element, which can lead to destruction of the armor element after a short Einstrahldauer.
• G el öst this task is in a laser armor of the type mentioned in that the armor element is arranged to be movable relative to the object. Due to the movable arrangement of the armor element relative to the object, the armor element can also be moved relative to the laser beam incident on the object. As a result, a locally limited to a single Einstrahlddling energy input is avoided. The energy of the laser beam is coupled in accordance with the movement of the armor element not locally in only one Einstrahlddling, but along the path of movement of the armor element over a larger area distributed in the armor element. The risk of material failure due to the heat introduced by the laser radiation is significantly reduced.
• the armor element is arranged in front of a surface to be protected of the object and arranged to be movable in a direction parallel and / or transversely to the surface to be protected. By moving in parallel, the energy input of the laser beam can be distributed over the surface. By moving transversely to the surface to be protected, the protective element can be moved out of the focal position of the laser beam, whereby the energy density in the Einstrahl Vietnamese can also be lowered.
• the armor element is arranged to be movable in several directions. For example, the armor element can be moved in a substantially vertical and additionally in a substantially horizontal direction.
• the armor element is designed to be movable via a drive, in particular an electric, hydraulic or pneumatic drive. The drive allows defined movement sequences to be transferred to the armor element.
• the armor element is resiliently mounted. Due to the resilient mounting of the armor element, this can move automatically when mounted on a military vehicle due to the forces occurring during driving, for example.
• a particularly advantageous embodiment provides that a privacy shield is provided, through which the movements of the armor element are covered.
• a privacy shield is provided, through which the movements of the armor element are covered.
• the privacy shield covers at least the edges of the armor element. Covering the edges of the armor element is sufficient in most cases, since the movement of a particular plate-shaped armor element can usually only be seen at the edges.
• a structurally advantageous embodiment provides that the privacy shield is designed to be stationary and the armor element is movable in the visual shadow of the privacy screen.
• the armor element is arranged in an intermediate region between an outer surface of the object to be protected and the privacy screen.
• the privacy screen is designed to be optically transparent in a narrow-band wavelength range.
• the wavelength range in which the privacy screen is optically transparent may be adjusted according to the wavelength of the laser weapon.
• the screen is transparent to the laser beam, so that it is not affected by irradiation and the laser beam passes unhindered through the screen.
• This embodiment is particularly suitable for laser radiation in the UV or IR wavelength range, which lies outside of the visually perceptible by the human eye spectrum.
• the laser beam radiates unhindered through the privacy screen onto the armor element moving behind the privacy screen, which, however, can not be recognized by the attacker. The attacker sees the situation as if the laser beam were absorbed by the surface without any effect whatsoever.
• the laser armor has a plurality of armor elements arranged movably, which are distributed in a tiling manner over the object to be protected.
• armor elements designed essentially as identical parts can also be used to protect larger objects. Should one of the armor elements, for example, be damaged by an enemy laser shot, this can be easily replaced with a new armor element.
• the armor elements may be designed as protection modules that attach to the object with a few simple steps or can be removed from this.
• An advantageous for the protective effect of the laser armor embodiment provides that the armor elements are arranged in multiple layers. This results in a redundant arrangement of the armor elements such that in case of failure of an outer layer of armor elements of the laser beam strikes a more inner layer.
• each layer has a plurality of reinforcing elements, wherein the directions of movement of the armor elements in two adjacent layers are different.
• the laser armor has a sensor for detecting the laser radiation.
• the armor elements can be automatically set in motion. It is not necessary to constantly move the armor elements, but only in the case of a specific threat situation, which is reliably detected by the sensors.
• a further advantageous embodiment of the laser armor provides that this has a cooling system for dissipating introduced by the laser weapons in the armor element heat.
• the heat introduced by the impinging laser beam in the armor element heat can be derived from the Einstrahltician the laser radiation.
• a heat input lying above the damage threshold of the material of the armor element in the region of the irradiation point can be avoided.
• the risk of material failure due to the heat introduced by the laser radiation is again significantly reduced.
• the cooling system has a cooling fluid. About the cooling fluid and larger amounts of heat can be removed easily. It is advantageous in this context, when the cooling fluid circulates in a cooling circuit, which is guided by the armor element.
• the cooling circuit may be a closed circuit to which heat introduced via the laser radiation is supplied in the region of the armor element, which heat is then transported away via the cooling fluid and delivered to a delivery point.
