Air cannon launching device

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of air cannon launching, in particular to an air cannon launching device which comprises an air chamber, a piston, a launching tube, a diaphragm assembly, an air supply assembly and a pressure adjusting assembly. The pressure adjusting assembly drives the piston to move, so that the size of the gas storage cavity is reduced, and then the pressure intensity in the gas storage cavity is increased. And when the pressure intensity in the gas storage cavity exceeds the bearable limit of the diaphragm assembly, the diaphragm assembly is broken down. The transmitting tube is instantaneously communicated with the gas storage cavity, and the high-pressure gas can be instantaneously released. And the high-pressure gas flowing into the launching tube pushes the projectile to be ejected at an extremely high ejection speed. Compared with a traditional piston type air cannon launching device, the piston type air cannon launching device is simplified in structure and lower in failure rate. And compared with a traditional double-membrane-breaking type air cannon launching device, high-pressure gas release is extremely efficient, and membrane loss is reduced. Compared with a traditional electromagnetic valve type air cannon launching device, the electromagnetic valve type air cannon launching device is not limited by the response rate of an electromagnetic valve any more.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of air cannon launching, and in particular to an air cannon launching device. Background Art

[0002] With the development of aerospace technology, the design of spacecraft anti-collision structures plays a vital role in whether spacecraft can operate stably in orbit for a long time. Space debris and micrometeorites are the first factors to be considered when designing spacecraft anti-collision structures. Space debris and micrometeorites have extremely high movement speeds, with an average speed of several kilometers per second. Air cannon launchers are often used to conduct ultra-high-speed impact and collision tests on spacecraft anti-collision structures on the ground.

[0003] However, traditional air cannon launching devices are unable to release high-pressure gas instantly, which affects the test results. Summary of the invention

[0004] The invention provides an air cannon launching device, which is used to solve the problem that the traditional air cannon launching device cannot release high-pressure gas instantly, thus affecting the test effect.

[0005] The present invention provides an air cannon launching device, comprising: An air chamber having a gas storage cavity formed therein; A piston is disposed in the gas chamber so as to be movable along the axial direction of the gas chamber to adjust the volume of the gas storage chamber; A launch tube, one end of which is connected to the gas storage chamber; the launch tube is used to hold the projectile; A diaphragm assembly is arranged at the connection between the launch tube and the gas storage chamber, and is used to separate the launch tube and the gas storage chamber; A gas supply assembly is communicated with the gas storage chamber and is capable of inputting gas into the gas storage chamber; The pressure regulating assembly is capable of driving the piston to move.

[0006] In some of these embodiments, the piston isolates the interior of the gas chamber into a gas storage chamber and a liquid storage chamber; The pressure regulating component is a hydraulic oil supply component, which is communicated with the liquid storage chamber and can input hydraulic oil into the liquid storage chamber.

[0007] In some embodiments, the hydraulic oil supply assembly includes: The hydraulic system is connected to the liquid storage chamber through a hydraulic oil supply pipeline.

[0008] In some embodiments, the diaphragm assembly includes: A flange plate, one side of which is formed with a receiving groove; one side of the flange plate is connected to the air chamber, and the other side of the flange plate is connected to the launch tube; The prefabricated diaphragm is installed in the receiving groove.

[0009] In some of the embodiments, the prefabricated membrane is an aluminum sheet.

[0010] In some embodiments, the gas supply assembly includes: The gas source is connected to the gas storage chamber through a gas supply pipeline.

[0011] In some of the embodiments, a pressure gauge, an electromagnetic switch valve and a flow valve are provided on the gas supply pipeline.

[0012] In some embodiments, it also includes: The sealing ring is installed between the side wall of the piston and the inner wall of the air chamber.

