Missile Radar Mode Switching for Fuel Conservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Anti-ship missiles face fuel efficiency challenges due to the need for supersonic flight over long distances and evasive maneuvers, which significantly increase fuel consumption, especially when detecting and avoiding defensive missiles or projectiles.
Innovation Solution
A method where the radar on the missile switches between a target mode for detecting surface targets and an air mode for detecting attackers, using a modified transmission scheme and digital pulse shaping to efficiently detect and evade threats, allowing the missile to conserve fuel by minimizing unnecessary evasive maneuvers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the missile performs supersonic flight over long distances, then the range is improved, but the fuel consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The radar system performs preliminary detection of attackers in the air mode before the missile needs to execute evasive maneuvers. By detecting threats early and continuously monitoring the air space, the system can determine whether evasive maneuvers are actually necessary, allowing the missile to maintain supersonic flight without unnecessary fuel-consuming maneuvers.
Solution Approach 2:
The radar transmission pattern is dynamically adapted based on the detection mode (target mode vs. air mode). In air mode, the radar uses a modified transmission pattern with higher pulse repetition frequencies to detect fast-moving attackers, while in target mode it uses a different pattern optimized for surface targets. This dynamic adaptation allows efficient detection without requiring continuous high-energy consumption.
2Reliability
If the radar detects attackers continuously to enable evasive maneuvers, then the reliability of threat avoidance is improved, but the fuel consumption increases due to frequent maneuvers
Solution Approach 1:
The radar continuously monitors the air space for attackers in preliminary fashion, building up situational awareness before any evasive maneuver is needed. This allows the flight control system to make informed decisions about whether to execute maneuvers, reducing unnecessary fuel consumption while maintaining high threat avoidance capability through continuous detection readiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The radar provides continuous feedback about the presence, position, and speed of potential attackers to the flight control system. This feedback loop enables the system to adjust its behavior dynamically - maintaining supersonic flight when the air space is clear and executing evasive maneuvers only when attackers are detected, thus optimizing fuel consumption while ensuring reliable threat avoidance.
3Measurement precision
If the radar uses high pulse repetition frequency to detect fast-moving attackers, then the detection capability is improved, but the transmission power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The radar transmission pattern is dynamically adjusted based on the operational mode. In air mode for detecting attackers, the system uses higher pulse repetition frequencies optimized for detecting fast-moving objects. The transmission power is selectively increased only when and where needed for attacker detection, rather than maintaining high power continuously, thus reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining high detection capability when required.
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 approach enables the missile to effectively detect and avoid attackers while minimizing fuel consumption, allowing it to cover long ranges and maintain supersonic flight with reduced fuel expenditure, thereby enhancing its operational range and effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
the guided missile uses an active radar to detect the surface target
Implementation Method 2
a receive amplifier with logarithmic gain can be used to support this, as this allows for less amplification of nearby targets and more amplification of distant targets
Implementation Method 3
the position and differential or relative speed of an attacker relative to the guided missile can be determined, for example, using a velocity vector
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for guiding a guided missile (2) towards a surface target (4), in which the guided missile (2) uses an active radar (16) for detecting the surface target (4). In order to avoid a purely preventive periodic evasive maneuver of the guided missile (2) in the endgame and thus save fuel, it is proposed that the radar (16) switch from a target mode (T) adapted to the detection of the surface target (4) to an airborne mode with a modified transmission pattern adapted to detect an airborne attacker (18, 22).