WO2025026806A1

WO2025026806A1 - Tactical shelter for civil and military use

Info

Publication number: WO2025026806A1
Application number: PCT/EP2024/070817
Authority: WO
Inventors: Claudio Marchesini
Original assignee: EleSiA SpA
Current assignee: EleSiA SpA
Priority date: 2023-07-31
Filing date: 2024-07-23
Publication date: 2025-02-06
Anticipated expiration: 2026-01-31
Also published as: IT202300016131A1

Abstract

A shelter and the construction method of the same is here describes. In particular, a tactical shelter capable of meeting the strictest civil and military standards is here described. Electronic and computer components and related workstations for a human operator can be installed in said shelter.

Description

TACTICAL SHELTER FOR CIVIL AND MILITARY USE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a shelter and the construction method of the same. In particular, the present invention relates to a tactical shelter capable of meeting the strictest civil and military standards, within which electronic and computer components and related workstations for a human operator can be installed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The shelter is an architectural structure or a natural formation (or a combination of the two) that provides protection from the external environment. A shelter can thus act as a home and can be made both as a temporary or permanent structure.

Over the years, shelters have been used for various purposes. For example, in telecommunications, shelters are prefabricated cabins adapted to house the apparatuses for transmitting and receiving television, radio and telephone signals or as a network node for distributions, such as optical fiber.

When used as a refuge for apparatuses, the shelter is accompanied by the presence of masts or poles placed nearby that must support antennas and satellite dishes for emitting and/or receiving signals.

Typically, shelters have an appearance similar to a transport container but consist of metal profiles welded or bolted to a corner block, completed by insulated pluggings on the walls, floor and ceiling, capable of providing protection from external temperature fluctuations and one or more doors for access. The dimensions of the shelters are variable according to the equipment they need to contain, ranging from cabinets wherein only a space for an apparatus with large-size structures that can also be divided into compartments is provided.

Standard accessories for shelters, depending on needs and conditions, are: air conditioners or fans with related grilles for internal ventilation, pass-throughs, waterproof cables on the walls and/or floor for the power supply input and connections with the outside of the apparatuses, fire protection systems, C-shaped profiles for fixing the apparatuses to the walls, electrical system for lighting and distribution, grounding of the structure.

Tactical shelters for civil and/or military use, the object of the present invention, are neither described nor suggested in the art.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention will now be described, by way of illustration, but not limitation, with particular reference to the figures of the attached drawings.

Figure 1 shows, through an overall view, the FCIS shelter of the present invention in the standard ISO-20 configuration. According to said ISO-20 standard, the standard dimensions of the shelter are: 2891 mm in height, 243 mm in width, and 6058 mm in length.

Figure 2 shows the structure of the primary frame of the shelter of the present invention, wherein said structure of the primary frame is made through carbon fiber beams.

Figure 3a shows an internal and external view of the corner necessary to join the carbon fiber beams of the primary frame shown in Figure 2 to each other.

Figure 3b shows the “exploded” corner of the primary frame, wherein said corner comprises: • an internal corner (1) made of steel;

• a primary beam (2) made of carbon fiber;

• a layered panel (3) - sandwich - made of composite material;

• a secondary beam (4) made of carbon fiber;

• an external corner (5) made of steel;

• a cover (6) for the internal corner (1), wherein said cover (6) is made of composite material.

Figure 4 shows the structure of the secondary frame of the shelter of the present invention, wherein said structure of the secondary frame is made through carbon fiber beams.

Figure 5 shows the structure of the primary frame with layered panels (3) - sandwich - made of composite material. NB: in this figure, the structure of the secondary frame of Figure 4 is not highlighted.

Figure 6 shows the layered panel (3) - sandwich - comprising four layers:

• a first layer in glass fiber (7);

• a PET (PolyEthylene Terephthalate) structural material layer (8);

• a second layer in glass fiber (9);

• a cold spray metallization layer (10) using aluminium and zinc.

Furthermore, in said Figure 6, letter “A” represents the internal part of the panel (3) (or rather the part of the panel (3) visible inside the shelter), while letter “B” represents the external part of the panel (3) (or rather the part of the panel (3) visible outside the shelter).

