Countermeasure Flare Grain Assembly with Deployable Fins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional countermeasures flares lack sufficient visual light output to effectively distract weapons operators and have limitations in achieving stable flight trajectories and desired gas dispersion patterns, necessitating improved designs for reliable ignition, propulsion, and multi-stage pyrotechnic material configurations to enhance their countermeasure effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a grain assembly with a shell structure and nozzle section that allows for controlled combustion and gas dispersion, featuring collapsible or expandable nozzle geometries and deployable fins to stabilize flight and generate thrust, while accommodating multiple pyrotechnic materials for enhanced infrared and ultraviolet countermeasure capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If conventional decoy flares are designed with long burn times (tens of seconds to minutes), then the duration of countermeasure effect is improved, but the visual light output magnitude is insufficient to distract weapons operators
Solution Approach 1:
The flare is divided into multiple pellets arranged in a string, where each pellet contributes to the overall burn time while the collective arrangement provides enhanced visual output. The segmentation allows independent optimization of burn duration per pellet while achieving cumulative light output effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The flare design ensures continuous light emission throughout the entire burn duration by arranging multiple pellets in sequence, eliminating gaps in visual output. The pellets burn continuously from one end to the other, maintaining constant countermeasure effect throughout the extended burn time.
2Adaptability or versatility
If flares are designed with complex multi-stage pyrotechnic material configurations to enhance countermeasure effectiveness, then the countermeasure capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flare pellets are designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide visual light output for distracting weapons operators, emit infrared radiation for decoying heat-seeking missiles, and generate gas dispersion patterns for additional countermeasure effects. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple pyrotechnic materials with different functions (visual light emission, infrared emission, gas generation) are combined within a single integrated flare assembly. The pellets contain mixed compositions that simultaneously achieve multiple countermeasure objectives without requiring separate staged ignition systems.
3Stability of the object's composition
If flares are equipped with propulsion systems and deployable fins for stable flight trajectories, then the flight stability is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flare incorporates deployable fins that transition from a compact stowed configuration during launch to an extended deployed configuration during flight. This dynamic structure provides flight stability only when needed, while maintaining ease of manufacture and compact storage when the stability feature is not required.
Solution Approach 2:
The propulsion and stability features are integrated into the existing cylindrical flare geometry by adding axial elements (fins extending from the side) rather than fundamentally changing the core pellet structure. This approach maintains manufacturing simplicity while adding flight control capabilities in a new dimensional aspect.
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 enables flares to achieve stable flight trajectories, increased burn rates, and specific gas dispersion patterns, maximizing their countermeasure effectiveness by providing reliable ignition and propulsion systems, thereby improving their ability to distract and decoy missiles effectively.
Implementation Method 1
The impulse charge device may be ignited by, for example, an electrical signal. Upon ignition, the expanding gasses generated by the ignition of the charges would force the piston-like member and the grain out from the second end of the casing.
Implementation Method 2
The piston-like member may include a mechanism that causes or allows the first igniter material to ignite combustion of the second igniter material after the piston-like member and the grain have been deployed from the casing by the impulse charge device.
Implementation Method 3
Decoy flares emit intense electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths in the infrared region of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum and are designed to mimic the emission spectrum of the exhaust of a jet engine on an aircraft.
Implementation Method 4
The grain component may consist of at least one combustible material and at least one reactive material... configured to generate electromagnetic radiation at a desired wavelength upon combustion of the grain component.
Data Source
AI summary
A flare including: a casing; and a grain assembly, at least a portion of the grain assembly being slidably disposed in the casing, the grain assembly including: a shell structure; and a grain component at least partially disposed in the shell structure, the grain component including at least one combustible material and at least one reactive material positioned relative to the combustible material and configured to ignite combustion of the at least one combustible material; wherein the shell structure includes one or more fins at an aft end of the shell structure, the one or more fins being restrained into a first shape in the casing and configured to have a second shape, different from the first shape, when the restraint is removed.