Projectile Guidance Collar for Mortar Trajectory Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guidance kits for projectiles, such as the Precision Guidance Kit, require time-consuming and complex installation, are not applicable to munitions without detachable fuzes, and result in reduced payload due to their design, limiting their usability and precision on the battlefield.
Innovation Solution
A collar with adjustable control surfaces and a guidance control system that attaches to the projectile at the muzzle of a launching barrel, using sensors and a processor to correct the projectile's trajectory during flight, allowing for precise guidance without the need for component replacement or payload reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a precision guidance kit is installed on a standard artillery shell, then the trajectory control precision is improved, but the installation time increases and the process becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The guidance system is divided into separate functional modules: the collar assembly with control surfaces, the actuator system, and the guidance control unit. This modular segmentation allows for pre-assembly and testing of components, enabling rapid deployment without time-consuming field installation procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar is designed to be pre-positioned on the projectile surface before launch, with control surfaces and actuators pre-configured. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex installation procedures during urgent battlefield operations, allowing the system to be rapidly deployed when needed.
2Manufacturing precision
If a deep intrusion body guidance kit is used, then trajectory guidance capability is achieved, but the explosive payload is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The guidance functionality is extracted from the traditional deep intrusion body approach and implemented through a collar-mounted system with external control surfaces. This extraction allows the projectile to maintain its full explosive payload while achieving precise guidance through aerodynamic control surfaces rather than intrusive internal mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of achieving guidance through deep intrusion into the projectile body (internal dimension), the system uses external control surfaces mounted on the collar that interact with the airflow (external dimension). This dimensional shift enables guidance capability without compromising the internal explosive payload volume.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the original fuze is replaced with a guidance kit, then guidance functionality is added, but the complexity of component replacement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The collar assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the control surfaces, houses the actuator mechanisms, mounts the guidance control unit, and attaches to the projectile. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate component replacements into a single integrated assembly, reducing overall system complexity.
4Manufacturing precision
If a guidance kit with fixed orientation canards is used, then trajectory control is achieved, but the adaptability to different flight conditions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The control surfaces are mounted on pivotable arms that can dynamically adjust their orientation during flight. This dynamic capability allows the control surfaces to adapt to different flight conditions, attack angles, and trajectory corrections, providing versatile trajectory control rather than fixed-orientation limitation.
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
Enables precise projectile guidance with reduced logistical burden, allowing for rapid deployment and increased precision without the need for extensive component replacement or payload reduction, while minimizing the mass of the guidance system to maintain effective range.
Implementation Method 1
a collar having a collar body configured to be located at a muzzle of a projectile launching barrel prior to launch and having an internal profile which cooperates with an outer surface of the projectile when the projectile is launched through the muzzle so that the collar is attached to the projectile during flight
Implementation Method 2
the collar having guidance means comprising at least one adjustable control surface for controlling the trajectory of the projectile during flight, adjustment of said control surface being responsive to guidance signals received from a guidance control
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3d
AI summary
There is disclosed a collar (100) which may be attached to a munition in order to control the trajectory of the munition. The collar (100) has a collar body (10); a surface (12) for capturing the projectile as it leaves the barrel; a sill (14) for supporting the surface (12) at the muzzle of the barrel; and a guidance means (20a, 20b, 21a, 21b) for altering the flow of air around the collar (100). The collar (100) supports itself at the muzzle and may attach to the projectile at the surface (12) to integrate with the projectile as the projectile is fired. The collar (100) is particularly suited for attachment to mortar rounds. Such a collar (100) gives a weapon operator the option of increasing the precision of a munition without having to carry a plurality of munition types.