UAV Blowback Weapon Motorized Operating Group Crash Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are limited in their mission time and lethality due to battery life and payload constraints, and integrating a weapon system on these platforms is challenging due to the need for extreme lightweight armament that is also accurate and reliable, while ensuring the system does not fire upon crash landing.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight remote weapon system utilizing blowback operation, featuring a receiver structure, ammunition magazine, barrel, and a motor assembly with a bolt, operating rods, driver springs, and a sear, which creates a moment couple and employs advanced primer ignition to enable firing of high-powered centerfire rifle cartridges without a massive bolt, and includes a polymer buffer and flywheel disconnect for safety and control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional weapon system is integrated on a small UAS, then lethality and accuracy are improved, but weight increases significantly reducing flight time
Solution Approach 1:
The weapon system is divided into separate functional modules: motor assembly, operating group, receiver, and magazine. This segmentation allows for optimized weight distribution and selection of lightweight materials for each component while maintaining overall system lethality.
Solution Approach 2:
Traditional gas-operated or recoil-operated mechanisms are replaced with a motor-driven operating group. The motor assembly uses electrical power to drive the operating rods and bolt, eliminating the need for heavy mechanical energy storage systems while reducing weight.
2Duration of action of moving object
If battery capacity is increased to extend mission time, then duration of action is improved, but payload capacity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The weapon system incorporates an automatic operating group that uses the energy from the fired cartridge itself to cycle the action. The blowback operation and gas system automatically reset the bolt and eject spent casings without requiring additional motor power, allowing the motor to be smaller and more energy-efficient.
Solution Approach 2:
The weapon system uses periodic motor activation to cycle the operating group rather than continuous operation. The motor activates only when needed to advance the operating group to the forward position, conserving battery power and extending mission duration.
3Weight of moving object
If a lightweight bolt is used to reduce weight, then weight is improved, but reliability of high-powered cartridge firing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the rearward momentum of the fired cartridge and the compression of the drive spring to counterbalance the lightweight bolt during high-powered cartridge firing. The drive spring stores energy during the rearward stroke and releases it during the forward stroke, providing the necessary force to reliably cycle the action with a lightweight bolt.
Solution Approach 2:
The operating group uses dynamic elements including a spring-driven mechanism and momentum-based blowback operation. The drive spring dynamically adjusts to the power of the cartridge being fired, providing sufficient force for both lightweight and high-powered cartridges while maintaining reliability.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the weapon system is made crash-safe to prevent unintended discharge, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sear mechanism is designed with preliminary safety features that prevent the bolt from moving forward unless properly engaged. The operating group includes built-in safety elements that must be deliberately actuated by the trigger mechanism, preventing accidental discharge during crash or vibration events while maintaining relatively simple overall design.
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 reliable and accurate lethality on lightweight UAVs by achieving successful blowback operation without a massive bolt, ensuring the system does not fire upon crash landing, and allowing multiple shots and variable rate of fire through feedback control, enhancing the UAS's role as a weapon platform.
Implementation Method 1
a driver spring and a sear. The first operating group and the second operating group further comprise an axis of translation which is offset from the longitudinal axis of the barrel thereby creating a moment couple on the system. The first operating and the second operating rod pull the bolt against a drive spring by translating through corresponding holes in the receiver structure.
Implementation Method 2
The receiver structure further comprises a polymer buffer for arresting movement of a rearward travelling bolt for a period of time.
Implementation Method 3
The first operating group and the second operating group further comprise an axis of translation which is offset from the longitudinal axis of the barrel thereby creating a moment couple on the system.
Implementation Method 4
The bolt further comprises a fixed firing pin configured to contact a chambered ammunition round while the bolt is translating forward thereby causing a portion of energy resulting from cartridge impulse to be employed halting the forward translation of the bolt.
Data Source
AI summary
A small lightweight weapon system for integration into an unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a weapon operating group which utilizes blowback operation to fire a full-powered centerfire rifle ammunition. An operating rod of the weapon operating group has an axis of translation offset from the longitudinal axis of the barrel thereby creating a moment couple on the system. A motor assembly controls the operation of the weapon operating group. Through a gear train, actuation of the motor assembly lifts a sear against a return torsion spring, which holds the operating group back when not firing. The gear train comprises a one way flywheel disconnect to increase the torque of the direct current motor and overcome the force of the torsion spring. Intelligent motor commutation and burst control are achieved through an encoder and software package.