• the cooling circuit is a refrigerant circuit with a compressor, a throttle, a condenser and an evaporator. Because of the in such a refrigerant circuit of a constant phase transformation underlying, serving as a cooling fluid refrigerant comparatively large amounts of heat can be dissipated.
• a structurally advantageous embodiment provides that the cooling fluid is passed from a reservoir coming through the armor element.
• a certain amount of cooling fluid can be stored.
• the cooling fluid can be removed from the reservoir and used to cool the armor element.
• the cooling fluid can absorb heat and then heated flow out of the armor element, for example in the direction of the vehicle environment.
• a further embodiment provides that the cooling fluid heated by the laser radiation is guided out of an outlet provided in the lower region of the armor element and that cooling fluid of lower temperature is guided via an inlet provided in the upper region of the armor element.
• Cooler cooling fluid can first be fed into the armor element via the inlet. By absorbing heat introduced via the laser radiation, the cooling fluid can flow through the armor element and subsequently leave the armor element heated over the outlet.
• An advantageous embodiment provides that the cooling fluid is applied to the armor element via a spray device. About the sprayer, the cooling fluid can be applied in a feintropfig and targeted to the armor element in the manner of a spray.
• an embodiment provides that the spray device is arranged on the threat side of the armor element, in the interior of the armor element or on the object side of the armor element.
• the armor element has a chamber in which the cooling fluid is circulated.
• the cooling fluid can enter the chamber via an inlet and exit via an outlet.
• a spraying device can be arranged in the region of the inlet.
• a circulation pump and a cooling fluid which removes heat from the heated cooling fluid can be provided.
• a further advantageous embodiment provides that a victim plate filled with cooling fluid is arranged on the threat side of the armor element.
• the laser radiation hits the sacrificial plate, it is first heated by the incident laser beam.
• the fluid arranged inside the sacrificial plate also heats up.
• the sacrificial plate is destroyed and the cooling fluid provided within the sacrificial plate leaves the sacrificial plate via the irradiation point of the laser radiation.
• the cooling fluid flowing in from above under the influence of gravity further cools the irradiation area, resulting in a certain cooling effect before the laser beam hits the actual armor plate after destruction of the sacrificial plate.
• a liquid gas in particular cooled nitrogen, water, glycol, refrigerant, a repair cooling fluid, a gel or a foam is used as the cooling fluid.
• the armor element comprise a plurality of interconnectable chambers, wherein in each chamber is a component of a multi-component fluid which produces a cooling effect after mixing due to a chemical reaction.
• the individual chambers can be connected to each other by the bombardment of the laser radiation by partition walls are designed and arranged such that they are destroyed by the incident laser radiation.
• it can be provided between the individual chambers controllable via a controller device for connecting the respective chambers. For example, this may be provided between the chambers a valve.
• a further advantageous embodiment provides that several armor elements are provided.
• a multiplicity of armor elements can be distributed over the object to be protected, for example in the manner of a tiling-like arrangement.
• the armor elements can be equipped with separate cooling systems. In the case of destruction of an armor element this can be easily replaced with the associated cooling system against a new armor element.
• a structurally advantageous because simple design provides that several armor elements have a common cooling system. It results in a similarly simple structure, since not every armor element must be equipped separately, for example with a cooling unit for cooling the cooling fluid.
• the cooling system can also have an electrical coolant, in particular a Peltier element.
• the Peltier element may for example be attached to the object-side rear side of the armor element and unfold there by energizing a cooling effect.
• a laser radiation detecting sensor for triggering an armor element.
• the sensors detecting the laser radiation may be photosensitive sensors.
• the cooling system can be activated and the resulting heat dissipated and / or the movement of the armor element can be initiated.
• the armor element has a plurality of optical active body to affect the irradiated laser radiation.
• the irradiated laser radiation By impairing the irradiated laser radiation by means of a plurality of optical active body results in an improved protective effect. High intensities of the laser radiation, which occur in an undisturbed laser beam in a locally limited space, are avoided. The risk of destructive overstressing of the material due to the heat introduced by the laser radiation is further reduced by the impairment of the radiation. Due to the large number of optical active bodies, the impairment can be largely independent of the angle of incidence of the laser radiation.
• the active bodies are designed to reflect the laser radiation as a reflection body. By reflecting the laser radiation, significant portions of the laser radiation from the object to be protected can be fended off.
