Pyrotechnic Projectile Fragmentation via Impact-Initiated Redox
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ammunition, including PELE and HE types, face reduced effectiveness at longer shooting distances due to decreased lateral acceleration, and pose safety risks with secondary explosives and separate igniter components, leading to unexploded ordnance issues.
Innovation Solution
A pyrotechnic active charge, comprising a metal powder and oxidizing agent, is integrated into the projectile to create a fragmentation effect independent of impact speed, using a redox reaction to generate expanding gases and accelerate jacket fragments, eliminating the need for secondary explosives and detonators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional HE or MP projectiles with secondary explosives are used, then fragmentation acceleration is achieved, but safety risks increase throughout the entire life cycle and unexploded ordnance issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical explosion mechanism (detonation of secondary explosives) with a pyrotechnic combustion mechanism. The pyrotechnic composition undergoes rapid combustion rather than detonation, producing expanding gases that accelerate fragments without the extreme pressures and safety hazards of conventional explosives. This substitution maintains fragmentation effectiveness while eliminating unexploded ordnance risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the active material from detonative (explosives) to non-detonating pyrotechnic combustion. This parameter change allows the active material to produce sufficient gas expansion for fragment acceleration while avoiding the safety issues associated with high-explosive detonation, including reduced sensitivity to initiation and lower risk of accidental activation.
2Ease of operation
If PELE effect is used for armor penetration, then lateral fragmentation effect is produced, but effectiveness decreases at longer firing distances due to reduced impact velocity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a pyrotechnic charge within the projectile body that activates upon impact to provide additional lateral acceleration to the fragments. This preliminary action of the pyrotechnic combustion supplements the PELE effect, ensuring consistent fragmentation performance regardless of the reduced impact velocity at long ranges.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the PELE effect (mechanical fragmentation upon impact) with a pyrotechnic charge (chemical energy release) to create a composite fragmentation system. This combination allows the projectile to maintain effective lateral fragmentation at various distances by supplementing the velocity-dependent PELE effect with the pyrotechnic-driven fragment acceleration.
3Reliability
If separate detonator components are included in HE projectiles, then initiation capability is provided, but device complexity and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the active material function into a single integrated pyrotechnic charge that is initiated by the impact itself, eliminating the need for separate detonator components. The pyrotechnic composition is contained within the projectile body and activates automatically upon impact, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining reliable initiation capability.
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 solution enhances the lateral fragmentation effect, maintains effectiveness at varying distances, and improves safety by preventing unexploded ordnance, as the pyrotechnic active mass is initiated by impact, producing a consistent fragment cone and additional effects like flash and bang, without the risks associated with conventional explosives.
Implementation Method 1
This process utilizes the redox reaction, in which a chemical reaction of the pyrotechnic composition leads to a sudden exothermic redox reaction, releasing gas that expands significantly due to temperature and thus generating the explosive force.
Implementation Method 2
a chemical reaction of the pyrotechnic composition leads to a sudden exothermic redox reaction, releasing gas that expands significantly due to temperature
Implementation Method 3
Upon impact with the target, the shock wave causes fragmentation and simultaneously initiates the activation of the active material
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a projectile (1, 8, 9) having at least one payload (5) or explosive charge in the projectile body (2, 7, 10), preferably in the medium caliber range, the payload (5) being integrated into the projectile body (2, 7, 10) in the form of a pyrotechnic charge. The payload (5) can preferably be enclosed and sealed by a core (6, 14) which preferably consists of metal or plastic. In an alternative embodiment, the pyrotechnic payload (5) is disposed behind a penetrator (11) in the projectile body (10), the payload (5) thus being located between the penetrator (11) and the projectile body (10).