Anti-explosive warhead with charge cavity volume adjusting device

Abstract

This invention provides a high-explosive warhead with a propellant cavity volume adjustment device, comprising a warhead shell, a flexible protective membrane coaxially disposed within the warhead shell, high explosive filled within the flexible protective membrane, multiple tightening screws mounted on the warhead shell, and multiple top plates disposed outside the flexible protective membrane. The tightening screws are connected to the top plates. The flexible protective membrane, tightening screws, and top plates together constitute the propellant cavity volume adjustment device. When the warhead is in the storage state, the tightening screws are loosened outwards, increasing the volume of the warhead's propellant cavity to provide expansion space for the high explosive. When the warhead is in the firing state, the tightening screws are tightened inwards, decreasing the volume of the warhead's propellant cavity, allowing the high explosive to fit tightly against the flexible protective membrane, thereby fixing the high explosive at the center of the metal shell. This prevents the high explosive from being subjected to excessive compressive force, thus avoiding cracks caused by compression and ensuring safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of explosive fragmentation warhead design technology, and relates to auxiliary devices for explosive fragmentation warheads, particularly to an explosive fragmentation warhead with a charge chamber volume adjustment device. Background Technology

[0002] A high-explosive fragmentation warhead consists of a metallic warhead casing and an internal high-explosive charge. It destroys targets through the blast effect generated when the high-explosive detonates. Upon detonation, the high-explosive is converted into a large amount of high-temperature, high-pressure gas within fractions of a second. The expansion of this gas causes the warhead casing to rupture, generating a shock wave in the surrounding air. This shock wave has a pressure of approximately 20 GPa and a temperature of approximately 5000°C, capable of damaging personnel and lightly armored targets, playing a crucial role in modern local warfare.

[0003] Because high explosives have a high coefficient of thermal expansion (on the order of 10). -4 The metal material of the warhead casing has a low coefficient of thermal expansion (on the order of 10). -5 As ambient temperature rises, high explosives expand significantly, while the warhead casing expands less noticeably. Since the high explosive is inside the warhead casing, its expansion is constrained by the metal casing, subjecting it to considerable compressive force. For a 600mm diameter high explosive fragmentation warhead, the compressed interior of the high explosive is prone to cracking. Cracked explosives pose a risk of accidental ignition during launch; therefore, internal cracking is strictly prohibited in military explosives. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide a high-explosive warhead with a charge chamber volume adjustment device, thereby solving the technical problem in the prior art where high explosives expand and are squeezed by the warhead casing, resulting in significant compressive force and easy cracking inside the high explosives.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A detonating warhead with a charge chamber volume adjustment device includes a warhead shell, which is a rotating body and is closed at both axial ends. A flexible protective membrane is coaxially disposed inside the warhead shell. The flexible protective membrane is a rotating body, with its axial front end close to the axial front end of the warhead shell and its axial rear end fixed to the inner surface of the axial rear end of the warhead shell.

[0007] The sealed space enclosed by the axial rear end of the warhead casing and the inner surface of the flexible protective membrane is the warhead loading cavity, which is used to fill with high explosives; the coefficient of thermal expansion of the high explosives is greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material of the warhead casing.

[0008] The warhead shell has multiple screw holes; multiple top plates are fixedly installed on the outer surface of the flexible protective membrane, and the multiple top plates are evenly distributed at equal intervals and there is only one layer; the gap between the inner surface of the warhead shell and the outer surface of the flexible protective membrane is a buffer cavity, and multiple tightening screws are installed in the buffer cavity; the outer radial side of the tightening screw is provided with external threads and installed in the screw hole, and the inner radial side of the tightening screw is close to the outer surface of the top plate.

[0009] The major diameter of the external thread of the tightening screw is 2.7 to 3 mm.

[0010] The present invention also includes the following technical features:

[0011] Specifically and preferably, the preload force of each tightening screw is 1200N.

[0012] Specifically and preferably, the total number of tightening screws is 300 to 320.

[0013] Specifically, the flexible protective film is made of rubber.

[0014] Specifically, multiple screw holes are set in pairs and evenly distributed at equal intervals. Each top plate is fixedly connected with two tightening screws, which are respectively fixedly installed in a pair of screw holes.

[0015] Specifically, the warhead housing is divided into a front part, a middle part, and a rear end cover from front to back. The front part and the middle part are integrated, and the rear end cover is detachably fixed to the axial rear end of the middle part.

