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Creating an armor that can absorb kinetic energy?
- Thread starter fireflame
- Start date
tkscz
Member
Soooooo basically:
But I imagine as bulky as the hulk buster?
I do believe the Spartan suits weigh several tons (about as much as a tank) and the wearers are cyborgs just to keep the suit from killing them.
Blargonaut
Banned
yeah, your armour'd basically have to be a wedge floating off an anchor via stiff springs
The sharpest spike jumping out in front of the leanest yet heaviest jack-in-the-box
Minimise your exposed surface area, cut the wave in half and let it all wash past you, probably
The sharpest spike jumping out in front of the leanest yet heaviest jack-in-the-box
Minimise your exposed surface area, cut the wave in half and let it all wash past you, probably
BriareosGAF
Member
There is a large history of 20th century armor to deal with high energy kinetic impact, mostly around tank armor. I.e.:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_armour
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_armour
TheLostBigBoss
Banned
Not cyborgs, just genetically manipulated at a young age to be insanely strong and stuff
Theonik
Member
500KG iirc
Yeah so if you shoot black panthers leg, no damage. But he can still kick you because it's comic books
Maybe there is a way. We can hide objects currently from certain wavelengths of light. I also read in New Scientist there is a theoretical way to hide or cloak buildings or maybe even entire cities form the shockwaves of earthquakes.
Its all just waves, it would require some funky designs metamaterials and who knows what else. If its possible for the above then it should be possible to deflect the kinetic wave around an object, so thats it like the object isnt even there to the wave.
Its all just waves, it would require some funky designs metamaterials and who knows what else. If its possible for the above then it should be possible to deflect the kinetic wave around an object, so thats it like the object isnt even there to the wave.
Vibranium absorbs kinetic energy so you might actually be safe from an explosion in something like Black Panther's suit. It's not indestructible in the same way that adamantium is where the molecular composition of the material is so tightly locked that it's near impossibly to cut.
Anything made to absorb impact from shock absorbers to pillow armor absorbs some degree of kinetic energy.
Anything made to absorb impact from shock absorbers to pillow armor absorbs some degree of kinetic energy.
David Incorporated Esq.
Member
Fill the interstitial spaces of the human body with ballistics gel to absorb that energy.
Poodlestrike
Banned
Okay, so, it's like this.
Absorbing kinetic energy is what all armor does. That's what makes it armor in the first place, it absorbs the energy so you don't have to. It does this by deforming, breaking, etc. It also usually distributes the energy over a larger area than the incoming projectile or blow would.
As for the sci-fi style, that's... probably impossible. Kinetic energy isn't, strictly speaking, real, because velocity is relative, and kinetic energy is a function of velocity, so kinetic energy is relative, so whether or not it's present depends on your frame of reference. So ideals like "kinetic shields" or "directed energy flow" are probably bunk, because there's no real, tangible thing to block or move around.
What you can do is develop materials that do the traditional applications much better. Special non-newtonian fluids can distribute force very efficiently, for instance, and after deforming (again, thereby absorbing the energy) can flow back into their original shape.
Absorbing kinetic energy is what all armor does. That's what makes it armor in the first place, it absorbs the energy so you don't have to. It does this by deforming, breaking, etc. It also usually distributes the energy over a larger area than the incoming projectile or blow would.
As for the sci-fi style, that's... probably impossible. Kinetic energy isn't, strictly speaking, real, because velocity is relative, and kinetic energy is a function of velocity, so kinetic energy is relative, so whether or not it's present depends on your frame of reference. So ideals like "kinetic shields" or "directed energy flow" are probably bunk, because there's no real, tangible thing to block or move around.
What you can do is develop materials that do the traditional applications much better. Special non-newtonian fluids can distribute force very efficiently, for instance, and after deforming (again, thereby absorbing the energy) can flow back into their original shape.
dragonchild
Banned
With armor it's the "walking around" part that's the limitation. Joints need to flex, and even if an armor plate stops a round, high-energy rounds still can cause internal damage. Not to mention most casualties are inflicted by shrapnel which requires scalp-to-toe protection, not so much the ability to stop a rifle bullet
As such, while I don't see widespread adoption in its future, shields and mantlets (basically shields on wheels) are making a minor comeback from the Medieval heyday. Modern ballistic shields/mantlets can stop high-energy rifles, don't need to flex, and if they absorb substantial kinetic energy they just kick backwards instead of turning your insides into mush. Major downsides are the need for flat terrain, lack of 360-degree protection (but you should be wearing armor anyway) and considerable bulk, but you can throw one onto a truck or APC and then use it to advance on a position in a street/building fight.
As such, while I don't see widespread adoption in its future, shields and mantlets (basically shields on wheels) are making a minor comeback from the Medieval heyday. Modern ballistic shields/mantlets can stop high-energy rifles, don't need to flex, and if they absorb substantial kinetic energy they just kick backwards instead of turning your insides into mush. Major downsides are the need for flat terrain, lack of 360-degree protection (but you should be wearing armor anyway) and considerable bulk, but you can throw one onto a truck or APC and then use it to advance on a position in a street/building fight.