Directed Fragmentation Munition with Non-Fragmenting Casing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fragmentation warheads often cause collateral damage due to the wide dispersal of metal fragments beyond the intended target area, leading to inefficiencies in mass distribution and increased lethality radius, which complicates aimpoint and detonation timing requirements.
Innovation Solution
A directed munition design featuring a casing made of non-fragmenting materials and a two-part explosive configuration, where an insensitive explosive portion creates a detonation front that initiates a more energetic explosive closer to the fragments, ensuring efficient fragment propulsion while minimizing collateral damage by using a ring to direct force axially and a casing that pulverizes into harmless particles upon detonation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a steel case is used to confine and redirect radial energy to propel fragments forward, then the lethality radius is increased to 25-50 meters, but fragments are expelled in a wide cone pattern causing collateral damage beyond the desired target area
Solution Approach 1:
The explosive charge is segmented into two distinct portions: an insensitive explosive portion and an energetic explosive portion. This segmentation allows the insensitive portion to contain and redirect energy axially while the energetic portion provides intense localized propulsion, achieving both high blast force and reduced lateral fragment dispersal
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the explosive charge are assigned different properties: the insensitive explosive portion has containment and energy redirection properties, while the energetic explosive portion has high propulsion properties. This local differentiation enables the system to achieve both high force and reduced collateral damage
2Quantity of substance
If the steel case is fractured into metal fragments upon detonation, then additional fragments are thrown in all directions beyond the blast lethality radius, but this increases potential collateral damage without improving lethality
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful property of the steel case (its tendency to fracture into lethal fragments) is extracted and removed. Instead of using a steel case that fragments, a non-fragmenting casing material is used, eliminating the source of uncontrolled fragment dispersal while preserving the beneficial fragment propulsion function through the explosive configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The potential harm of case fragmentation is converted into benefit by using a non-fragmenting casing material that redirects all energy axially. The energy that would have been wasted creating harmful fragments is instead used to propel the desired fragments forward with greater precision and reduced collateral damage
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a pulverized casing material is used instead of steel case, then collateral damage from case fragmentation is reduced, but the ability to redirect radial energy efficiently may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The explosive charge is composed of two different explosive materials with complementary properties: insensitive explosive for safe energy containment and redirection, and energetic explosive for intense fragment propulsion. This composite explosive system achieves both efficient energy redirection and reduced collateral damage
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
The solution achieves targeted fragment dispersal with reduced collateral damage, enhancing the munition's effectiveness against threats while ensuring safety by minimizing the risk of unintended detonation and protecting friendly forces from harm.
Implementation Method 1
the explosive includes an insensitive explosive portion containing an insensitive explosive, and an energetic explosive portion that contains a relatively sensitive explosive
Implementation Method 2
The steel case confines a portion of the radial energy of the pressure wave (albeit for a very short duration) caused by detonation of the explosive and redirects it along the body axis of the warhead
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A directed munition has a non-fragmentation casing, and an explosive within the casing that is configured to propel fragments out an opening of the casing when the explosive is detonated. The casing may be made of a material that does not produce lethal or injurious fragments when the explosive is detonated. The explosive may include an insensitive explosive portion that creates the shape of an explosive front, and a secondary explosive containing a more energetic explosive, which is closer to the fragments than the insensitive explosive portion. There may be more of the insensitive explosive than the relatively energetic explosive. The munition may have a ring that is operatively coupled to the fragments, to aid in directing the fragments out of the casing opening in a desired direction. The ring may be made of a material that does not produce injurious fragments when the explosive is detonated.