Mid-body optical sensor door for missile guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current missile guidance systems with multiple optical sensors on wings face issues of increased cost, misalignment errors, and drag due to the need for additional wing thickness to protect and align sensors, which complicates accurate flight control and target guidance.
Innovation Solution
A mid-body payload design with a single optical sensor housed within the mid-body, protected during launch and deployable for flight, using a movable door panel to provide a forward field of view without the need for optical bench wings, reducing weight and cost by up to 75%.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple optical sensors are mounted on wings to protect them during launch, then the sensors are protected from damage and obstruction, but the system cost increases and drag is introduced due to additional wing thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The optical sensor is extracted from the wing structure and relocated to the midbody of the missile. This eliminates the need for thickened wings to accommodate sensors, reducing drag and manufacturing complexity while maintaining sensor protection through a separate door mechanism in the midbody
Solution Approach 2:
The missile is divided into functional segments: the midbody houses the optical sensor and door mechanism, while the wings are dedicated solely to aerodynamic control. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reducing overall system complexity and cost
2Adaptability or versatility
If four optical sensors are used on wings for guidance, then target detection capability is improved, but it becomes difficult to determine which sensor is viewing which area
Solution Approach 1:
The optical sensor is extracted from the distributed wing configuration and consolidated into a single midbody location. This eliminates the complexity of determining which of four sensors is viewing which area, as the single sensor's field of view can be clearly defined and controlled by the door mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
Four separate optical sensors distributed on wings are merged into a single optical sensor in the midbody. This consolidation simplifies the guidance system by eliminating sensor identification complexity while maintaining target detection capability through the single sensor's strategic positioning
3Adaptability or versatility
If optical sensors are continuously transmitting data from four sensors, then target detection coverage is improved, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The multi-sensor data processing system is extracted and replaced with a single sensor system. This eliminates the complexity of processing and correlating data from four simultaneous sensor sources while maintaining comprehensive target detection through the single sensor's optimized field of view
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple data streams from four optical sensors are merged into a single data stream from one optical sensor. This consolidation dramatically reduces data processing complexity while preserving target detection coverage through the strategic positioning and door mechanism that optimizes the single sensor's viewing angles
4Reliability
If wing thickness is increased to accommodate and protect optical sensors, then sensor protection is improved, but drag increases and flight control accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The optical sensor is extracted from the wing structure, allowing wings to maintain thin, aerodynamically optimized profiles. This eliminates drag-inducing thickening while sensor protection is maintained through a dedicated door mechanism in the midbody, preserving flight control accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The missile structure is segmented so that the midbody handles sensor accommodation and protection functions, while wings are dedicated to aerodynamic control with optimized thin profiles. This segmentation eliminates the trade-off between sensor protection and flight control accuracy by separating these functions into different structural zones
Data Source
AI summary
A mid-body which a cylindrical housing which defines a longitudinal axis and has an interior compartment. A guidance controller is housed within the mid-body for controlling flight. A plurality of wings are connected to the housing and each of the wings is movable into a deployed position to provide guidance during flight. The mid-body has an access window which facilitates communication between the interior compartment of the housing and an external environment. A normally door covers the access window, but when the door is moved, relative to the access window, into an open position, communication between the interior compartment and the external environment is established. An optical sensor is accommodated within the interior compartment and the optical sensor, once the door is moved relative to the access window, can view the external environment and supply data to the guidance controller for controlling operation of the plurality of wings during flight.