Is Kevlar the Right Choice for Protecting Auto Fuel Tanks and Batteries?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tom Flanagan
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Protection
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
Sign up Log in
1 reply · 1K views
Tom Flanagan
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Would Kevlar work in protecting a rear mounted auto fuel tank from being penetrated during a rear impact (such a covering a Jeep Grand Cherokee Fuel Tank with Kevlar fabric or Kevlar Sheet)? How about protecting the floor pan mounted Lithium Ion Batteries in a Telsa S Sedan (I would need about 25 square feet (5' x 5') to cover the Jeep Cherokee and about 40 square feet 5' x 8') to cover the Telsa S batteries. What kind of Kevlar protection should I use? And how much would it cost for 25 or 40 square feet?
 
Physics news on Phys.org

Discussion

I highly doubt it.

Kevlar tends to stop sharp pointy things from piercing, or fabric from tearing. Crashes tend to be more of a blunt force that causes rupture due to deformation. A nice thick steel plate would probably be a better bet. 4x4 offroaders tend to use skidplates when ground clearance is an issue for the fuel tank.

Though a rear mounting is a bloody funny place to put a fuel tank. I thought people stopped doing that after the Pinto.