[0016] Specifically, the flexible protective film is divided into a front part, a middle part, and a rear part from front to back.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following technical effects:

[0018] This invention incorporates a flexible protective membrane between the high explosive and the metal warhead casing. The contour dimensions of this membrane are adjusted using a tightening screw and a top plate. The flexible protective membrane, tightening screw, and top plate together form a volume adjustment device for the explosive loading chamber. When the warhead is in storage, the tightening screw is loosened outwards, increasing the volume of the warhead's loading chamber to allow for expansion space for the high explosive. When the warhead is in firing mode, the tightening screw is tightened inwards, decreasing the volume of the warhead's loading chamber. This ensures a tight fit between the high explosive and the flexible protective membrane, fixing the high explosive at the center of the metal casing. This prevents the high explosive from being subjected to excessive compressive force, thus avoiding cracks caused by compression and ensuring safety. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a high-explosive warhead with a charge chamber volume adjustment device.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the warhead casing and flexible protective membrane.

[0021] The meanings of the labels in the diagram are as follows: 1-warhead casing, 2-flexible protective membrane, 3-warhead propellant chamber, 4-screw hole, 5-top plate, 6-buffer chamber, 7-tightening screw.

[0022] 101 - Front part of warhead casing, 102 - Middle part of warhead casing, 103 - Rear end cover of warhead casing.

[0023] 201 - Front part of flexible protective film, 202 - Middle part of flexible protective film, 203 - Rear part of flexible protective film.

[0024] The specific content of the present invention will be further explained in detail below with reference to the embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0025] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, all components, explosives and materials in this invention are those known in the art.

[0026] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the following specific embodiments. All equivalent modifications made based on the technical solutions of this application fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0027] Example:

[0028] This embodiment provides a high-explosive warhead with a charge chamber volume adjustment device, such as... Figure 1As shown, the device includes a warhead casing 1, which is a rotating body, and both axial ends of the warhead casing 1 are closed. A flexible protective membrane 2 is coaxially disposed inside the warhead casing 1. The flexible protective membrane 2 is a rotating body, with its axial front end close to the axial front end of the warhead casing 1 and its axial rear end fixed to the inner surface of the axial rear end of the warhead casing 1. The sealed space enclosed by the axial rear end of the warhead casing 1 and the inner surface of the flexible protective membrane 2 is the warhead loading cavity 3, which is used to fill with high explosives. The thermal expansion coefficient of the high explosive is greater than that of the material of the warhead casing 1; multiple screw holes 4 are provided on the warhead casing 1; multiple top plates 5 are fixedly provided on the outer surface of the flexible protective membrane 2, and the multiple top plates 5 are evenly distributed at equal intervals and there is only one layer; the gap between the inner surface of the warhead casing 1 and the outer surface of the flexible protective membrane 2 is a buffer cavity 6, and multiple tightening screws 7 are provided in the buffer cavity 6; the outer radial side of the tightening screw 7 is provided with external threads and installed in the screw hole 4, and the inner radial side of the tightening screw 7 is close to the outer surface of the top plate 5.

[0029] In this embodiment, the warhead casing 1 is made of conventional metals known in the prior art, preferably high-strength stainless steel, which has a low coefficient of thermal expansion. The high explosive is a conventional high explosive known in the prior art, whose main components include main explosive (RDX, octogen, etc.), curing agent (isocyanate curing agent or epoxy resin curing agent, etc.), aluminum powder, etc. The high explosive has a high coefficient of thermal expansion. The tightening screw 7 can relieve the mutual extrusion pressure between the high explosive and the warhead casing 1 at high temperature, and prevent the high explosive from being squeezed out of cracks.

[0030] In this embodiment, the top plate 5 is made of conventional metal materials known in the prior art; the flexible protective film 2 is made of conventional rubber known in the prior art; both the flexible protective film 2 and the top plate 5 are flexible, and they are directly glued together by adhesive to achieve a tight fit.

[0031] In this embodiment, the tightening screw 7 is made of conventional metals known in the prior art, preferably high-strength stainless steel.

[0032] As a specific embodiment, the major diameter of the external thread of the tightening screw 7 is 2.7mm.

[0033] As a specific embodiment, the preload of each tightening screw 7 is 1200N.

[0034] As a specific embodiment, multiple screw holes 4 are arranged in pairs and evenly distributed at equal intervals. Two tightening screws 7 are fixedly connected to each top plate 5, and the two tightening screws 7 are respectively fixedly installed in a pair of screw holes 4.