Figure 7 schematically shows the cold spray metallization process used for the outermost layer of the panel (3) shown in Figure 3. On the left the propellant inlets (11) and the oxygen inlets (12) are shown. The air inlet (13) is shown on the bottom. The Zn-Al wire (18) is placed in the middle of the device. The plasma (14) exits from the nozzle (15) to allow the deposition of a metal layer (16) on the composite material (17).

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, the shelter system will also be referred to as Full Composite ISO Shelter (FCIS). Furthermore, the terms “System,” “Shelter,” and “Full Composite ISO Shelter” (FCIS) are to be considered synonymous.

The Full Composite ISO Shelter (FCIS), the object of the present invention, is a tactical shelter (ISO-20 dimensions) capable of meeting the strictest civil and military standards, within which electronic and computer components and related human operator workstations can be installed.

The tactical shelter of the present invention is designed to:

• operate in extreme climatic conditions, even in open sea, to meet the strictest civil and military standards, to ensure the maximum efficiency and liveability for both electronic devices and operating personnel;

• be transported by road, rail, sea, and air (aircrafts and helicopters) respecting the highest civil and military standards;

• be capable of withstanding impacts and vibrations as indicated by the strictest civil and military standards; • shield induced and/or radiated electromagnetic emissions.

The innovative technologies, all based on a wide use of composite materials and graphene nanomaterials, presented in the present invention and applied to the implementations of the Shelter allow to: • obtain a drastic reduction in weights for the shelter implementations;

• achieve a new level of quality and efficiency in the maintenance and operation of said shelter (reduction of operating costs and improvement of operational effectiveness and efficiency).

The peculiarity of the construction methods of the FCIS, the object of the present invention, which distinguish it from traditional shelters, is linked to the innovative technologies and the construction method (all based on wide use of advanced composite materials and nanotechnologies) disclosed in the present patent and applied to the Shelter Subsystems listed below. Furthermore, the peculiarity of the construction methods of FCIS, the object of the present invention, allows to respect at least 12 civil and military standards mentioned below.

The peculiarity of the construction methods of the FCIS shelter, the object of the present invention, which distinguishes it from conventional shelters, is linked to the innovative technologies and the construction method (all based on a wide use of composite materials and nanomaterials such as graphene) described in the present invention and applied to the FCIS shelter subsystems listed below.

A. Shelter exoskeleton Subsystem, comprising:

• Al - Frame (exoskeleton) Subsystem;

• A2 - Beams Subsystem;

• A3 - Corners Subsystem; • A4 - External walls (panels) Subsystem.

B. Secondary frame Subsystem;

C. EMI /EMC Subsystem made with cold spray process;

D. Doors Subsystem; E. Technical openings (Cut-Out) Subsystem.

Subsystems D and E (doors and technical openings) are part of the shelter of the present invention but will not be further described in the following part of this document.

As mentioned, the Shelter is made with wide use of composite materials and nanomaterials (such as for example graphene) to meet all physical and environmental requirements with extremely low weight.

The FCIS Shelter of the present invention has been designed to be used even in navigation. To achieve this capability, the entire external structure is designed to withstand external stresses up to 1.5 t/m² with absolutely acceptable deformations for the composite materials adopted, ensuring the operational capability even in extreme environmental conditions for both operators and equipment.

In the following paragraph, each subsystem will be described in more detail. A - Shelter exoskeleton subsystem

The mechanical assembly of the FCIS shelter is characterized by a skilful assembly of different parts and materials, which, integrated together, constitute a kind of exoskeleton.

The conception of this assembly is based on the concept of “carapace,” which are the hard shells of crustaceans and turtles, where various organic compounds form a physical structure with an enormous structural integrity.

The exoskeleton subsystem of the FCIS shelter consists of the synergic union of the following structural parts:

• Structure of the primary frame of the Shelter (Fig. 2);

• Structure of the corners (Fig. 3a e 3b); • Structure of the secondary frame (Fig. 4);

• Structure of external walls formed by sandwich panels (Fig. 5);

• Construction structure of the sandwich panel (Fig. 6).