[0013] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The air cannon launch device of the present invention is provided with an air chamber, a piston, a launch tube, a diaphragm assembly, an air supply assembly and a pressure regulating assembly, and the air supply assembly inputs a certain amount of gas into the gas storage chamber. Then, the pressure regulating assembly drives the piston to move so that the volume of the gas storage chamber is reduced, thereby increasing the pressure in the gas storage chamber. When the pressure in the gas storage chamber exceeds the limit that the diaphragm assembly can withstand, the diaphragm assembly is punctured. The launch tube is instantly connected to the gas storage chamber, and the high-pressure gas can be released instantly. The high-pressure gas flowing into the launch tube acts on the projectile, pushing the projectile to be ejected at an extremely high ejection speed. Compared with the traditional piston-type air cannon launch device, the structure is simpler and the failure rate is lower. Compared with the traditional double-break film air cannon launch device, the release of high-pressure gas is extremely efficient, the structure is simpler, and the diaphragm wear is reduced. Compared with the traditional solenoid valve air cannon launch device, there is no need to use a solenoid valve, it is no longer limited by the response rate of the solenoid valve, and there will be no solenoid valve failure phenomenon. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of some specific embodiments of an air cannon launching device of the present invention; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of area A.

[0015] In the accompanying drawings, 110, air chamber; 111, gas storage chamber; 112, liquid storage chamber; 120, piston; 130, launching tube; 140, diaphragm assembly; 141, flange; 142, prefabricated diaphragm; 150, air supply assembly; 151, air source; 152, gas supply pipeline; 160, hydraulic oil supply assembly; 161, hydraulic system; 162, hydraulic oil supply pipeline; 170, sealing ring; 200, projectile. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0017] As described in the background art, conventional air cannon launching devices cannot release high-pressure gas instantly, which affects the test effect.

[0018] It should be noted that, according to the release mechanism, the traditional air cannon launcher mainly includes a piston air cannon launcher, a double-break film air cannon launcher and a solenoid valve air cannon launcher. Among them, the piston air cannon launcher requires a one-way valve, a piston, an exhaust chamber, a spring, a compensation hole and an exhaust valve to cooperate with each other to complete the release of high-pressure gas. The structure is relatively complex, and the sealing between the components has a great influence on whether the release can be completed smoothly. The double-break film air cannon launcher consists of two identical diaphragms and an intermediate chamber. When working, the air pressure in the intermediate chamber reaches 0.5P, and the air pressure in the high-pressure air chamber reaches P. Both diaphragms are subjected to a pressure of 0.5P without rupture. Then, the gas in the intermediate chamber is discharged. At this time, the pressure on the front diaphragm changes from 0.5P to P, and ruptures. Subsequently, the high-pressure gas quickly enters the intermediate chamber, causing the rear diaphragm to rupture again to complete the release of the high-pressure gas. The structure is relatively complex and the diaphragm wears more. The solenoid valve air cannon launcher uses the solenoid valve to release high-pressure gas. Due to the limited response rate of the solenoid valve or controller, it is impossible to release high-pressure gas instantly. Moreover, the vibration generated when the high-pressure gas is released can easily cause the solenoid valve to malfunction.

[0019] To solve the above problems, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The present invention provides an air cannon launching device, comprising an air chamber 110, a piston 120, a launch tube 130, a diaphragm assembly 140, an air supply assembly 150 and a pressure regulating assembly. A gas storage chamber 111 is formed inside the air chamber 110. The piston 120 is arranged in the air chamber 110 axially movable to adjust the volume of the gas storage chamber 111. One end of the launch tube 130 is connected to the gas storage chamber 111. A projectile 200 is contained inside the end of the launch tube 130 close to the gas storage chamber 111. It should be noted that the projectile 200 can be a combination of a spherical projectile, a cylindrical projectile or a sabot projectile. The diaphragm assembly 140 is arranged at the connection between the launch tube 130 and the gas storage chamber 111, and is used to separate the launch tube 130 and the gas storage chamber 111. The air supply assembly 150 is connected to the gas storage chamber 111, and can input gas into the gas storage chamber 111. The pressure regulating assembly can drive the piston 120 to move to adjust the volume of the gas storage chamber 111 , thereby adjusting the pressure of the gas in the gas storage chamber 111 .

