Not thick at all... but a long way to go being marketable...
Regular house bricks could be used to power electronics after a major breakthrough in energy storage technology.
Researchers at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, discovered that the cheap and ubiquitous material could be converted into energy storage units to hold electricity, potentially transforming houses into giant super capacitors.
“Our method works with regular bricks or recycled bricks, and we can make our own bricks as well,” said Julio D’Arcy, assistant professor of chemistry at Washington University.
I have some storage heaters which are basically metal boxes filled with bricks and heating elements!
They are storing heat - not electricity.
Re: The thick as a brick thread...
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2020 12:53 am
by llondel
Some UK scientists came up with a crazy idea of making a double-walled tank with a high voltage between the walls as a defence against armour-piercing shells. The first impressive thing about this idea is that they actually built a test rig, and the second impressive thing is that it worked. AP shells effectively inject molten metal into the target, so what happens is that the shell hits the outer wall and makes a small hole, then the streamer of high-velocity molten metal is ejected at high speed forward. Because of the highly charged plates, as soon as it contacts the second wall, a high current flows which vaporises the streamer and nullifies its effectiveness
I wonder if the brick wall equivalent will do the same?
Re: The thick as a brick thread...
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2020 7:20 am
by Rwy in Sight
I wish news like those were announced in a more advanced stage
I wish news like those were announced in a more advanced stage
Yes let's hope this is not like nuclear fusion technology always 30 years away from commercial release.
Re: The thick as a brick thread...
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2020 7:37 am
by unifoxos
Because of the highly charged plates, as soon as it contacts the second wall, a high current flows which vaporises the streamer and nullifies its effectiveness
And the resulting pressure increase turns the tank crew into jelly?
I think that refers to HESH rather than APFDS. The latter is a solid penetrator of DU or other high density solid shot. HESH is a shaped charge that behaves as you say.
I have seen the effect of an APFDS on a T54. The entry hole and the exit hole in the turret were not aligned.
I think that refers to HESH rather than APFDS. The latter is a solid penetrator of DU or other high density solid shot. HESH is a shaped charge that behaves as you say.
I have seen the effect of an APFDS on a T54. The entry hole and the exit hole in the turret were not aligned.
The spalling and hot gas stream associated with a HESH round definitely leaves a terrible mess inside the vehicle if there is no adaptive/reactive armour or spall liner to reduce its efficacy. I doubt it would work very effectively in the case of the spaced armour (electrically charged or not) as noted in the the post above. A good generic round effective against buildings etc. as well but would probably be sub-optimal against modern Russian and American armour. Must ask me old school mate Tim who abandoned the SADF to become a tank jockey back here in Blighty and is still a beacon of knowledge about these matters!
Re: The thick as a brick thread...
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2020 2:28 pm
by Groundgripper
Actually you are talking about three different types of anti-armour round.
HESH, High Energy Squash Head, which detonates up against the wall of the target, the resulting shock wave passes through the armour and causes fragments of the inner wall (spall) to fly off shredding the crew. Not effective against modern multi-layer armour.
APDS, Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot, which is a sub-calibre round comprising a 'dart ' of DU or tungsten carried in a full-calibre case that disintegrates as soon as the round leaves the barrel allowing the dart to fly to the target. For better stability and longer range the dart can have fins on the back to stabilise it, hence APFSDS.It's purely a Kinetic Energy (KE) round.
The third type is the so-called Shaped Charge. This has a cone, usually of copper, at the front of the round, with the explosive packed behind it. The cone has the large open end at the front. In front of the cone is an aerodynamically shaped nose that contains the impact fuse. As the front of this casing hits the target the fuse causes the detonator behind the explosive to ignite and the resultant flame front travels forward causing the copper to turn into a jet of plasma at a temperature in the order of 40,000K and up to a metre or so in length which literally burns it way through the armour. A feature of a tank that's been hit by one of these is the copper coating around the impact point where the copper has condensed. Modern ceramic or explosive reactive armour is designed to counter this. It's used in man-portable anti-tank weapons rather than tank guns.
In a previous life I used to work next to, but not for, our Warheads Department.
Actually you are talking about three different types of anti-armour round.
HESH, High Energy Squash Head, which detonates up against the wall of the target, the resulting shock wave passes through the armour and causes fragments of the inner wall (spall) to fly off shredding the crew. Not effective against modern multi-layer armour.
APDS, Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot, which is a sub-calibre round comprising a 'dart ' of DU or tungsten carried in a full-calibre case that disintegrates as soon as the round leaves the barrel allowing the dart to fly to the target. For better stability and longer range the dart can have fins on the back to stabilise it, hence APFSDS.It's purely a Kinetic Energy (KE) round.
The third type is the so-called Shaped Charge. This has a cone, usually of copper, at the front of the round, with the explosive packed behind it. The cone has the large open end at the front. In front of the cone is an aerodynamically shaped nose that contains the impact fuse. As the front of this casing hits the target the fuse causes the detonator behind the explosive to ignite and the resultant flame front travels forward causing the copper to turn into a jet of plasma at a temperature in the order of 40,000K and up to a metre or so in length which literally burns it way through the armour. A feature of a tank that's been hit by one of these is the copper coating around the impact point where the copper has condensed. Modern ceramic or explosive reactive armour is designed to counter this. It's used in man-portable anti-tank weapons rather than tank guns.
In a previous life I used to work next to, but not for, our Warheads Department.
I have some storage heaters which are basically metal boxes filled with bricks and heating elements!
They are storing heat - not electricity.
Damn! That comes from reading stuff when half-asleep
Re: The thick as a brick thread...
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2020 10:00 pm
by TheGreenGoblin
Well as we have, as is our interesting wont, delved into the fascinating mathematics of death, destruction and even creation, I am apt to ruin it all with yet one of my infernal music videos (as Capetonian isn't here to call me to order, I shall admit that I hear his voice)...
Because of the highly charged plates, as soon as it contacts the second wall, a high current flows which vaporises the streamer and nullifies its effectiveness
And the resulting pressure increase turns the tank crew into jelly?
My thoughts were more how the crew, inside the inner shell, would have to remember to discharge the thing before climbing out, lest they get vaporised too. Provided there's enough of a vent in the outer skin you wouldn't get much pressure build-up.
Re: The thick as a brick thread...
Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2020 7:55 am
by Pontius Navigator
First came across HESH at school in mid 50s (we had a good all round education) when we had a visit from some Cavalry unit with a Saladin armoured car. To mid-teens it was the sexist thing on wheels. Of course the short barrel 76mm gun was no match for a 105mm tank gun but a HESH round at short range would give them time to retreat behind a smoke screen.
