Composite Projectile Cavities for Controlled Penetration and Fragmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing projectile technologies are limited in their ability to provide multi-functional performance characteristics, reproducibility, safety, and cost-effectiveness, particularly in scenarios requiring minimal collateral damage and tailored kinetic energy delivery.
Innovation Solution
The development of composite projectiles using advanced materials and manufacturing techniques, such as melt-flow processing, incorporating polyamide polymers and energetic particles, allows for customizable performance characteristics and efficient production across various applications, including armor penetration, breaching, and training scenarios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional metal jacketing is used, then firearm feeding and lubricity are improved, but manufacturing complexity and lack of multi-functionality increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a polymer jacket (polyamide or polyethylene) with a metal core (lead, tungsten, or copper). This composite structure provides the lubricity and feeding performance of traditional metal jackets while enabling multi-functionality through customizable core materials and configurations, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The polymer-jacketed composite projectile design enables multi-functionality by allowing different metal core compositions (lead for standard use, tungsten for penetration, copper for reduced collateral damage) within the same jacket platform. This universal design approach provides various performance characteristics while maintaining consistent manufacturing processes, addressing both ease of operation and device complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional projectile designs are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to different performance requirements is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by maintaining a consistent polymer jacket manufacturing process while varying the metal core parameters (composition, density, hardness) to achieve different performance characteristics. This allows the same manufacturing simplicity to produce adaptable projectiles tailored for specific applications such as armor penetration, breaching, or training scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite material structure enables adaptability through the selection of different metal cores (lead, tungsten, copper) within the standardized polymer jacket. This combination maintains manufacturing simplicity through the modular design while providing versatility for different performance requirements, including reduced collateral damage options.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional lead cores are used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but environmental impact and collateral damage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining polymer jackets with alternative metal cores (tungsten, copper) that reduce environmental impact and collateral damage. The polymer jacket maintains cost-effectiveness through efficient manufacturing, while the alternative cores address environmental and safety concerns, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing cost and harmful factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by substituting traditional lead cores with alternative materials (tungsten for density, copper for reduced harm) while maintaining the same polymer jacket manufacturing process. This allows cost-effective production through efficient polymer processing while reducing environmental impact and collateral damage through material substitution.
4Device complexity
If monolithic projectile design is used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but ability to limit fragments and control penetration is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the projectile into distinct functional components: a polymer jacket and a metal core. This segmentation allows the metal core to be designed with specific fragmentation characteristics while the polymer jacket controls overall structure and flight stability, enabling better control over fragment behavior and penetration depth compared to monolithic designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite material construction enables improved fragment control by separating the structural function (polymer jacket) from the penetrative function (metal core). This allows the metal core to fragment in a controlled manner to limit collateral damage while the polymer jacket maintains structural integrity during flight, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and fragment management.
Data Source
AI summary
Composite projectiles include various material compositions, diameters, and cavities within the projectiles having a variety of cavity diameters, sidewalls, and bottoms selected and formed to induce different levels of penetration and disintegration of the composite projectiles upon impact with targets.