Power supplies for projectiles and other devices

Abstract

A projectile including: at least one power consuming element, and a power supply which generates power from an acceleration of the projectile and supplies such power to the at least one power consuming element, the power supply including a device for storing potential energy upon the acceleration of the projectile and a device for converting the stored potential energy to electrical energy. Where the device for storing potential energy upon the acceleration of the projectile includes a movable mass and an energy storage device for storing energy upon the acceleration of the movable mass and the energy storage device is a chamber having a compressible fluid therein, the chamber being acted upon by the movable mass to reduce the volume of the chamber subsequent to acceleration of the movable mass.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 235,997 filed on Sep. 4, 2002 which claims priority to earlier filed U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60 / 317,308 filed on Sep. 5, 2001, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by their reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates generally to power supplies, and more particularly, to power supplies for projectiles, which generate power due to an inherent characteristic of the projectile, such as its acceleration, spin, and / or heat generation.[0004]2. Prior Art[0005]All existing and future smart and guided projectiles and those with means of one-way or two-way communications with a command or tracking station or with each other require electric power for their operation. In addition, as munitions are equipped with the means of communicating their type and characteristics with the f...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides methods and devices for generating power on various guided and smart munitions. The power generation devices can be integrated into the structure of the projectile with minimal or no loss of functionality, saving space and weight requirements. The power generators are capable of surviving high acceleration loads, vibration, impact, and repeated loads during transportation and loading operations. They can cover a wide range of power requirements and can be easily integrated into commercial devices. The power generators can be scaled up and down for integration into different caliber gun fired munitions and can also be used in other devices such as mortars and rockets. The invention also provides a method for generating power from heat generated by the device and supplying it to power consuming elements. The power generation can be achieved through the use of an inherent characteristic of the device, such as acceleration, heat generation, or spinning.

Problems solved by technology

The power requirement, however, becomes significant when the projectile has to be equipped with electric or smart materials based actuation devices for guidance and control, particularly if the projectile is required to become highly maneuverable over long traveling times and while traveling at relatively high speeds such as supersonic speeds.

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