PELE Projectile Reactive Core Heat Release

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current PELE projectiles primarily rely on inert materials, limiting their effectiveness in achieving additional effects on targets beyond ballistic penetration, such as fire or pressure effects, which are crucial for enhancing combat efficiency, especially against aerial targets.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating reactive materials that are non-explosive but react with impact energy to release heat and expand, integrated into the core and shell of the projectile, allowing for additional heat input and fire/pressure effects on targets, while maintaining safety and adhering to the PELE principle.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If inert materials are used in PELE projectiles, then handling safety is maintained, but effectiveness in achieving additional effects on targets (fire, pressure) is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandling safetyVSAvoidcombat effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from inert to reactive, allowing the material to undergo chemical reactions upon impact. This enables the projectile to generate additional effects such as fire and pressure while maintaining safety during handling through controlled reactivity thresholds

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs composite material structures combining reactive materials with inert matrix or coating materials. This allows the reactive components to provide enhanced combat effects while the inert components ensure handling safety and controlled activation conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Productivity

If reactive materials are incorporated into the projectile, then additional heat and pressure effects on targets are achieved, but complexity of the projectile structure increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecombat effectivenessVSAvoidprojectile structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the reactive material functionality directly into existing projectile components such as the core or shell, eliminating the need for separate activation mechanisms and reducing overall structural complexity despite added functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The reactive materials serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural integrity as projectile components, store chemical energy for additional effects, and respond to impact conditions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate systems and simplifies the overall design

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If reactive materials are used instead of inert materials, then fire and pressure effects on targets are enhanced, but safety during handling may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetarget effect capabilityVSAvoidhandling safety
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies reactive materials only in specific local regions where impact effects are needed, rather than throughout the entire projectile. This localized application minimizes safety risks during handling while maximizing combat effectiveness at the point of impact

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The reactive materials are designed to be stable during storage and handling but activate and consume their reactivity upon impact. This disposable nature ensures safety during handling while providing intense effects during use, with the reactive components effectively 'dying' after single-use activation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

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 reactive materials enhance the projectile's effectiveness by introducing additional heat and pressure effects on targets, increasing the likelihood of success in combat scenarios without compromising handling safety, and can be tailored for specific effects through fragmentation and intermetallic reactions.

Implementation Method 1

react with impact energy to release heat and expand

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectImpact energy conversion to heat: Heating

Implementation Method 2

react with impact energy to release heat and expand

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Implementation Method 3

can be tailored for specific effects through fragmentation and intermetallic reactions

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectIntermetallic reaction: Exothermic Reaction

Data Source

PatentEP4343268B1Pelt-based projectile with reactive material
Publication Date: 2024.11.06 DIEHL DEFENCE GMBH & CO KG
  • EP4343268B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

A PELE projectile (4) with a core (18) extending along a longitudinal axis (16), wherein at least one section (20a) of the core is configured as a passive core (22) made of an incompressible passive core material, with a shell (24) extending along the longitudinal axis (16) and radially surrounding the core (18), wherein at least one section (26a) of the shell (24) is configured as a passive shell (28) made of a passive shell material, the core material having a lower density, penetration capability, and terminal ballistic effectiveness than the shell material, contains at least one reactive element (30) made of reactive material that is not an explosive and that, upon intended impact of the projectile (4) on a target (10) under the influence of an impact energy (36) and/or by reaction with a component (38) of its impact environment (50), releases heat (32) and/or reacts to a volume expansion (34).A munition (2) contains the projectile (4) and a charge (6) for its propulsion.