• the reflection body has a reflective surface, in particular a mirror surface.
• the reflection body can be mirrored over the entire surface or only partially mirrored.
• the mirror surface may be provided with a highly reflective layer in accordance with the wavelength of the expected laser radiation.
• the active bodies are designed to break the laser radiation as a refractive body. Even by refraction of the laser radiation, this can be affected. For example, a laser beam can be widened by refraction effects, resulting in lower intensities in the Einstrahlddling.
• the refractive bodies consist of an optically transparent material.
• the refraction bodies themselves are therefore hardly affected by the laser radiation from the latter.
• the laser radiation penetrates the refractive bodies without heating them appreciably.
• By refraction at the edges of the refractive body there is a widening or scattering of the laser radiation, so that it impinges on the object lying behind it only with significantly lower intensity.
• the refractive bodies advantageously have a curved surface for widening the laser radiation.
• the curved surface may be spherical, spherical or cylindrical, for example.
• the active body can or the refractive bodies have a roughened surface for generating a scattering effect.
• a further embodiment provides that the active bodies are designed to diffract the laser radiation as a diffraction body. Even by exploiting diffraction effects, the irradiated laser radiation can be impaired in such a way that lower intensities occur on the object to be protected.
• a structurally advantageous embodiment provides in this context that the diffraction bodies have diffraction gaps.
• the diffraction gaps can be produced, for example, by a coating applied to the diffraction bodies, by material differences provided within the diffraction bodies, or similar structures.
• An advantageous embodiment which develops a particularly good protective effect provides that a plurality of active bodies are arranged one behind the other in the effective direction of the laser radiation.
• the result is a kind of stepped protection arrangement, in which after failure or after passing through a more active body located in front of the laser radiation then hits a further active body.
• the active bodies are arranged relative to one another in such a way that there is a stepwise impairment of the laser radiation associated with a stepwise reduced beam intensity.
• the active bodies are arranged as loose bulk material within a housing-like receptacle of the armor element.
• the active body Due to the arrangement of the active body as a loose bulk material, these have no preferred orientation, but are stochastically distributed within the corresponding recording. In that regard, certain active bodies are always optimally aligned to different directions of irradiation. It is advantageous in this context if the recording is optically transparent at least on the threat side in the wavelength range of the laser weapons. In this way, the incoming laser beam initially passes unhindered through the receptacle before it then enters the optically active body arranged in the receptacle. Destruction of the recording by the incoming laser radiation and thus, for example, leakage of the bulk material arranged as a body is avoided.
• the active bodies are arranged in the manner of a protective curtain.
• the active bodies can be arranged like a curtain around the object to be protected.
• the curtain can be opened or closed, depending on whether a laser threat is prevailing or not.
• a further embodiment provides that the active bodies are embedded in a Sumateri- al, which is applicable to the threat side of the armor element.
• the carrier material may in particular be a pasty material in which the active bodies are embedded. Similar to a sunscreen, the carrier material together with the active bodies in the case of a recognized laser radiation can then be applied to threatened areas, for example via a nozzle.
• a further embodiment provides that the active bodies have a plurality of mutually angled surfaces running.
• the mutually Angled surfaces can, for example, be used as reflection, refraction or diffraction surfaces.
• the active bodies are spherical.
• reflection effects or refraction effects for impairing the laser radiation can be used on the spherical surfaces.
• the laser armor is designed to carry out the method according to one or more of the features described above.
• An advantageous embodiment of the method further provides that the laser radiation detected by the sensor and the armor element is automatically set in motion when detected laser radiation. It is therefore not necessary to keep the armor element constantly in motion, but the armor element can be set in the event of a threat situation targeted in motion.
• a development of the method provides that the movements of the armor element are masked by a privacy in such a way that they do not are visible. In this way, an attacker is certainly not readily possible to track the laser beam the movements of the armor element in order to achieve in this way a local energy input.
• a vehicle is proposed, which is characterized by a laser armor of the type described above. Even with such a vehicle, the advantages mentioned in connection with the laser armor arise. Further aspects, advantages and details of a laser armor according to the invention, a method for protecting an object from laser weapons as well as a vehicle equipped with a laser armor are explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings of exemplary embodiments. Show:
• FIG. 1 is a perspective, highly schematic view of an object to be protected with a multi-armor elements having laser armor,
• FIG. 2 is a detail view of the laser armor of FIG. 1,
• 3 is a side sectional view of an embodiment of the laser armor
• Fig. 4 is a side sectional view of a further embodiment of the
• FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of a laser armor
• Fig. 6 is a further side schematic view of a laser armor
• FIG. 7 shows a further lateral sectional view of a further exemplary embodiment of a laser armor.
