Blast Mitigation- Carbon Foam-Based Protection Systems
Dr. Rodney Andrews with the University of Kentucky is addressing the national needs for improved materials for use in the protection of critical infrastructure. As threats to infrastructure come in many forms and are essentially unpredictable, Dr. Andrews is working to prepare materials that offer a degree of protection against an array of threats. Carbon foams are lightweight and quite resistant to high temperatures. Dr. Andrews is exploiting these characteristics in the development of materials to protect structures from fires. These foams also resist deformation up to a point, before crumbling in a controlled manner.
The Challenge
The task of assuring the security of our homeland involves protecting the citizens of the United States, the nation's critical infrastructure and key assets. This is necessary to sustain the nation's vitality against terrorism and other threats. This protection must originate at the community level. It requires discovering, developing and deploying new technology that will support first responders and key decision makers in local communities.
The Mission
NIHS' mission is to discover, develop and deploy solutions that protect and preserve the critical infrastructure of the nation's communities.
The Institute
NIHS aligns projects and research objectives with the needs and requirements of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The strategy is to manage a distributed research enterprise that effectively transitions research and development into solutions. NIHS works with DHS to determine technology needs at the community level. Then, teams are quickly assembled from multiple universities to develop solutions to the needs.
The Strategy
Through management of the Kentucky Critical Infrastructure Protections Program (KCI), the National Institute for Hometown Security (NIHS) provides an ongoing, integrated program dedicated to developing new technologies and devices. NIHS works through qualified academic institutions to accomplish the technological objectives.
