Segmented Vehicle Launch Tubes for Lower-Acceleration Hypersonic Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light gas gun systems face limitations such as high accelerations, pressures, wall thickness ratios, limited launch tube diameters and lengths, projectile size and velocity constraints, and soft catch damage, preventing hypersonic testing at larger scales and limiting commercial and military applications for rapid logistics delivery.
Innovation Solution
A launch system incorporating a Preliminary Accelerator Tube (PAT) and Main Accelerator Tube (MAT) system, utilizing a pre-acceleration chamber with a valve assembly and gas propulsion to achieve lower accelerations and pressures, allowing for flexible launch angles and internal guidance, navigation, and control systems to ensure safe flight profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If existing light gas gun systems are used, then high launch velocities can be achieved, but high accelerations and pressures cause damage to projectiles and limit testing scales
Solution Approach 1:
The launch system is divided into multiple sections: a preliminary accelerator tube for initial acceleration and a main accelerator tube for final velocity achievement. This segmentation allows the projectile to experience lower accelerations over a longer duration rather than extreme accelerations in a single tube, reducing damage while achieving high velocities.
Solution Approach 2:
A multi-stage acceleration approach acts as an intermediary between the gas pressure source and the projectile. The preliminary accelerator tube serves as a buffer that translates high pressure into controlled acceleration, protecting the projectile from direct exposure to extreme forces while still enabling high final velocities.
2Volume of moving object
If larger launch tubes are used to enable full-scale testing, then hypersonic testing at larger scales becomes possible, but wall thickness to diameter ratios increase and manufacturing becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The accelerator system is segmented into multiple tubes of manageable dimensions rather than requiring a single large-diameter tube. This allows each tube to be manufactured with reasonable wall thickness ratios while achieving the equivalent of a much larger launch capability through series connection.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing diameter to achieve larger testing capacity, the system extends in the longitudinal dimension by connecting multiple tubes in series. This dimensional transition allows large-scale testing capability without the manufacturing challenges of large-diameter thick-walled tubes.
3Speed
If longer launch tubes are used to achieve higher velocities, then projectile velocity increases, but the system becomes more complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The long acceleration path is divided into discrete modular tube sections that can be assembled in series. This segmentation makes the overall long system more manageable in terms of construction, maintenance, and operation while achieving the cumulative velocity gains of a much longer single tube.
Solution Approach 2:
The preliminary accelerator tube performs preliminary acceleration before the projectile enters the main accelerator tube. This preliminary action reduces the burden on the main tube, allowing the system to achieve higher final velocities without requiring the main tube to be excessively long or complex.
4Reliability
If soft catch systems are used to decelerate projectiles, then projectile recovery is enabled, but high decelerations cause damage to the projectile
Solution Approach 1:
The soft catch system is designed with progressive deceleration zones that cushion the projectile before full stopping. This beforehand cushioning distributes the deceleration load over time and distance, preventing sudden high-G impacts that would damage the projectile while still enabling reliable recovery.
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 lower cost, more frequent, and better testing and logistics delivery with improved launch capabilities, achieving velocities up to 50,000 ft/s and reducing gravitational forces to less than 2,000 G's, while minimizing soft catch damage and enabling larger scale hypersonic testing.
Implementation Method 1
a pre-acceleration chamber configured to receive a gas and an electric heater configured to heat the gas
Implementation Method 2
a valve assembly downstream of the pre-acceleration chamber and in fluid communication therewith, the valve assembly including at least one pressure-releasable valve; wherein opening of the at least one pressure-releasable valve of the valve assembly creates a pressure wave sufficient to accelerate the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a launch system and method. The launch system and method can include at least a preliminary accelerator tube system (PAT) that can be combined with one or more of a main accelerator tube system (MAT), a flight test tube, or a soft catch. The PAT alone or combined with the MAT can be used for launch of a vehicle for testing and/or for delivery of a payload.