[0035] As a specific solution in this embodiment, taking a high explosive with a diameter of 520 mm as an example, when the total number of tightening screws 7 is 300 to 320, it can ensure that sufficient force is generated to resist the mutual squeezing force generated between the high explosive and the warhead casing 1 when the high explosive explodes.

[0036] As one specific solution in this embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the warhead casing 1 is divided into a front part 101, a middle part 102, and a rear end cover 103 from front to back. The front part 101 and the middle part 102 are integrated, and the rear end cover 103 is detachably fixed to the axial rear end of the middle part 102. The front part 101 is a hollow, cone-shaped structure with an arc-shaped front end face and an arc-shaped generatrix on the side. The middle part 102 is a hollow cylindrical structure. The rear end cover 103 is a circular plate structure.

[0037] As one specific solution in this embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the flexible protective membrane 2 is divided into a front part 201, a middle part 202, and a rear part 203 from front to back. The shape of the front part 201 is the same as that of the front part 101 of the warhead shell, which is a hollow conical structure. The axial front end face of this conical structure is an arc surface, and the side generatrix of the front part 201 is an arc line. The shape of the middle part 202 is the same as that of the middle part 102 of the warhead shell, which is a hollow cylindrical structure. The shape of the rear part 203 is the same as that of the rear end cover 103 of the warhead shell, which is a circular plate structure.

[0038] The method of using the explosive-killing warhead with a charge chamber volume adjustment device of the present invention specifically includes the following steps:

[0039] Step 1, Assembly of the device: Assemble the flexible protective membrane 2 and the top plate 5, then assemble the flexible protective membrane 2 with the top plate 5 and the warhead housing 1, and then install the tightening screw 7 in the screw hole 4; fill the interior of the front part 201 and the middle part 202 of the flexible protective membrane with high explosives, and finally install the rear part 203 of the flexible protective membrane and the rear end cover 103 of the warhead housing.

[0040] Step 2, Device Operation: In the storage state, loosen the tightening screw 7 outwards, leaving a certain gap between the tightening screw 7 and the outer surface of the top plate 5. As the temperature rises, the high explosive expands, and the flexible protective film 2 expands outwards accordingly. Because there is a gap between the flexible protective film 2 and the warhead casing 1, the flexible protective film 2 has a certain expansion space, and the high explosive will not be subjected to strong compression. In the firing state, tighten the tightening screw 7 inwards, and the tightening screw 7 presses the outer surface of the top plate 5. The top plate 5 transmits the compressive force to the flexible protective film 2, and then to the high explosive inside, so that the high explosive is compressed and fixed in the center of the inner cavity of the warhead casing 1, ensuring that the high explosive does not move during the firing process, and that the high explosive has never been subjected to strong compression and will not crack due to compression.

[0041] The working principle of the explosive-killing warhead with a charge chamber volume adjustment device of the present invention is as follows:

[0042] In existing technologies, high explosives have a high coefficient of thermal expansion, while the metallic warhead casing 1 has a low coefficient of thermal expansion, and the warhead casing 1 and the high explosive are in direct contact. When the high explosive expands due to thermal expansion inside the warhead casing 1, because the thermal deformation of the warhead casing 1 is small, the volume of the high explosive increases significantly after thermal expansion. Therefore, the high explosive is subjected to strong compression by the warhead casing 1 and is easily crushed, resulting in cracks. With cracks present, under launch overload, hot spots can easily form at the cracks, causing localized heat accumulation and a rapid temperature rise, leading to an accidental explosion and a disaster.

[0043] To avoid the aforementioned phenomenon, the present invention provides a buffer cavity 6 between the warhead casing 1 and the high explosive. In the storage state, the buffer cavity 6 is reserved for the high explosive, preventing it from being squeezed by the metal casing after thermal expansion. During live-fire, the tightening screw 7 is screwed into the screw hole 4 of the warhead casing 1, causing the tightening screw 7 to press against the top plate 5, which in turn presses against the flexible protective film 2. The flexible protective film 2 presses the high explosive inward, fixing the high explosive at the center of mass of the warhead casing 1, thus preventing the high explosive from moving around during warhead firing.

[0044] The high explosive is inside the warhead casing 1 and is filled inside the flexible protective membrane 2. The flexible protective membrane 2 is made of rubber and has good elasticity. The internal dimensions of the flexible protective membrane 2 are the filling dimensions of the high explosive. The internal dimensions of the flexible protective membrane 2 (i.e., the volume of the warhead loading cavity 3) can be adjusted by the warhead casing 1 and the top plate 5, thus realizing the adjustability of the high explosive filling dimensions and reserving space for the thermal expansion and contraction of the high explosive.