• FIGS. 15-18 show diagrammatic views of different embodiments of panning elements with optical active bodies.
• Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an object 10, which is executed protected by a laser armor 1 against bombardment by laser weapons.
• the object 10 may be an immobile object, such as a building, a bunker, or a mobile target, such as a military vehicle, and in particular a military land vehicle.
• the laser armor 1 serves to protect against laser weapons, by which according to the invention all beam weapons operating by means of bundled radiation are to be understood.
• the laser armor 1 consists of a plurality of tenterhooks distributed over the object in a tiling manner. rungs instituten 2, which are arranged in front of a surface 11 to be protected of the object 10. While the illustration in FIG. 1 reveals an embodiment of the protective arrangement 1 in which the armor elements are arranged only on one side of the object 10, it is understood that the laser armor 1 also comprise armor elements 2 on the remaining sides of the object 10 can depend on which side the threat is to be expected. In a military vehicle, it is advisable to provide all sides of the vehicle as well as the vehicle roof with armor elements 2 and not only to armor the vehicle floor against laser bombardment, since the firing by laser weapons usually takes place from the side or from above.
• the armor elements 2 are arranged movably relative to the object 10. This ensures that an incident on the object 10 and the laser armor 1 laser beam acts for a long time on one and the same point and unfolds there after a certain Einstrahlzeit possibly a destructive effect.
• the armor element 2 is movable in front of the surface 11 of the object 10 to be protected in the vertical direction Ri as well as in the horizontal direction R2.
• the armor element 2 By moving the armor element 2 relative to the object 10, there is also a relative movement with respect to the impinging laser beam, which therefore does not strike one and the same point for longer periods of time, thus significantly reducing the local energy input, so that destruction of the armor element 2 is not to be feared stand.
• FIG. 2 shows two directions of movement of the armor element 2 in a surface parallel to the surface 11 of the object to be protected.
• the armor element 2 is moved in the direction of the incident laser beam.
• the laser beam emanating from the laser beam is focused directly into the surface of the object 10, since the intensity of the laser radiation in the focus is greatest.
• the armor element 2 can be moved out of this focus position, whereby the intensity of the laser radiation is lowered into its point of incidence. This also reduces the risk of destruction of the armor element 2 by the impinging laser radiation.
• the movements of the armor element 2 can be initiated via a drive M.
• the drive M may be a motor drive, such as an electric, hydraulic or pneumatic motor.
• About the drive M armor element 2 can be defined defined in motion, for example via a kind of eccentric or similar devices. Since it is not necessary to keep the armor element 2 in constant motion, a sensor S is also provided for detecting the laser radiation impinging. These may be photosensitive sensors which detect the incident laser radiation. After detecting the laser radiation, the drive M can then be activated and the armor element 2 can be set in motion.
• the armor element 2 can also be suspended resiliently, as shown in Fig. 6. It can be seen that the armor element 2 is coupled via a spring 4 to the object 10 to be protected. Such a resilient suspension is particularly suitable for mobile Objects 10 and in particular in military land vehicles. Due to the forces occurring during driving, the armor element 2 is kept constantly in motion by deflecting the spring 4. In addition, the advantage of this suspension via springs 4 is that the movement takes place purely stochastically, so that tracking the laser radiation in accordance with the movements of the armor element 2 is not possible.
• a privacy screen 3 is also provided, which will be discussed in detail below.
• the privacy screen 3 is located on the threat side of the armor elements 2 of the laser armor 1 and at least partly covers it to its threat side.
• the armor elements 2 are located in an intermediate region between the object 3 against the object fixedly arranged screen 3 and the object 10. It results in a kind of gap in which the armor elements 2 can be moved.
• the purpose of the screen 3 is to make the movements of the armor elements 2 invisible to the attacker.
• the privacy screen 3 is designed such that it covers the edges 2.1 of the armor elements 2 in such a way that they lie in the visible shadow of the privacy screen 3, cf.
• the overlapping of the edges 2.1 of the armor element 2 is chosen such that they do not emerge even with maximum movement of the armor element 2 from the visual shadow of the privacy screen 3.
