Angled Guideway Payload Ejection for Jamming Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current side-ways eject arrangements for payloads from aerial vehicles face issues with jamming, poor launch efficiency, and limited spread of countermeasures due to inadequate design, resulting in inefficient and slow sideway ejection.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an elongated body with a compartment and a launch opening featuring a guideway that inclines at an acute angle relative to the body's centerline, allowing the payload to slide and eject sideways, assisted by airflow forces, which enables a backflip mechanism for enhanced countermeasure deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional side-ways eject arrangement is used, then the payload can be launched, but the payload may get jammed in the launch opening
Solution Approach 1:
The guideway is configured to extend at an acute angle (e.g., 45 degrees) relative to the normal of the center line of the aerial vehicle, transitioning from a purely lateral ejection path to an angled trajectory. This dimensional change in ejection direction allows the payload to clear the launch opening more effectively while reducing jamming risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The launch opening is positioned at a specific location on the aerodynamic surface, and the guideway angle is optimized to work with airflow patterns. By changing the ejection angle parameter and launch opening position, the system achieves reliable payload deployment without jamming while maintaining simplicity.
2Quantity of substance
If a traditional side-ways eject arrangement is used, then the structure is simple, but the bloom rate of countermeasures is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The angled guideway configuration ejects payloads along a trajectory that exploits airflow patterns over the aerodynamic surface. This dimensional change in ejection path causes payloads to rotate and deploy countermeasures in a wider spread pattern, significantly improving bloom rate while maintaining launch efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The design utilizes the airflow over the aerodynamic surface, which would otherwise be a passive environmental factor, to enhance payload rotation and countermeasure deployment. The airflow that naturally occurs during flight is converted into a beneficial force that improves bloom rate and launch efficiency simultaneously.
3Speed
If a traditional side-ways eject arrangement is used, then the ejection mechanism is simple, but the sideway ejection is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the airflow that naturally flows over the aerodynamic surface during flight into a beneficial ejection force. By positioning the launch opening and guideway to exploit this existing airflow, the payload receives additional acceleration, significantly increasing ejection speed without requiring complex additional propulsion mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The arrangement uses the aircraft's own flight conditions and existing airflow patterns to provide ejection power. The aerodynamic surface and surrounding airflow, which are already present during normal flight, serve the dual purpose of protecting the payload and accelerating it during ejection, eliminating the need for separate complex propulsion systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration ensures secure and efficient sideway ejection of payloads, preventing jamming and improving the bloom rate of countermeasures, allowing for rapid and effective deployment even at high angles of attack and slow flight speeds.
Implementation Method 1
airflow flowing over the aerodynamic surface will apply an additional force on a first portion of the payload being ejected, which first portion firstly leaves the payload holding area, thereby rotating the payload
Implementation Method 2
an aerodynamic surface of the body is provided with a launch opening comprising a guideway extending from the compartment, wherein the extension of the guideway inclines with an acute angle relative the normal to the centre line of the body
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention concerns an arrangement (1) configured for storing and launching a payload (3) and a method for launching the payload (3) from the arrangement (1). A body (9) of the arrangement (1) comprises a compartment (15) configured to store and eject the payload (3). An aerodynamic surface (11) of the body (9) is provided with a launch opening (13) comprising a guideway (17) extending from the compartment (15). A sliding portion (12) of the payload (3) is configured to slide along the guideway (17) and through the launch opening (13) upon ejection. The extension of the guideway (17) inclines with an acute angle (α) relative the normal (N) to the centre line (CL) of the elongated body (9).