The synergic combination of the primary frame, corners, beams, secondary frame, and external walls (panels) structures significantly increases the structural capacity of the exoskeleton and therefore of the shelter itself.

Essentially, the FCIS shelter is designed in the form of an exoskeleton where:

• the primary frame, formed by square-section carbon beams (100x100 mm), interconnected by the elastic (corner) joints, provides the main structural and robustness support.

• the external walls of the shelter (sandwich panels) are applied to the primary frame so as to give consistency to the external walls, this allows to provide a synergic increase in structural resilience. Indeed, the technology used in the assembly of the frame and external walls forms a unitary monocoque structure, in which all these components are load-bearing structural elements and cooperate with each other to distribute the imposed forces on the three axes x, y, and z of the shelter.

This approach allows the exoskeleton of the shelter, and therefore the shelter of the present invention, to flex and adapt to stresses during operational use. The kinetic energy related to such stress is discharged (dissipated) on the external walls that form the “box”. Al - Frame Subsystem and A2 - Beams Subsystem

The shelter frame is formed by square-section beams (100x100 mm), made of carbon fiber, interconnected by the elastic (corner) joints. This set-up provides the main structural support for the entire FCIS shelter.

The square-section beams are made by filament winding process; they constitute the load-bearing frame for fixing the covering panels, therefore constituting the primary structure of the system. Furthermore, they constitute the connecting element with the corners.

The technical features of the carbon fiber material, which by its nature is not subject to rust and/or corrosion, ensure the maximum resistance to external weather agents (humidity, rain, salt, extreme temperatures, etc.) that could threaten its structural integrity.

A3 - Comers Subsystem

The corners subsystem consists of parts specifically designed to obtain the maximum dimensional stability of the FCIS shelter.

Following the exploded view below, in Figure 3b, the parts in question are:

• an internal corner (1) made of steel;

• a primary beam (2) made of carbon fiber;

• a layered panel (3) - sandwich - made of composite material;

• a secondary beam (4) made of carbon fiber;

• an external corner (5) made of steel;

The corners, 8 elements in total, are positioned at the external angles of the shelter primary frame so as to comply with ISO 668 standard. Furthermore, the corners:

• meet the user's requirements for the transportability of the shelter;

• provide adequate protection for sensitive areas against heavy impacts or damage due to the logistical moving of the shelter.

A4 - External walls Subsystem

All external walls are layered panels (sandwich), manufactured by gluing two external glass fiber panels (thin but rigid) with a panel made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (see Figure 6) . It is a fiber-reinforced polymer with a foam core, light but thick. PET is a thermoplastic polymer that belongs to the polyester family. It is formed from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol through the polycondensation reaction of the monomers. This material has excellent chemical resistance and barrier properties, good solidity, rigidity, wear resistance, abrasion resistance, and is flame-resistant.

The assembly of the primary frame and the external walls of the shelter form a unitary monocoque structure, in which all components are load-bearing structural elements and cooperate with each other to distribute the forces/ stresses resulting from the operational use of said shelter.

The panels also have thermal insulation properties; the external surfaces of the panels are corrosion-resistant, due to the specific protective coating. The assembled structure is hermetically sealed and does not allow the penetration of water, sand, and/or dust.

B - Secondary frame Subsystem

Internally, the shelter is organized with a secondary load-bearing structure (see Figure 4), composed of a set of composite material (carbon fiber) beams fixed to the primary frame. This structure can be configured according to the installation of the internal equipment; this allows to obtain the maximum robustness with the minimum weight.

Guides, which allow to route the cables by specific cable glands, respectively in the number of six and four, are installed on the floor and side walls. Such arrangement helps to reinforce the secondary structure of the shelter.

The floor guides are provided with specific covers to be applied when not in use and protect them from dirt.

Chipboard panels are provided for the internal coating of floor, walls, and ceiling. Said chipboard panels are veneered with scratch-resistant PVC according to DIN 16951 standard, and their colour is light ivory (RAL 1015). Furthermore, the floor is antistatic; such feature is ensured by the use of appropriately treated plastic materials.

