Layered Multicolor Pyrotechnic Flare for Battery-Free Strobing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional pyrotechnic flares provide inefficient visibility due to monochromatic burning, while battery-powered electronic flares are expensive and require battery maintenance, lacking the luminance of traditional flares.

Innovation Solution

A multicolor strobing pyrotechnic flare with alternating pyrotechnic layers, each emitting different colors, which can be assembled through additive manufacturing or pressing, and optionally including delay layers to enhance the strobing effect.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If traditional pyrotechnic flares use monochromatic burning, then manufacturing is simple and cost-effective, but visibility and warning efficiency are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidvisibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The flare is divided into multiple alternating pyrotechnic layers, each containing different pyrotechnic compounds that emit different colors. This segmentation allows each layer to contribute a specific color to the overall strobing effect, resolving the contradiction by maintaining manufacturing simplicity through layered construction while achieving enhanced multicolor visibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates multiple pyrotechnic compounds with different color emissions (e.g., red, green, yellow, blue) within alternating layers. This color change principle transforms the monochromatic burning into multicolor strobing, improving visibility without significantly complicating the manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

2Illumination intensity

If battery-powered electronic flares are used to provide multicolor strobing, then visibility and warning efficiency are improved, but cost increases and battery maintenance is required

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovevisibilityVSAvoidbattery maintenance requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pyrotechnic flare system is self-igniting and self-regulating through its alternating layer structure. The delay material and pyrotechnic compounds are designed to automatically sequence the burning of different layers, eliminating the need for external power sources, control systems, or battery maintenance, thus achieving multicolor strobing without electronic complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the electronic control system of battery-powered flares with a purely chemical system. The alternating pyrotechnic layers with different burn rates and the delay material create a mechanical/chemical timing mechanism that sequences color changes without requiring electronic components, batteries, or external power sources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Illumination intensity

If multiple pyrotechnic layers are stacked to create multicolor strobing, then visibility is enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemulticolor visibilityVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The flare uses composite pyrotechnic compositions where different pyrotechnic compounds are formulated in specific ratios within alternating layers. These composite materials are designed to burn at different rates and emit different colors, enabling multicolor strobing through a systematic composite structure that can be manufactured using conventional pyrotechnic processing techniques.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The alternating pyrotechnic layers are designed to burn in a periodic sequence, with each layer igniting at a different time due to varying burn rates and the presence of delay material. This periodic burning pattern creates the strobing effect, and the periodic structure can be efficiently manufactured using layered construction methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

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

Provides bright, cost-effective multicolor strobing visibility, enhancing visibility in emergency situations without the need for battery maintenance.

Implementation Method 1

Burning of the first pyrotechnic compound emits a first color and burning of the second pyrotechnic compound emits a second color and the first color and the second color are different

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectChemiluminescence: Chemiluminescence

Data Source

PatentUS20250341387A1Multicolor strobing pyrotechnic flare

Publication Date: 2025.11.06 GOODRICH CORP

AI summary

A multicolor strobing pyrotechnic flare including a plurality of alternating pyrotechnic layers. The plurality of alternating pyrotechnic layers includes n pyrotechnic layers and the n pyrotechnic layers include m different pyrotechnic layer types, n is 2 to 2,000 and m is 2 to 2,000. The n pyrotechnic layers include a first pyrotechnic layer and a second pyrotechnic layer and the first pyrotechnic layer includes a first pyrotechnic compound and the second pyrotechnic layer includes a second pyrotechnic compound. Burning of the first pyrotechnic compound emits a first color and burning of the second pyrotechnic compound emits a second color and the first color and the second color are different.