Unconfined Smoke Pellets for Rapid Screen Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing smoke munitions typically have confined smoke generating pyrotechnics that burn only on one surface, limiting the effectiveness and safety of smoke screening, and may not function safely in blind landings due to restricted burn patterns and potential collateral damage from discarded components.
Innovation Solution
A smoke screening munition with a shearable tail unit and unconfined smoke generating energetic material portions that burn on multiple surfaces, tethered to the tail unit to reduce collateral damage, and a frangible ogive element with shearable links to ensure safe venting in case of impact, allowing for rapid and controlled smoke generation and reduced risk of secondary events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If confined smoke generating pyrotechnics are used in metal canisters, then the structure is simple and contained, but the burn is restricted to only one surface reducing smoke generation effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The smoke generating pyrotechnics are divided into multiple unconfined portions or pellets instead of being contained in a single metal canister. This segmentation allows each portion to burn on multiple surfaces simultaneously, significantly increasing the effective burn surface area and smoke generation rate while maintaining structural simplicity through the use of individual discrete elements
Solution Approach 2:
The pyrotechnic composition is extracted from the confining metal canister structure and presented as unconfined portions. This removal of confinement allows the pyrotechnic material to burn freely on all exposed surfaces rather than being restricted to a single surface contact with oxygen, thereby maximizing smoke generation effectiveness
2Productivity
If a plurality of unconfined portions burn on multiple surfaces, then smoke screen effectiveness is realised more quickly, but the number of discarded components increases potentially causing collateral damage
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple unconfined smoke generating portions are merged with a common tethered tail unit structure. This combination ensures that all the dispersed portions that generate smoke efficiently remain connected to a single attachment point, allowing the entire assembly to be recovered or controlled as one unit rather than scattering as separate components
Solution Approach 2:
The tail unit is designed to be discarded or recovered after use. By tethering all smoke generating portions to this single tail unit, the system allows for the controlled discarding or recovery of the entire assembly, reducing the risk of collateral damage from multiple separate discarded components while maintaining the effectiveness of multiple burning portions
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the tail unit is tethered to the smoke payload apparatus, then discarded components are reduced, but the ballistic properties must be carefully matched to ensure common impact point
Solution Approach 1:
The tail unit and smoke payload apparatus are designed with carefully selected mass and dimensional parameters. By adjusting the mass of the tail unit relative to the smoke payload apparatus, the system achieves matched ballistic properties that ensure both components follow the same trajectory and reach the common impact point, simplifying the overall system design while reducing collateral damage risk
4Reliability
If frangible ogive element with shearable links is used, then safe venting is ensured in blind landings, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Frangible links and shearable connections are pre-installed in the ogive element and tail unit assembly. These preliminary weak points are designed to fail under specific conditions (such as impact forces in blind landings), preventing catastrophic failure by allowing controlled venting of pressure and separation of components before dangerous pressure buildup can occur
Solution Approach 2:
The frangible structure incorporates predetermined failure points that act as safety mechanisms. These shearable links are designed to fail at specific load thresholds, providing a cushioning effect by preventing the transmission of excessive forces to the smoke payload apparatus and ensuring safe operation even in unintended impact scenarios
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 enables more efficient and rapid smoke generation with reduced collateral damage and safer operation by ensuring that failed components do not significantly impact the overall screening effect and that energetic events are vented, preventing primary payload ejection or function during unintended impacts.
Implementation Method 1
unconfined portions of a smoke generating energetic material, wherein said portions burn on at least two surfaces
Implementation Method 2
a frangible ogive element with shearable links to ensure safe venting in case of impact
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a smoke payload apparatus, particularly a smoke payload ejection apparatus housed within a common carrier payload delivery shell, with a frangible safety link.There is provided a smoke screen munition comprising a shearable tail unit, a main body which comprises a payload cavity for receiving a smoke payload apparatus, a fuze, an ogive element located between said main body and the fuze, and an explosive train operably connected to said fuze, wherein the smoke payload apparatus comprises a plurality of unconfined portions of a smoke generating energetic material, wherein said portions burn on at least two surfaces.