• the movement of the otherwise planar armor element 2 is therefore not visible and it is certainly not readily possible to track the laser beam these movements.
• An alternative embodiment of the screen 3 is shown in Fig. 4. While the privacy shield 3 in FIGS. 2 and 3 only covers the edges of the armor element 2 and otherwise has openings for the passage of the laser radiation, the privacy shield 3 according to FIG. 4 covers the armor elements 2 over the whole area.
• the armor elements 2 are distributed in a tiled manner over the object and lie completely within the visual shadow of the privacy screen 3.
• the privacy screen 3 is kept optically transparent in a narrow-band wavelength range, for example in the wavelength range of 1064 nm.
• the optically transparent wavelength range is adapted to the wavelength of the expected laser gun, continuing the above wavelength example to an Nd: YAG laser.
• the effect achieved thereby is the following: Since the screen 3 is optically transparent to the impinging laser beam, it passes through the screen 3 virtually unhindered and strikes the armor element 2, which moves relative to the object 10.
• the movements of the armor element 2 are not visible to the attacker, since the wavelength of the laser radiation is often outside the range visible to the human eye or at least difficult to detect due to the narrow-band of optical transparency of the screen 3 for the attacker.
• the attacker therefore has an image in which the laser beam virtually disappears into the privacy screen 3 without causing a significant effect here. Because even with the destruction of one of the armor elements 2, this would not be visible to the attacker 2 due to the sight 3.
• FIG. 7 An embodiment which has been improved with respect to its protective effect finally shows the illustration in FIG. 7.
• the protective elements 2 are in FIG multiple layers Li, L2 arranged, resulting in a redundant arrangement such that in case of failure of one of the armor elements 2 an outer layer L 2, the laser radiation strikes in a next step on a further inner layer Li.
• the movements of the protective elements 2 are advantageously oriented differently in the positions Li, L 2 .
• the armor elements 2 consist of armored steel and are designed in the manner of ballistic-effect armor plates.
• the armoring elements 2 can also be composite armor plates in which a multiplicity of ballistically effective active bodies are embedded, for example, from a ceramic material into a matrix material.
• the armor elements 2 which are equipped to improve the protective effect against laser radiation with a cooling system 13 and / or optical active bodies 23, 24, 25.
• FIGS. 8 to 14 which is characterized in that the armor elements 2 have a cooling system 13 for dissipating heat introduced into the armor element 2 by the laser weapons. Details of the movement of the armor elements 2 with respect to the object 10 are not shown in Figures 8 to 14 for reasons of clarity.
• the cooling system 13 is an active cooling system 13, which is supplied for the purpose of cooling energy, for example, to operate a cooling unit or to operate pumps P.
• several armor elements 2 may have a common cooling system 13 or, alternatively, each armor element 2 may be equipped with its own cooling system 13, cf.
• the armor elements 2 may each have a part of a cooling circuit 14.
• the armor elements 2 can be distributed in a scale over a surface of the object 10 to be protected and the cooling circuit 4 meandering through several armor elements 2 to be passed, taking care to ensure that the movements of the armor elements 2 are not affected by the cooling circuit 14 relative to the object ,
• the armor elements 2 each have pieces of pipe which can be movably connected to one another with corresponding pipe sections of an adjacent armor element 2 in order to form a closed cooling circuit 14 in this way.
• a cooling fluid 18 flows, which absorbs heat when passing through the armor elements 2 and releases them elsewhere as waste heat.
• the cooling circuit 4 may be connected to a waste heat circuit, for example via a refrigerant circuit forming a type of refrigeration unit.
• refrigerant circuits usually consist of an evaporator, in which the cooling fluid heated by the laser radiation, with the release of heat, ensures evaporation of the refrigerant flowing inside the refrigerant circuit.
• the vaporized refrigerant is passed through a compressor in a heat exchanger in which the refrigerant gives off its heat to the waste heat.
• the refrigerant liquefies in parts, after which it is then returned via a throttle in the evaporator, where it then re-recording of the laser radiation introduced energy evaporated.
• a spraying device 15 is provided in each case.
• the cooling fluid 18 is atomized under elevated pressure and applied to a surface to be cooled of the armor element 2.
• the spraying devices 15 are arranged such that the threat side of the armor elements 2 is sprayed.
• the cooling fluid 18 absorbs heat at the bottom of the runner and discharges it.
