Stacked Flare Pellet Assembly for Missile Countermeasures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flare assemblies, including visual and infrared flash flares, suffer from low energy density, long burn times, structural integrity issues, and inability to replicate the spectral signature of aircraft, making them ineffective against modern missile guidance systems.
Innovation Solution
A stacked arrangement of ignitable flare pellets with specific geometric designs and configurations, including tapered grooves and immobilization features, to achieve faster burn times, higher peak outputs, and maintain structural integrity during flight and ejection, while replicating the spectral signature of aircraft.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a single press-formed flare pellet with longitudinal grooves is used, then the initial surface area is increased for ease of igniting, but the burn time is longer than desired and energy output is less than desired due to greater web magnitude
Solution Approach 1:
The flare assembly is segmented into multiple individual flare pellets (e.g., 3-5 pellets) arranged in a stack, with each pellet having a thickness of 0.060-0.125 inches. This segmentation allows each pellet to burn quickly with minimal web, while the stack provides sufficient total energy output and extended burn duration through sequential combustion of multiple pellets.
2Illumination intensity
If holes are drilled in flare pellets to increase surface area and peak energy output, then the initial surface area is increased, but the structural integrity is insufficient resulting in fragmenting and breaking during launch and flight
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of drilling holes in single thick pellets (which compromises structural integrity), the invention segments the total flare mass into multiple thin pellets stacked together. Each thin pellet maintains full structural integrity without holes, yet the stack provides equivalent or greater total surface area for combustion, achieving high peak energy output without fragmenting during launch.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from increasing surface area by drilling holes through the thickness of a single pellet to increasing surface area by adding multiple pellets to the stack in the longitudinal dimension. This dimensional approach provides additional combustion surface area without compromising the structural integrity of individual pellets.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional granular payload composition is used, then the flare can be manufactured, but the packing density is low resulting in low energy density, and transportation and storage are expensive with detonation problems
Solution Approach 1:
Each flare pellet is constructed as a composite material containing magnesium powder (50-70 wt%), sodium nitrate (20-40 wt%), and a binder (5-15 wt%). This composite formulation achieves high packing density and energy density while maintaining structural integrity and storage safety, eliminating the detonation problems associated with conventional granular compositions.
4Adaptability or versatility
If conventional infrared flare formulations are used, then the flare can distract infrared guided missiles, but the spectral signature does not match aircraft exhaust and modern missile guidance systems can discriminate and reject the spectral signal
Solution Approach 1:
The flare pellets utilize a modified composition with magnesium (50-70 wt%), sodium nitrate (20-40 wt%), and binder (5-15 wt%) that changes the spectral emission parameters to better match aircraft exhaust signatures. The combustion characteristics and temperature profile of this composition produce infrared radiation that more closely replicates the spectral signature of aircraft engines, making it harder for modern discriminative missile guidance systems to distinguish the flare from the actual target.
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 provides flare assemblies with shorter burn times, higher energy outputs, and improved structural integrity, effectively distracting missile guidance systems and mimicking aircraft spectral signatures, enhancing their countermeasure capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
enough light in the visual wavelengths will be emitted via ignition of the associated payload
Implementation Method 2
distract or 'confuse' an infrared guided missile's guidance system into locking in on the infrared light from the flare assembly
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a flare pellet assembly for generating visual and/or infrared energy output, and to methods of making and using the same. The flare pellet assembly generally includes a stack of flare pellets, the individual pellets of which may exhibit an at least generally tapering geometry. These flare pellets may be stacked in a manner that substantially prevents motion of one flare pellet relative to another flare pellet. This stacked arrangement of the flare pellets, along with one or more grooves that may be defined in and/or between adjacent flare pellets, may be said to at least generally enable the resultant flare pellet assembly to provide one or both infrared and visual energy output that reaches desired countermeasure energy output specifications without sacrificing structural integrity of the flare pellet assembly.