[0045] In the design and development of this invention, it was considered that since the tightening screw 7 is made of steel, which is relatively hard, while the high explosive is a non-metallic material that is relatively soft and prone to cracking, the tightening screw 7 cannot directly contact the high explosive. To avoid damaging the high explosive, a flexible protective film 2 made of a relatively soft rubber material is allowed to contact the high explosive, which is safer. Especially before launch, when the high explosive needs to be fixed in the warhead casing 1, the warhead casing 1 needs to be compressed. The flexible protective film 2 compresses the high explosive, providing all-around coverage and compression, preventing excessive localized stress and thus avoiding crushing damage to the high explosive.

[0046] In the design and development of this invention, it was considered that problems would arise if the tightening screw 7 directly contacted the flexible protective film 2. Specifically, the tightening screw 7 is relatively small and can only provide localized compressive force, while the flexible protective film 2 is relatively large and cannot distribute the force evenly across the entire surface. Therefore, a metal top plate 5 is used as the medium between the tightening screw 7 and the flexible protective film 2. The advantage of this design is that when one end of the top plate 5 is subjected to localized compressive force from the tightening screw 7, the top plate 5 transfers this localized compressive force to the flexible protective film 2, and because the contact area is significantly increased, the compressive force is evenly distributed.

[0047] In this invention, when the warhead is in the firing state, the tightening screw 7 needs to be tightened and the top plate 5 needs to be compressed. Then, the top plate 5 compresses the flexible protective membrane 2, and the flexible protective membrane 2 compresses the high explosive. If the preload of the tightening screw 7 is too large, it is easy to compress the high explosive and cause cracks, making the explosive unusable. If the preload of the tightening screw 7 is too small, the high explosive will be subjected to less compressive force and will not be able to lower its position. During the firing process, the high explosive is prone to spatial displacement. After the high explosive moves inside the warhead casing 1, it will cause a change in the center of mass of the warhead, which will in turn change the trajectory and ultimately reduce the accuracy of hitting the target.

[0048] To avoid the aforementioned problems, this invention has determined through extensive experiments that when the preload of a single tightening screw 7 is 1200N, the high explosive can be firmly compressed and fixed at the center of the warhead casing 1. During subsequent operation, the high explosive will not shift, ensuring the stability of the system. Furthermore, the high explosive will not be damaged or cracked.

[0049] During the design and development process of this invention, it was discovered that the thickness of the tightening screw 7 also affects the invention. If the major diameter of the external thread of the tightening screw 7 is too large (i.e., the tightening screw 7 is too thick), the diameter of the screw hole 4 on the warhead housing 1 that assembles with the tightening screw 7 also increases accordingly. The screw hole 4 is equivalent to damaging the warhead housing 1. If the screw hole 4 is small, the impact on the warhead housing 1 is small and can be ignored, without affecting the normal use of the warhead housing 1. If the screw hole 4 is too large, the damage to the warhead housing 1 cannot be ignored. In this case, the screw hole 4 will directly lead to a significant decrease in the strength of the housing. In the firing state or during flight, the housing may disintegrate due to insufficient strength, resulting in weapon failure.

[0050] If the major diameter of the external thread of the tightening screw 7 is too small (i.e., the tightening screw 7 is too thin), the supporting force that the tightening screw 7 can provide is small. After being subjected to excessive axial compressive force, the tightening screw 7 will be crushed and break, thus causing the invention to fail. In this invention, the buffer cavity 6 relies on the preload of the tightening screw 7 to fix the high explosive at the center of the warhead casing 1, so that the high explosive will not move. During the launch and flight of the warhead, the overload of the high explosive is entirely applied to the tightening screw 7. If the tightening screw 7 is too thin, it will not be able to support the force and will break. The high explosive will move inside the warhead casing 1, resulting in an unstable center of gravity and reduced ballistic accuracy.

[0051] This invention, through partial theoretical calculations, collective discussion with experienced personnel, and breakdown of the aforementioned problems, conducted individual experimental evaluations of each module. Ultimately, it was determined that when the major diameter of the external thread of the tightening screw 7 is 2.7–3 mm, all the above problems can be avoided. The diameter of the tightening screw 7 is large enough to prevent breakage during firing, thus effectively fixing the position of the high explosive. The screw hole 4 fitted with the tightening screw 7 is also not too large, minimizing damage to the strength of the warhead casing 1 and ensuring sufficient strength and system integrity during warhead use.