• the spraying devices 15 are arranged not on the threat side, but on the object side of the armor elements 2.
• the spraying devices 15 are located in a gap between the armor elements 2 and the object 10 to be protected, so that they are not visible to an attacker from the outside.
• the spraying devices 15 are arranged in the interior of the armor elements 2.
• the spraying devices 15 are supplied with cooling fluid 18 via an inlet 2.2.
• the cooling fluid 18 is sprayed into the interior of the armor elements 2 in such a way that it is wetted over a large area with cooling fluid 18.
• the cooling fluid 18 flows down under the influence of gravity and finally leaves the armor element 2 via outlets 2.3. Subsequently, the cooling fluid 18 can either escape into the environment or be cooled in a cooling circuit 14 and then be guided again via the inlet 2.2 into the interior of the armor element 2.
• FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of an armor element 2, in which an armor element 2 is provided with a separate cooling system 13.
• the armor element 2 is assigned a separate cooling circuit 14.
• In the upper part of the armor element 2 is the inlet 2.2, or in the embodiment of FIG. 11, two inlets 2.2.
• a spraying device 15 is arranged, via which the cooling fluid 18 is sprayed into the interior of the armor element 2.
• the interior of the armor element 2 has a chamber 16.
• the cooling fluid 18 collects within the chamber 16 and leaves it via the outlet 2.3.
• the cooling fluid 18, driven by a pump P is again supplied to the inlet 2.2 after flowing through the cooling circuit 14.
• the cooling fluid 18 may first undergo cooling before reaching the inlet 2.2, for example by dissipating heat to a coolant circuit, as has already been explained.
• Fig. 12 shows an embodiment similar to that of Fig. 11, in which a plurality of chambers 16 connected in series are provided, which leads to a uniform contributes cooling effect.
• the individual chambers 16 are arranged cascaded to one another.
• the cooling fluid 18 collecting in a lower chamber 16 in a higher-lying chamber 16 is guided via a spray device 15 provided in the upper region of an underlying chamber 16, so that the cooling fluid 18 successively passes through a plurality of spray devices 15. This results in a kind of cascade with good cooling effect.
• FIG. 13 shows an embodiment in which the armor element 2 is completely filled with cooling fluid 18.
• the cooling fluid 3 enters the interior of the armor element 2 via the inlet 2.2 and leaves it via the outlet 2.3 with entrainment of the heat coupled into the armor element 2 via the laser radiation.
• a cascaded arrangement with multiple chambers 16 can improve the cooling effect.
• FIG. 14 shows an embodiment in which the armor elements 2 of the laser armor 1 are preceded by a sacrificial plate 17.
• the sacrificial plate 17 is designed in the manner of a cooling fluid reservoir and acts as a kind of passive cooling system in which a certain cooling effect is generated even without the supply of external energy.
• cooling fluid 18 When bombarded by laser radiation provided in the sacrificial plate 17 cooling fluid 18 is first heated, before then the sacrificial plate 17 is destroyed after a certain Einstrahlzeit. In the region of the destruction point, ie the Einstrahlticians the laser radiation, the provided within the sacrificial plate 17 cooling fluid 18 then exits under gravity then gradually, which also heat is dissipated. Also, the effluent from the sacrificial plate 17 cooling fluid 18 can also produce a wetting of the underlying armor elements 2 with the application of a certain cooling effect. As an alternative or in addition to the cooling system 13, the armor elements 2 can also have optical active bodies 23, 24, 25 for impairing the irradiated laser radiation, as will be discussed below with reference to the illustrations in FIGS. 15 to 18. Details of the movement of the armor elements 2 and the cooling system 13 are not shown in Figures 15 to 18 for reasons of clarity.
• the armor elements 2 each have a plurality of optical active bodies 23, 24, 25 for impairment of the irradiated laser radiation. As a result, a weakening of the intensity of the laser radiation and thus a reduction of the required cooling capacity of the cooling system 13 is achieved. Laser beams with an intensity above the damage threshold of the object 10 to be protected are prevented from acting on it.
• a multiplicity of different active bodies 23 are provided.
• the active bodies 23 are designed as a reflection body 23 and are in the form of loose bulk material in a box-shaped receptacle 2.4 of the armor element 2.
• the optical active bodies 23 have a surface 23.1 consisting of an optically reflecting layer.
• the reflecting surface 23. 1 can extend over the entire optical active body 23 or only over partial regions of the active body 23.
