Stackable Kinetic Energy Ring Cartridge for CUAS
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current counter unmanned aerial system (CUAS) technologies face challenges in effectively damaging UAS due to their robust nature, requiring a solution that can target and disable critical components like wires, batteries, and motors, while also addressing the small and moving nature of UAS targets.
Innovation Solution
A cartridge featuring stacked ring sub projectiles designed to maximize damage with minimal mass, utilizing a capless multi-piece sabot to release rings cleanly and efficiently, allowing for increased engagement distances and cumulative damage effect similar to multiple large projectiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple large projectiles are fired to damage UAS, then the damage area increases, but the recoil and mass requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The projectile is divided into multiple ring sub-projectiles stacked together, where each ring can independently penetrate and damage the UAS. This segmentation allows the system to cover a larger damage area with multiple penetration points while keeping each individual ring lightweight, thus reducing the total mass compared to firing multiple large solid projectiles.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from solid cylindrical projectiles to ring-shaped projectiles, effectively removing the central axis dimension. This dimensional change creates a hollow structure that reduces mass while maintaining external diameter for damage coverage, allowing the rings to achieve similar damage area to solid projectiles with significantly reduced mass.
2Strength
If baton style projectiles are used, then the structural damage is sufficient, but the drag is high reducing engagement distance
Solution Approach 1:
The ring sub-projectiles feature curved, aerodynamic profiles rather than straight baton shapes. The circular cross-section and streamlined form reduce aerodynamic drag significantly compared to blunt baton-style projectiles, enabling longer engagement distances while maintaining the structural damage capability through the same penetration mechanism.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a cap sabot is used to retain rings, then the rings are secured, but the forward motion of rings is impeded during release
Solution Approach 1:
The cap portion of the traditional sabot is completely removed, leaving only the side walls to retain the rings. This extraction of the cap element eliminates the forward impedance problem while the remaining side walls continue to provide adequate retention during acceleration, allowing rings to release cleanly without obstruction.
Solution Approach 2:
The sabot is divided into separate functional elements (side walls only, without cap), where each segment serves a specific purpose. The side walls provide retention during firing, while the absence of a cap allows unimpeded release, achieving both retention stability and release speed through functional segmentation.
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 ring sub projectile design enhances the probability of hitting critical UAS components, causes significant structural damage, and allows for more projectiles to be fired within recoil limits, while reducing drag and maintaining stability for effective engagement.
Implementation Method 1
The striking sub projectile is also able to cause sufficient structural damage to the UAS to defeat it, due to the large diameter hole that the ring may create as it passes through the target
Implementation Method 2
due to the ring design the sub projectile has a reduced amount of drag imparted to it as compared to a baton style projectile
Data Source
AI summary
A projectile which can be used to defeat an unmanned aerial system. The projectile features sabots which do not impart any forward impedance to the sub-projectiles, and carries a payload of stacked rings enclosed in the projectile. The rings are backed by a support ring, and abut a pusher aft section. The projectile's sabots discard cleanly upon muzzle exit, releasing the ring sub-projectiles to cover a large area, thereby increasing the probability of impacting the target. The rings create large holes in the target, despite comparatively low mass of a given ring as a defeat element, allowing for multiple sub-projectiles to be fired with a single shot, thereby creating the effect of firing multiple projectiles with a single shot.