[0020] The working process and principle of the air cannon launcher are as follows: First, the piston 120 is loaded into the air chamber 110, and the projectile 200 is loaded into the launch tube 130. Then, the air chamber 110, the diaphragm assembly 140 and the launch tube 130 are connected in sequence, and the gas supply assembly 150 is connected to the gas storage chamber 111. Next, the gas supply assembly 150 inputs a certain amount of gas into the gas storage chamber 111. According to the ideal gas state equation, when the volume of the gas storage chamber 111 decreases, the pressure in the gas storage chamber 111 increases. Then, the pressure regulating assembly drives the piston 120 to move so that the volume of the gas storage chamber 111 decreases, thereby increasing the pressure in the gas storage chamber 111. When the pressure in the gas storage chamber 111 exceeds the limit that the diaphragm assembly 140 can withstand, the diaphragm assembly 140 is punctured. The launch tube 130 is instantly connected to the gas storage chamber 111, and the high-pressure gas can be released instantly. The high-pressure gas flowing into the launch tube 130 acts on the projectile 200, pushing the projectile 200 to be ejected at an extremely high ejection speed. Compared with the traditional piston-type air cannon launcher, the structure is simpler and the failure rate is lower. Compared with the traditional double-break membrane air cannon launcher, the release of high-pressure gas is extremely efficient, the structure is simpler, the diaphragm wear is reduced, and the test time is shortened. Compared with the traditional solenoid valve air cannon launcher, there is no need to use a solenoid valve, it is no longer limited by the response rate of the solenoid valve, and there will be no solenoid valve failure.

[0021] It should be noted that, according to the ideal gas state equation, a jacket heater may be provided to heat the gas chamber 110 to increase the pressure in the gas storage chamber 111. Alternatively, more gas may be injected into the gas storage chamber 111 to increase the pressure in the gas storage chamber 111.

[0022] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the piston 120 separates the interior of the air chamber 110 into a gas storage chamber 111 and a liquid storage chamber 112. The pressure regulating assembly is a hydraulic oil supply assembly 160, which is connected to the liquid storage chamber 112 and can input hydraulic oil into the liquid storage chamber 112 to drive the piston 120 to move along the axial direction of the air chamber 110, thereby increasing the pressure in the gas storage chamber 111.

[0023] In other embodiments, the pressure regulating component is a linear actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder or an electric push rod, and the output shaft is connected to the piston 120, which can drive the piston 120 to move axially along the air chamber 110, thereby increasing the pressure in the gas storage chamber 111.

[0024] It should be noted that when the pressure regulating component is a hydraulic oil supply component 160, the hydraulic oil supply component 160 includes a hydraulic system 161 and a hydraulic oil supply pipeline 162. The hydraulic system 161 is connected to the liquid storage chamber 112 through the hydraulic oil supply pipeline 162, and hydraulic oil can be input into the liquid storage chamber 112 to adjust the pressure in the gas storage chamber 111. The piston 120 in the air chamber 110 is driven to move by the hydraulic system 161 to achieve high-parameter compression of the gas, which is not easily limited by the performance parameters of the gas compressor. After being compressed by the piston 120, the gas pressure can reach a maximum of more than 30Mpa, which can effectively increase the ejection speed of the projectile 200.

[0025] Preferably, the hydraulic system 161 is an electric hydraulic system, which is composed of a compression pump, a cylinder, etc.

[0026] Preferably, an oil pressure compensation pipeline may also be provided. The oil pressure compensation pipeline is in communication with the liquid storage chamber 112 and can replenish hydraulic oil into the liquid storage chamber 112 .

[0027] Preferably, the hydraulic oil supply pipeline 162 is connected to the liquid storage chamber 112 via threads to facilitate disassembly and assembly.

