Interlocking Sabot Petals Centrifugal Discard Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sabot designs for high-velocity projectile launches often suffer from accuracy issues due to fracturing during launch, limiting their ability to launch multiple projectiles without nesting or interaction between components, and fail to maintain impulse energy transfer effectively.
Innovation Solution
A sabot design featuring interlocking petals connected to a pusher plate via a keyway feature, which discards petals using centrifugal forces upon muzzle exit without fracturing, allowing for simultaneous launch of one or multiple spin-stabilized sub-caliber penetrators with a single propelling charge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If modern sabot designs use components that fracture during projectile launch to complete the discarding process, then the sabot can be discarded after launch, but impulse is transferred to the penetrator causing system accuracy to suffer
Solution Approach 1:
The sabot is divided into multiple petals that are interconnected through a keyway feature, allowing the petals to be discarded individually after launch while maintaining structural integrity during launch. This segmentation enables the sabot to fulfill its discard function without fracturing during the critical launch phase, thereby preserving accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The sabot design transitions from a static fractured structure to a dynamic interlocking structure. The keyway feature allows the petals to move and separate after launch, providing the discard capability, while maintaining a rigid interconnected structure during launch to prevent premature fragmentation and maintain accuracy.
2Device complexity
If a sabot is designed to contain only one penetrator, then the sabot structure can be simplified, but the ability to launch multiple projectiles is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The sabot design with interlocking petals and keyway feature creates a universal structure that can accommodate one or multiple penetrators. The same basic sabot structure can be configured for single or multiple projectiles, providing versatility without requiring completely different sabot designs for different mission requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The sabot structure allows for nesting of multiple penetrators within the petal assembly. The interlocking keyway feature enables the petals to accommodate multiple penetrators in a nested or clustered configuration, allowing a single sabot to launch multiple projectiles simultaneously.
3Device complexity
If centrifugal forces are used to discard the sabot at muzzle exit, then the discarding process can be simplified, but the sabot must remain intact during gun launch
Solution Approach 1:
The sabot transitions from a rigid intact structure during launch to a dynamically separable structure after muzzle exit. The keyway feature provides the mechanical means for this transition, maintaining strength during high-stress launch while enabling simple centrifugal discard at lower speeds after exit.
Solution Approach 2:
The interlocking keyway feature is pre-configured during manufacturing to maintain structural integrity during launch. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures the sabot remains intact when needed, while the design inherently allows for subsequent discard through centrifugal forces without requiring additional active mechanisms.
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 design enhances accuracy and maintains impulse energy, enabling the simultaneous launch of multiple projectiles without fracturing, thus improving the probability of hit at long ranges, particularly effective against drones and UAVs using small arms weapons.
Implementation Method 1
Discarding of the sabot petals is accomplished by centrifugal forces on the sabot-penetrator assembly upon muzzle exit
Implementation Method 2
simultaneous launch of one or multiple sub-caliber spin stabilized penetrators
Data Source
AI summary
An ammunition round for simultaneously launching multiple penetrators enclosed with a single composite sabot, without any nesting or physical contact between the penetrators. The composite sabot has petals which are engraved by the tube's rifling during launch to rotate the petals, without presence of a separate rotating band element. The petals are separated from the penetrator elements upon exit from the gun tube solely by centrifugal forces acting on the petals.