Shroud-Driven Deployable Flight Surfaces for Small Diameter Vehicles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Flight vehicles with limited internal space face challenges in stowing and deploying fixed or controllable flight surfaces like canards or fins without damaging them, as existing deployment mechanisms occupy valuable internal volume and can be complex.

Innovation Solution

A shroud-driven deployment system where a tip section is rotatably coupled to a base, stowed externally, and as the shroud is released, a drive feature engages to rotate and join the base and tip section, forming a complete flight surface, eliminating the need for internal storage and complex deployment mechanisms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If flight surfaces are stowed within the body of the vehicle, then protection during transit is improved, but internal volume is consumed and deployment mechanism complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection during transitVSAvoidinternal volume

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The flight surfaces are nested within the shroud structure itself, which acts as a container during transit. The shroud encompasses the flight surfaces, protecting them while utilizing the shroud's own volume rather than consuming additional internal vehicle volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The deployment mechanism is extracted from the vehicle body and relocated to the shroud structure. This separates the deployment function from the vehicle's internal systems, eliminating the need for internal deployment mechanisms and freeing up internal volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If complex deployment mechanisms are used to deploy flight surfaces, then deployment reliability is improved, but device complexity and internal volume consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment reliabilityVSAvoiddeployment mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The shroud structure itself provides the deployment function through its own motion. As the shroud opens or moves during deployment, it automatically drives the flight surfaces from their stowed to deployed position through integrated drive features, eliminating the need for separate deployment mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The deployment mechanism functions are merged into the shroud structure. The shroud is no longer just a protective cover but also serves as the deployment actuator, combining protection and deployment functions into a single integrated structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If flight surfaces are stowed in limited internal space, then protection is improved, but the risk of damage during launch increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveprotectionVSAvoidrisk of damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The flight surfaces are nested within the shroud structure which provides a protective envelope during transit and launch. This external nesting arrangement protects the surfaces from damage while utilizing the shroud's volume rather than constrained internal space.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The flight surfaces are positioned in a pre-stowed configuration within the shroud before launch, ensuring they are protected and secured. The shroud structure maintains this protective arrangement throughout transit and during the critical launch phase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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

This solution allows for efficient deployment of flight surfaces without occupying internal volume, suitable for all sizes of flight vehicles, including small diameter ones, by using the energy from the shroud release to form complete canards or fins, thereby simplifying the deployment process and reducing the risk of damage.

Implementation Method 1

A drive feature is positioned on an interior surface of one of the segments of the shroud forward of the pivot point and adjacent an edge of the tip section in the stowed-position. The drive feature is responsive to in flight release of the shroud to engage the edge and rotate the tip section to a deployed position

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical Force: Mechanical Force

Data Source

PatentUS11274907B2Shroud driven deployable flight surfaces and method

Publication Date: 2022.03.15 RAYTHEON CO

AI summary

A nose or tail assembly for a flight vehicle is provided in which the deployment of the canards or fins is driven by energy imparted by the shroud when it is released. A tip section is rotatably coupled to a base, and both are stowed in a volume between the shroud and nose/tail assembly. As the shroud is released, a drive feature engages the tip section to rotate and join the base to form a complete canard or fin. This eliminates the need for storing the canards or fins in or wrapped around the body and eliminates the need for a complex deployment mechanism occupying an internal volume of the body. Although viable for all sizes of flight vehicles, the shroud-driven deployment system scales to very small diameter vehicles in which internal volume is not available to store either flight surfaces or deployment mechanisms.