C - EMI/ EMC Subsystem

In accordance with the present invention, EMC (ElectroMagnetic Compatibility) compliance consists of verifying that the disturbances emitted by the device under test are below the limits imposed by the applicable standards for the product itself. The object of this type of test is to avoid disturbing other devices or interfering with radio communications in the assigned bands.

In accordance with the present invention, EMI (ElectroMagnetic Immunity) compliance consists of verifying that the disturbances generated by devices operating nearby do not compromise the correct operation of the device under test.

Regarding the shelter, in order to ensure EMI /EMC compliance, a total shielding is provided. Said total shielding is obtained with a cold spray process (see Figure 7) specifically developed to allow the deposition of a metal layer on the composite materials. The process is applied first during the manufacture of the components (such as walls, joints, etc.) and also after the assembly of the structure to obtain the maximum tightness and avoid any RF leakage.

This process allows a shielding greater than 70 dB over a wide frequency range (from 100 KHz to 40 GHz) in compliance with MIL-STD-461 standard.

The metal material deposition process by thermal spray allows to produce significant thicknesses (>300 pm) of metallic coating on composite materials such as carbon fiber and / or glass fiber.

The main function of the metal deposit is to constitute a shield against induced and/or generated electromagnetic radiation.

Several layers can be deposited using different metals with different impedance and magnetic permeability features; this ensures the wide isolation over the entire frequency range of interest.

Said cold spray process:

• provides the deposit of two different metals, zinc (or iron) and copper (or aluminium) plus a polymeric protective layer, which has the purpose of avoiding the surface oxidation;

• is performed with an instrument that brings the metal to high temperatures (>2000°C), which, transformed into plasma, is projected at high speed (between 100 and 600 m/s) onto the surface of the composite material;

• combines the magnetic permeability (H/m) and impedance (Z0) parameters of the filler metals with the plasma speed (m/s) and the distance from the surface (m) of the composite material to be treated; • uses various combinations of metals described above depending on the desired degree of shielding/ isolation at different frequencies;

• allows a shielding effectiveness >70 dB over a wide frequency range (from 100 kHz to 40 GHz).

Therefore, the object of the present invention is a tactical shelter for civil and/or military use, comprising:

• a shelter exoskeleton subsystem (A), further comprising: o a frame subsystem (Al); o a beams subsystem (A2); o a corners subsystem (A3); o an external walls/ panels subsystem (A4);

• a secondary frame subsystem (B);

• an EMI /EMC subsystem (C) made with a cold spray process;

• a doors subsystem (D);

• a technical openings/ Cut-Out subsystem (E); wherein:

- the frame (Al) is made with 4 long carbon fiber beams, arranged horizontally, and 6 short carbon fiber beams, arranged vertically, interconnected by corner joints that provide the main structural support to the shelter;

- the corners subsystem (A3) is further comprising:

• an internal corner (1) made of steel;

• an external corner (5) made of steel;

• a cover (6) for the internal corner (1), wherein said cover (6) is made of composite material;

- the external walls/panels subsystem (A4) is made by coupling four layers:

• a first glass fiber layer (7); a PET structural material layer (8); a second glass fiber layer (9); a metallization layer (10) by the cold spray technique.

- the secondary frame (B) is made with carbon fiber beams, having a section of 50x50 mm, and said secondary frame (B) constitutes the load-bearing element for fixing the layered panels (3).

A further object of the present invention is a tactical shelter for civil and/or military use, wherein the long and short beams constituting the beams subsystem (A2) have a square section of 100x100 mm; and wherein:

• said short beams can vary from a minimum of 6 to a maximum of 10;

• said long beams can vary from a minimum of 4 to a maximum of 10;

• the number and distance between the horizontal and / or vertical square-section beams depend on the level of robustness desired for the shelter.

A further object of the present invention is a tactical shelter for civil and/or military use, wherein the corners subsystem (A3) has a total of 8 elements, positioned at the external angles of the shelter primary frame.

