High Energy Material Containment

The Navy desires a containment system that provides isolation of energetic materials, so that they can be stored and handled as an inert payload with minimal risk of activation or unconstrained release of energy. Current containers are heavy, costly, provide inadequate ballistic shielding, and do not provide the desired logistical handling characteristics. Texas Research Institute Austin, Inc. (TRI/Austin) and subcontractor Container Research Corporation (CRC) will develop material and structural concepts for a lightweight, low-cost, high-energy material containment system that is also payload independent, scalable, modular, and conforms to industry standards. Several innovative methods of providing heat-, ballistic- and blast-shielding capability will be explored, including laminated composites, low-cost yet high-performance reinforcements, and unique coatings that enhance blast- and fire-resistance. Innovative joint designs will be incorporated to reduce the likelihood of blast-induced damage. TRI/Austin will evaluate candidate container design concepts using analytical and empirical methods. Representative wall panels will be fabricated and tested to demonstrate the structural, ballistic, and fire performance of selected approaches. The resulting metrics will allow TRI/Austin to recommend a detailed design concept for further development. Finally, an economic analysis will be performed to provide a cost comparison with existing designs.