Çelik ve Kompozit Malzemelerin Birleşimiyle Balistik Zırh Tasarımının Performansının Sonlu Elemanlar Yöntemiyle Analizi ve Optimizasyonu

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Thesis Type: Postgraduate

Institution Of The Thesis: Kocaeli University, Mühendislik Fakültesi, Makina Mühendisliği, Turkey

Approval Date: 2025

Thesis Language: Turkish

Student: Betül Coşkun

Supervisor: Murat Makaracı

Abstract:

In today's rapidly evolving security landscape—marked by urban conflicts and increasing ballistic threats—defense systems are expected to provide not only high levels of protection, but also lightweight construction, portability, and strategic flexibility. While conventional steel armors offer high strength, their weight renders them inadequate for modern mobile platforms. At this point, hybrid armor systems—formed by the synergistic combination of steel and advanced composite materials—offer balanced and effective solutions against next-generation threats. The primary aim of this study is to analyze the ballistic performance of multi-layered armor structures composed of steel and composite layers using numerical methods, and to determine their optimum design parameters. Within this scope, the finite element method (FEM) was employed to simulate a range of models with varying material combinations, layer thicknesses, and stacking sequences in detail. The most efficient armor configurations were identified based on critical performance criteria such as energy absorption capacity, backface deformation, and overall system weight. Hybrid structures that combine the impact resistance of high-strength steels with the lightweight and energy-absorbing characteristics of composite materials are costly and time-consuming to optimize through experimental methods alone. Therefore, the advanced finite element modeling utilized in this thesis provides fast, cost-effective, and high-accuracy results, thereby contributing significantly to industrial R&D processes. The findings demonstrate that the effectiveness of armor systems depends not only on the type of materials used, but also on the correct modeling of material behaviors, the sequence of layers, and their relative thickness ratios. This study sheds light on the development of innovative, cost-efficient, and high-performance solutions in ballistic protection technologies—particularly in the defense industry—and provides a solid scientific foundation for both academic and industrial research.