A further object of the present invention is a tactical shelter for civil and/or military use, wherein the cold spray process:

• provides the deposit of two different metals, zinc or iron and copper or aluminium, plus a polymeric protective layer, which has the purpose of avoiding the surface oxidation;

• is performed with an instrument that brings the metal to high temperatures (>2,000°C); • combines the magnetic permeability (H/m) and impedance (ZO) parameters of the filler metals with the plasma speed (m/s) and the distance from the surface (m) of the composite material to be treated;

• uses various combinations of metals described above depending on the desired degree of shielding/ isolation at different frequencies;

A further object of the present invention is a tactical shelter for civil and/or military use, wherein the square-section beams constituting the beams subsystem (A2):

• are made by filament winding process;

• are made with materials selected from the group comprising: carbon fiber, glass fiber, ceramic fibers, aramid fibers, basalt fibers, and / or a combination thereof.

A further object of the present invention is a tactical shelter for civil and/or military use, wherein the layered panels (3) have thermal, acoustic, and/or water insulation properties.

A further object of the present invention is a tactical shelter for civil and/or military use, wherein the internal coating of floor, walls, and ceiling is made with chipboard panels; and wherein:

• said chipboard panels are veneered with scratch-resistant PVC;

• the floor has antistatic properties ensured by the use of appropriately treated plastic materials.

A further object of the present invention is a tactical shelter for civil and/or military use, which is equipped with wireless sensors for structural monitoring, thus capable of predicting and/or detecting break points of said shelter. Said sensors use carbon nanotube technology and can be positioned in hard-to-access points of the shelter, where cracks are most likely to occur.

Claims

1. A tactical shelter for civil and/or military use, comprising:

• an exoskeleton subsystem (A), further comprising: o a frame subsystem (Al); o a beams subsystem (A2); o a corners subsystem (A3); o an external walls/ panels subsystem (A4);

• a secondary frame subsystem (B);

• an EMI /EMC subsystem (C) made with a cold spray process;

• a doors subsystem (D);

• a technical openings/ Cut-Out subsystem (E); wherein:

-the corners subsystem (A3) is further comprising:

• an internal corner (1) made of steel;

• an external corner (5) made of steel;

- the external walls/ panels subsystem (A4) is made by coupling four layers:

• a first glass fiber layer (7);

• a PET structural material layer (8) ;

• a second glass fiber layer (9);

• a metallization layer (10) by the cold spray technique; - the secondary frame (B) is made with carbon fiber beams, having a section of 50x50 mm, and constitutes the load-bearing element for fixing the layered panels (3).

2. The shelter of claim 1, wherein the long and short beams constituting the beams subsystem (A2) have a square section of 100x100 mm; and wherein:

• said short beams can vary from a minimum of 6 to a maximum of 10;

• said long beams can vary from a minimum of 4 to a maximum of 10;

3. The shelter of claim 1, wherein the corners subsystem (A3) has a total of 8 elements, positioned at the external angles of the shelter primary frame.

4. The shelter of claim 1, wherein the cold spray process:

• is performed with an instrument that brings the metal to high temperatures (>2,000°C);

• combines the magnetic permeability (H/m) and impedance (Z0) parameters of the filler metals with the plasma speed (m/s) and the distance from the surface (m) of the composite material to be treated;

• uses different combinations of metals depending on the desired degree of shielding/ isolation at the different frequencies; • allows a shielding effectiveness >70 dB over a wide frequency range (from 100 kHz to 40 GHz).

5. The shelter of claim 1, wherein the square-section beams constituting the beams subsystem (A2): • are made by filament winding process;

6. The shelter of claim 1, wherein the layered panels (3) have thermal, acoustic, and/or water insulation properties.

7. The shelter of claim 1 , wherein the internal coating of floor, walls, and ceiling is made with chipboard panels; and wherein:

• said chipboard panels are veneered with scratch-resistant PVC;

8. The shelter of claim 1, which is equipped with wireless sensors for structural monitoring, capable of predicting and/or detecting break points of said shelter.