Additive Manufacturing of Multilayered Advanced Materials for Smart Sensing and Protection of Traumatic Brain Injury
Abstract
With the ever-changing nature of combat threats such as improvised explosive devices(IED), directed energy (DE) weapons and invisible sonic attacks, the operational environments for the warfighters and critical US personnel stationed overseas have become more challenging. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is one of the undesirable consequences of such threats. To ensure adequate warfighter protection and to timely determine if exposures to combat threats cause any detrimental effect to our warfighters, the protective equipment needs to protect against brain injury and able to assess brains health in real time. This requirement can be fulfilled by seamlessly interfacing brain with non-invasive brain health sensing elements that are embedded on protectiveequipment. In pursuit of this critical navy need, the PI has set a long-term vision to systematically develop methodologies for building innovative protective materials and structures that will be made of advanced lighter yet energy-absorptive materials and capable of housing inward and outward looking sensing elements to sense, in real time, brain health and injury. Here, the objective is to additively manufacture (3D printing) advanced multi-layer cellular materials that can be used for building the conceptual smart protective equipment. It is hypothesized that the cellularmorphology will significantly reduce overall weight of the material. The impact resistance will be achieved by obtaining a microstructure layer with maximum energy absorption capacity. The resistance against sonic wave will be obtained by adding a material layer capable of acoustic cloaking. The directed laser energy resistance will be achieved by incorporating a layer with maximum reflections and scattering. The performance of these materials will be compared with existing materials used in modern protective gears. While the need for a smart protective equipment capable of providing real-time data on brain health and injury and protection against combat threats is undeniable, a limited research data is currently available. As such, if successful,the proposed research will advance our understanding of 3D printed structures and materials for smart protective equipment applications and will significantly improve naval capabilities. This program will provide financial support to US citizen students who will work towards their MS degrees. In pursuit for their degree requirements, the graduate students will actively learn the application of additive manufacturing, light-weight cellular material fabrication techniques, novel material design methodologies for protection against impact and directed energy exposures.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 05, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112750
Entities
People
- Ashfaq Adnan
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Texas at Arlington