[0052] Through the above design, the design advantages of the present invention can be fully realized, the functions of the present invention can be fully utilized, and the problem can be solved effectively by using the present invention.

[0053] Verification of the effect of Example 1:

[0054] Twenty high-explosive fragmentation warheads with adjustable charge chamber volumes from Example 1 were processed and used according to the above steps. High explosives were loaded into the flexible protective membrane 2, and then the warheads were placed in a high-temperature chamber. The temperature was first raised to 70 degrees Celsius and maintained for 24 hours, then lowered to -40 degrees Celsius and maintained for 24 hours, repeated three times. CT scans of the high explosives inside the warhead casing 1 revealed no cracks. Live-fire tests showed that the warhead casing 1 had sufficient strength and a intact structure. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the invention.

[0055] Example 2:

[0056] This embodiment provides a detonation warhead with a charge chamber volume adjustment device. The device is basically the same as that in Embodiment 1, except that the major diameter of the external thread of the tightening screw 7 is 3mm in this embodiment.

[0057] Verification of the effect of Example 2:

[0058] Twenty high-explosive fragmentation warheads with adjustable charge chamber volumes from Example 2 were processed and used according to the above steps. High explosives were loaded into the flexible protective membrane 2, and then the warheads were placed in a high-temperature chamber. The temperature was first raised to 70 degrees Celsius and maintained for 24 hours, then lowered to -40 degrees Celsius and maintained for 24 hours, repeated three times. CT scans of the high explosives inside the warhead casing 1 revealed no cracks. Live-fire tests showed that the warhead casing 1 had sufficient strength and a intact structure. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the invention.

Claims

1. A detonating warhead with a charge chamber volume adjustment device, comprising a warhead shell (1), the warhead shell (1) being a rotating body, and both axial ends of the warhead shell (1) being closed; characterized in that: A flexible protective membrane (2) is coaxially disposed inside the warhead housing (1). The flexible protective membrane (2) is a rotating body. The axial front end of the flexible protective membrane (2) is close to the axial front end of the warhead housing (1), and the axial rear end of the flexible protective membrane (2) is fixed on the inner surface of the axial rear end of the warhead housing (1). The sealed space formed by the axial rear end of the warhead shell (1) and the inner surface of the flexible protective membrane (2) is the warhead loading cavity (3), which is used to fill high explosives; the thermal expansion coefficient of the high explosives is greater than the thermal expansion coefficient of the material of the warhead shell (1); The warhead housing (1) is provided with multiple screw holes (4); multiple top plates (5) are fixedly provided on the outer surface of the flexible protective film (2), and the multiple top plates (5) are evenly distributed at equal intervals and there is only one layer; the gap between the inner surface of the warhead housing (1) and the outer surface of the flexible protective film (2) is a buffer cavity (6), and multiple tightening screws (7) are provided in the buffer cavity (6); the outer radial side of the tightening screw (7) is provided with external threads and installed in the screw hole (4), and the inner radial side of the tightening screw (7) is close to the outer surface of the top plate (5); The major diameter of the external thread of the tightening screw (7) is 2.7 to 3 mm.

2. The explosive-killing warhead with a charge chamber volume adjustment device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The preload of each tightening screw (7) is 1200N.

3. The explosive-killing warhead with a charge chamber volume adjustment device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The total number of the tightening screws (7) is 300 to 320.

4. The explosive-killing warhead with a charge chamber volume adjustment device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible protective film (2) is made of rubber.

5. The explosive-killing warhead with a charge chamber volume adjustment device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple screw holes (4) are set in pairs and evenly distributed at equal intervals. Two tightening screws (7) are fixedly connected to each top plate (5). The two tightening screws (7) are respectively fixedly installed in a pair of screw holes (4).

6. The explosive-killing warhead with a charge chamber volume adjustment device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The warhead housing (1) is divided into a front part (101), a middle part (102) and a rear end cover (103) from front to back. The front part (101) and the middle part (102) are integrated, and the rear end cover (103) is detachably fixed at the axial rear end of the middle part (102).

7. The explosive-killing warhead with a charge chamber volume adjustment device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible protective film (2) is divided into a front part (201), a middle part (202), and a rear part (203) from front to back.

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