Projectile Fin Deployment via Gas Pressure Reservoir
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gun-launched projectiles often fail to deploy fins successfully due to external environmental conditions and the lack of sufficient actuation force, particularly when the contact between the piston and fins is brief and limited.
Innovation Solution
A projectile design featuring a pressure reservoir connected to both an ejection piston and fin deployment pistons, where the pressurized gas expands to move the ejection piston, which in turn opens ports to actuate the fin deployment pistons, ensuring the fins are rotated and locked into a deployed position using spring-biased locking pins, eliminating the need for additional actuation devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pistons are used to deploy fins, then the structure is simple, but the fins are susceptible to stalling and failing to deploy when encountering external environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The fin deployment pistons are pre-positioned and pre-pressurized within the projectile body before launch. The gas pressure is stored in advance in the pressure reservoir, ready to actuate the pistons and deploy the fins upon exit from the launch tube, ensuring reliable deployment regardless of external conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses gas pressure (pneumatics) to actuate the fin deployment pistons. A pressure reservoir stores compressed gas that is released to drive the pistons, providing a reliable and powerful actuation mechanism that overcomes external environmental resistance and ensures consistent fin deployment.
2Force
If the piston contacts fins for only a brief period, then the actuation mechanism is simple, but the contact force is insufficient to overcome drag and friction in challenging external environments
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-pressurizes the gas in the pressure reservoir before launch, storing energy in advance. When deployment is initiated, this pre-stored pressure immediately drives the pistons with high force, eliminating the need for prolonged contact time while ensuring sufficient actuation force to overcome external drag and friction.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the pressure parameter by using a dedicated pressure reservoir that maintains high gas pressure throughout the deployment process. This elevated pressure parameter enables the pistons to generate sufficient force over a brief contact duration to reliably deploy fins even in challenging external environments with high drag and friction.
3Reliability
If additional springs or actuation devices are used to ensure fin deployment, then deployment reliability improves, but the device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure reservoir and gas pressure system serve multiple functions: they provide the propellant gas for launching the projectile and simultaneously serve as the power source for fin deployment. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate springs or additional actuation devices, reducing weight while maintaining deployment reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the propellant system and fin deployment actuation system into a single integrated gas pressure system. The same compressed gas that propels the projectile also drives the fin deployment pistons, combining two functions into one mechanism and avoiding the weight penalty of duplicate actuation components.
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
Ensures reliable fin deployment regardless of external conditions, maintaining engagement for the necessary rotation to achieve the deployed position before the ejection piston is ejected, enhancing stability and effectiveness in various environments.
Implementation Method 1
Gas pressure is generated by an external burning propellant to pressurize the pressure reservoir
Implementation Method 2
When the projectile exits the barrel, the reservoir gas expands thereby causing movement of the ejection piston
Implementation Method 3
The ejection piston acts as a sliding valve such that, when a trailing end of the piston moves past fin deployment piston ports fluidly connected between the pressure reservoir and chambers
Implementation Method 4
The fins are locked in an initial deployed position after a predetermined amount of rotation by spring-biased locking pins that are biased against the fins
Data Source
AI summary
A projectile and method of deploying a projectile includes a gun-launched projectile having a pressure reservoir that is fluidly connected to an ejection piston and fin deployment pistons. The fin deployment pistons are actuatable to engage deployable fins of the projectile to move the fins from a folded position to a deployed position. Gas pressure is generated by an external burning propellant to pressurize the pressure reservoir that retains the gas until a muzzle exit of the projectile. When the projectile exits the barrel, the reservoir gas expands thereby causing movement of the ejection piston. When a trailing end of the piston moves past fin deployment piston ports, the remaining reservoir gas pressure acts on the fin deployment pistons which subsequently push on the fins. The fins rotate toward the deployed position in which the fins are locked before the ejection piston is fully ejected.