Missile Container Bottom System with Elastic Blade Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Deformable lids used in missile containers for sealing after use often close imperfectly, leading to potential damage from high-pressure and high-temperature gases during neighboring missile launches.
Innovation Solution
A deformable bottom system with a downstream support frame featuring a profiled inner edge and a stack of elastic blades, including thermal protection and sealing membranes, ensures effective closure by maintaining the elasticity of the blades and preventing deformation into the container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the downstream support frame uses a simple rounded inner edge, then the elastic blades can deform during missile launch, but the blades lose their mechanical properties and close imperfectly after use
Solution Approach 1:
The downstream support frame employs a dual-curved inner edge profile with a first rounded portion (convex curvature) for blade engagement and a second rounded portion (concave curvature) for blade recovery. This controlled curvature sequence ensures the elastic blades deform during missile launch then return to their original shape, maintaining sealing performance after use without permanent deformation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the elastic blades are made thin and flexible for easy deformation, then they can open under propellant gases, but they cannot resist the shock wave from neighboring missile launches
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic blades exhibit spatially varying thickness, being thinnest at the free end for flexibility during opening, and progressively thicker toward the fixed end for strength against shock waves. This gradient thickness distribution allows the blades to deform easily under propellant gases while maintaining sufficient structural integrity to resist neighboring missile shock waves.
3Strength
If the downstream support frame has a fixed rigid structure, then it provides strong support, but it prevents the lid from opening under propellant gases
Solution Approach 1:
The downstream support frame transitions from a completely rigid structure to a semi-rigid structure with a rounded inner edge profile. This rounded profile allows the frame to deform elastically under propellant gas pressure, enabling the lid to open, while maintaining sufficient rigidity to provide support and prevent deformation into the container during neighboring missile launches.
4Ease of operation
If the elastic blades deform significantly during missile launch, then they can open the container, but they permanently deform and fail to close properly
Solution Approach 1:
The downstream support frame employs a dual-curved inner edge profile with a first rounded portion (convex curvature) for blade engagement and a second rounded portion (concave curvature) for blade recovery. This controlled curvature sequence ensures the elastic blades deform during missile launch then return to their original shape, maintaining sealing performance after use without permanent deformation.
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 system achieves improved sealing by ensuring the elastic blades retain their mechanical properties, effectively closing the container and preventing gas penetration, thus minimizing damage from shock waves and maintaining structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
a stack of elastic blades, enclosed between the said at least one thermal protection membrane and the said at least one sealing membrane, upstream and downstream, and held between the upstream support frame and the downstream support frame
Implementation Method 2
the petals return elastically to their rest position, in abutment against the grid, and close the orifice of the lid
Implementation Method 3
The propellant gases then cause the pressure and the temperature to increase significantly inside the container
Implementation Method 4
the temperature to increase significantly inside the container
Implementation Method 5
This results in a shock wave regime, with in particular significant pressure variations at the interface between the hot and cold gas masses
Implementation Method 6
able to conform the free end of the elastic blade, so as to munir the lid of abutment means defining a position of maximum deformation of the elastic blades ensuring that the constituent material of the blades retains its mechanical properties of elasticity
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
The invention relates to an improved deformable downstream disc (56; 156; 256) to be fitted on the bottom of a container (15) for a missile (16) and including a stack of elastic blades (63) clamped between at least an upstream and a downstream thermal protection membrane and sealing membrane (70, 71, 72, 73), and maintained between an upstream bearing frame (61) and a downstream bearing frame (64), characterised in that the downstream bearing frame includes an inner edge (80) having an extension so as to provide the disc with an abutment means defining a position of maximum deformation of the elastic blades.