Abstract: Marine vessels, including combatant (naval) vessels are produced inexpensively without requiring the use of as many skilled personnel as is conventional. The vessel produced has a high strength metal truss structure (both above and below the water line) capable of carrying major hull loads. A number of curved or doubly curved composite (e. g. GRP) panels produced by vacuum assisted resin transfer molding are fastened by bolts, marine adhesives, and/or rivets to the below water line portions of the truss structure where necessary to handle slamming loads and to reduce water resistance and wake. Substantially flat composite pultruded panels are fastened to the truss structure both above the water line, and below the water line where the resistance to slamming loads and reduction of water resistance and wake are not critical. Necessary equipment is installed within the open truss volume before the above-water-line panels are fully installed.

Abstract: Marine vessels, including combatant (naval) vessels are produced inexpensively without requiring the use of as many skilled personnel as is conventional. The vessel produced has a high strength metal truss structure (both above and below the water line) capable of carrying major hull loads. A number of curved or doubly curved composite (e. g. GRP) panels produced by vacuum assisted resin transfer molding are fastened by bolts, marine adhesives, and/or rivets to the below water line portions of the truss structure where necessary to handle slamming loads and to reduce water resistance and wake. Substantially flat composite pultruded panels are fastened to the truss structure both above the water line, and below the water line where the resistance to slamming loads and reduction of water resistance and wake are not critical. Necessary equipment is installed within the open truss volume before the above-water-line panels are fully installed.

Abstract: A typical inventive embodiment describes a tubular shape and comprises a rigid outer layer, an elastomeric middle layer and a rigid inner layer. The elastomeric material is a strain-rate-sensitive polymer (e.g., polyurethane or polyurea) having a Young's modulus of approximately 700-1000 psi at 100% strain, and strong strain-rate-sensitivity in approximately the 103/second-106/second range. By the time that the projectile reaches the rigid inner layer, a projectile that impacts the three-layer system (commencing at the rigid outer layer) is structurally and kinetically diminished in its destructiveness by the rigid outer layer together with the elastomeric middle layer. Furthermore, the elastomeric middle layer becomes more rigid during a brief period in which it absorbs energy from the projectile, then again becomes elastic in a manner formative of a membrane covering the rigid inner layer. The elastomeric membrane tempers leakage if rupturing of the rigid inner layer has occurred.

Abstract: Protection against blast and ballistic damage is improved by encapsulating or sandwiching rigid inclusions (for example, tiles) or a rigid plate by a high-strain rate hardening elastomer. Typical high-strain rate hardening elastomers include polyurea and polyurethane. If desired, the inclusion or plate may be wrapped in a cloth and/or fabric before encapsulation/sandwiching. The armor may be used independently of a substrate or may be attached by any means to a substrate that it is intended to protect.

Abstract: Many military land vehicles are not designed to withstand extreme forces concomitant exploding mines. A vehicle's capacity to protect its occupants is inventively enhanced by structurally augmenting the vehicle, in lower structural portions closely related to the vehicle's cabin, with both elastomeric and rigid (non-elastomeric) materials. An elastomeric layer and a rigid layer (typically embodied as a metal or composite sheet or plate) are added to the vehicle in each of seven locations, viz., the four wheel wells (left-front, right-front, left-rear, right-rear), the two floorboards (left and right), and the intervening underside area. At each wheel well and floorboard location, the elastomer is sandwiched between the vehicle's existing rigid structure and the rigid member so as to form a tri-layer material system. At the intervening underside location, an elastomer-coated rigid member is attached with the elastomer face-down.

Abstract: A marine vessel which includes a bow section, a stern section and a mid-section, wherein the bow and stern sections are of different hull construction from that of the mid-section which has a curved outer shape; the skin of the hull of the bow and stern sections are preferably made of hybrid composites while the port and starboard sides of the mid-section are of hybrid composites supported on the inside thereof by a light framing to transmit pressure loads; the mid-section further includes an inner section that may be of box beam construction or longitudinal bulkhead construction.

Abstract: A hybrid ship hull which includes three parts and whose stem and bow parts are made of composite materials while the mid-section is made of hybrid steel framing with a composite skin or of advanced double-steel hull or of conventional steel hull construction.