• the active bodies 23 according to the embodiment in Fig. 15 have a plurality of mutually angled extending surfaces 23.1, resulting in very different levels of reflection.
• the armor element 2 shown in FIG. 16 is based on another physical mode of action.
• a plurality of optical active body 24 is provided partly of different geometry.
• an incident laser beam such as one shown in Fig. 16 by way of example in solid lines, affected by refraction, whereby the laser beam expands and thereby loses intensity.
• the laser beam is affected not only by the refraction effects but also by reflections at the interfaces of the active bodies 24.
• the active bodies 24 are designed to break the laser radiation as optically transparent refractive bodies 24.
• Upon impact of a laser beam on a surface of the refractive body 24 is a refraction of light, whereby after passing through a plurality of successively arranged refractive body 24, a weakening of the laser beam is such that it has a much lower intensity when leaving the protective element 2.
• the risk of destruction of the object 10 is also significantly reduced by this active body 24.
• the diameter of the incident on the threat side of the armor element 2 laser beam is widened by passing through the refractive body 24 to a multiple, whereby the intensity of the laser radiation can be reduced to an uncritical level.
• the active bodies 24 may have different geometries according to the schematic illustration. It is important that these have mutually angled running surfaces or round surfaces on which then the refraction of the light takes place.
• the active bodies 24 as shown in FIG. 16 may also be so-called steel dividers which transmit portions of the laser radiation with a specific beam property and reflect other parts of the laser radiation which do not have this beam property p- and s-polarized beam components can be separated from each other, which also results in a significant reduction of the irradiated laser intensity.
• polarization filters can be provided on the active bodies 24.
• the active body 25 shown in FIG. 17 is based on a further physical mode of action.
• the active body 25 shown in FIG. 4 is a diffraction body 25. It has a plurality of diffraction gaps 25. 1 at which the incident laser light is diffracted.
• the active bodies 23, 24, 25 can always be arranged as loose bulk material within a housing-like receptacle 2.4 of the armor element 2 , Within an armor element 2, different active bodies 23, 24, 25 with reflective, refractive and diffractive properties are mixed, preferably as loose bulk material.
• the receptacle 2.4 is of box-shaped geometry and is provided on the threat side with an optically transparent cover in the manner of a cover.
• the cover may be formed in the region of the expected laser radiation in a narrow band wavelength range optically transparent.
• the incident laser beam passes unhindered through the cover and is impaired only by the active bodies 23, 24, 25 lying behind. Destruction of the cover is avoided in this way.
• Another positive effect occurs in those covers that are optically transparent in a wavelength range that is perceivable by the human eye. Because in these occurs, for example, a laser beam in the IR region through the cover, behind which he is then affected by the optical active body 23, 24, 25. Since this is imperceptible to the human eye, the attacker can not easily recognize these effects.
• a plurality of active bodies may be formed in the region of the expected laser radiation in a narrow band wavelength range optically transparent.
• a carrier material which can be applied to the threat side of the armor element 2. Similar to a sunscreen cream, a multiplicity of smaller active bodies 23, 24, 25 can be embedded within the carrier material. Upon detection of a laser attack, the carrier material and with it the active bodies 23, 24, 25 can then be applied to the threatened side of the object 10 to be protected in a targeted manner.
• a corresponding line system with a plurality of outlet nozzles for applying the active body 23 arranged in the carrier material for example,
• FIG. 24 Another alternative arrangement of the active bodies 23, 24, 25 is shown in FIG. In this there are a plurality of active bodies 23, 24, 25 in a kind of curtain arrangement. This type of curtain can be arranged on the threat side of an object 10.
• the incident laser radiation can be impaired by reflection, refraction or diffraction in such a way that the intensity of the laser radiation is attenuated independently of the direction of incidence of the incident laser beam.
• the risk of material failure due to very intense radiation is significantly reduced.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Lasers (AREA)
• Aiming, Guidance, Guns With A Light Source, Armor, Camouflage, And Targets (AREA)

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ID=51392015

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• 2013
  • 2013-07-11 DE DE102013107364.6A patent/DE102013107364B4/de active Active
• 2014
  • 2014-07-08 EP EP14754998.4A patent/EP3019817B1/fr active Active
  • 2014-07-08 WO PCT/DE2014/100235 patent/WO2015003688A1/fr not_active Ceased

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