Finite Element Analysis of Soft Body Armour Using Shear Thickening Fluid

The heavyweight, reduced mobility, and less flexibility of Conventional body armour’s have led to the user becoming easily exhausted. In this work, study and modelling of armours which are lighter in weight, offer greater flexibility and impact resistance than its Conventional archetype has been done. Finite Element methods have been thoroughly employed to better perform the simulation, which encapsulates the analysis of both, the projectile (bullet) and the Impact (Body armour). Models are developed for neat Kevlar layers and Kevlar with Shear Thickening Fluid (STF) impregnated between the layers. The effect of shear thickening has been represented and is simulated as friction between the different Kevlar layers. Analysis of energy absorption for neat Kevlar and STF introduced Kevlar is performed and a comparative study specifying the Depth of indentation for both the models has been done, thereby giving results in terms of greater energy absorption capability or resistance of STF infused Kevlar.