[0028] Specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, the diaphragm assembly 140 includes a flange 141 and a prefabricated diaphragm 142. A receiving groove is formed on one side surface of the flange 141. The prefabricated diaphragm 142 is installed in the receiving groove. One side of the flange 141 is connected to the gas chamber 110 by bolts, and the other side is connected to the launch tube 130 by bolts, which improves the stability of the connection between the gas chamber 110 and the launch tube 130. The prefabricated diaphragm 142 is a circular aluminum sheet, the material is generally available, easy to process, and more economical. When the pressure in the gas storage chamber 111 exceeds the limit that the aluminum sheet can withstand, the aluminum sheet is punctured, and no fragments will enter the launch tube 130, thereby preventing the fragments from interfering with the movement of the projectile 200. It should be pointed out that the ultimate pressure that aluminum sheets of different thicknesses can withstand is not the same. According to the test requirements, an aluminum sheet of appropriate thickness can be selected. By changing the thickness of the diaphragm, it is easy to achieve serialized membrane rupture pressure parameters. A purely mechanical structure is used to release high-pressure gas. Compared with traditional release methods, it has a simple structure, a faster high-pressure gas release rate, and is more convenient to use. Only one diaphragm needs to be replaced after each use.

[0029] Preferably, a copper gasket is provided at the flange connection between the flange 141 of the diaphragm assembly 140 and the air chamber 110, and a copper gasket is also provided at the flange connection between the flange 141 of the diaphragm assembly 140 and the launch tube 130 to improve the sealing of the connection.

[0030] Specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, the gas supply assembly 150 includes a gas source 151 and a gas supply pipeline 152. The gas source 151 is connected to the gas storage chamber 111 through the gas supply pipeline 152, and is used to input gas into the gas storage chamber 111.

[0031] Preferably, the gas source 151 may be a compressed gas storage bottle.

[0032] Preferably, a pressure gauge, an electromagnetic switch valve and a flow valve are provided on the gas supply pipeline 152. The pressure gauge is used to detect and observe the pressure in the gas storage chamber 111. The electromagnetic switch valve is used to control the on-off of the gas supply pipeline 152. The flow valve is used to adjust the gas flow in the gas supply pipeline 152.

[0033] Preferably, the air cannon launching device further comprises a sealing ring 170. The sealing ring 170 is installed between the side wall of the piston 120 and the inner wall of the air chamber 110 to play a sealing role.

[0034] In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms “center”, “longitudinal”, “lateral”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “up”, “down”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inside”, “outside”, “clockwise”, “counterclockwise”, “axial”, “radial”, “circumferential”, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0035] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0036] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral one; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or communication with each other; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0037] In the present invention, the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" etc. mean that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the described specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0038] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not to be construed as limitations of the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and vary the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air cannon launching device, characterized in that: include: An air chamber, wherein a gas storage cavity is formed inside; a piston, movably disposed in the gas chamber along the axial direction of the gas chamber, so as to adjust the volume of the gas storage chamber; A launch tube, one end of which is connected to the gas storage chamber; the launch tube is used to hold the projectile; A diaphragm assembly is arranged at the connection between the launch tube and the gas storage chamber, and is used to separate the launch tube and the gas storage chamber; A gas supply assembly, connected to the gas storage chamber, capable of inputting gas into the gas storage chamber; The pressure regulating assembly is capable of driving the piston to move.

2. The air cannon launching device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The piston separates the interior of the gas chamber into the gas storage chamber and the liquid storage chamber; The pressure regulating component is a hydraulic oil supply component, which is communicated with the liquid storage chamber and can input hydraulic oil into the liquid storage chamber.

3. The air cannon launching device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The hydraulic oil supply assembly comprises: The hydraulic system is connected to the liquid storage chamber through a hydraulic oil supply pipeline.

4. The air cannon launching device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The diaphragm assembly comprises: A flange, one side of which is formed with a receiving groove; one side of the flange is connected to the air chamber, and the other side of the flange is connected to the launching tube; The prefabricated diaphragm is installed in the containing groove.

5. The air cannon launching device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The prefabricated membrane is an aluminum sheet.

6. The air cannon launching device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The gas supply assembly comprises: A gas source is connected to the gas storage chamber through a gas supply pipeline.

7. The air cannon launching device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The gas supply pipeline is provided with a pressure gauge, an electromagnetic switch valve and a flow valve.

8. The air cannon launching device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Also includes: A sealing ring is installed between the side wall of the piston and the inner wall of the air chamber.

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