Patent Application
20250137746
Embodiments of the present invention relate to firearm suppressor devices, as well as methods of designing and manufacturing such devices.
Firearm suppressor technology over the last century has relied upon a basic design consisting of a set of discrete, stacked baffles along the pathway of the escaping gasses of a firearm. See, e.g.,
Along with the development of additive manufacturing methods, there has been progress in the design of firearm suppressors. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 11,248,870 B1 and 11,428,491 B2 (Nagy-Zambo), disclose the use of additive manufacturing to create a firearm suppressor having triply periodic minimal surfaces and continuous channels for dissipation of energy. Use of AI/ML modeling techniques paired with additive manufacturing have produced still more sophisticated designs. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 11,353,277 B2 and 11,725,898 B2 (Muceus). However, neither Muceus nor Nagy-Zambo disclose the use of AI/ML models to optimize firearm suppressor designs to absorb and dissipate heat and light to reduce infrared and visual signatures. Further, neither Muceus nor Nagy-Zambo discuss design optimizations to reduce backpressure caused by the use of a firearm suppressor. More critically, Muceus does not discuss design optimization that simultaneously accounts for factors such as suppressor weight, cost, sound absorption, heat absorption, backpressure, escape pressure, and flash suppression. Muceus also discloses relatively straightforward radial and longitudinal design variation but does not disclose variation along radials extending outward from the projectile entry point. Finally, Muceus must use separate designs for each weapon and cartridge type.
It is clear that what is needed is a firearm suppressor designed to simultaneously optimize performance characteristics given a weight and cost, for example, sound, heat, light absorption, and forward and back pressure management. Firearm suppressors are needed to be useable with a range of firearms and cartridge types, not just a single type. Finally, AI/ML modeling that varies the suppressor structure radially from the projectile entry point produces more efficient designs since such designs more closely reflect the energy loss gradient from the projectile as it leaves the firearm barrel. These and many other deficiencies of the prior art are addressed by one or more embodiments of the disclosed invention.
Additional advantages and novel features of this invention shall be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following specification or may be learned by the practice of the invention.
Features and objects of the present invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent, and the invention itself will be best understood, by reference to the following description of one or more embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings attached following this description.
The Figures depict embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.
Metamaterial means using the shape of a material to achieve performance not possible from the bulk material alone. For example, a rod of steel is very stiff and cannot be compressed, but once the steel is shaped into a coil, the resulting spring material can be compressed or stretched.
An Svoxel is a volumetric unit that includes one or more voxels. Similar to a voxel, a group of Svoxels can be used to approximate any 3-D structure, but additionally, an Svoxel can be subdivided and filled with an internal structure.
Triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) means a minimal surface that is the same over a rank 3 lattice of translations, e.g., a gyroid, see
Thermofluidics means the study of the interactions between heat transfer and the flow of fluids within a space.
A voxel is a polygon in three-dimensional space and is analogous to a pixel in two-dimensional space. An arrangement of voxels may be used to approximate any 3-D structure. A voxel represents the smallest subdivision of space for a particular application and is not subdivided.
The invention described herein include devices comprising firearm suppressors, as well as systems and methods for use of artificial intelligence and/or machine learning to design suppressors, and additive manufacturing techniques to manufacture such suppressors. The disclosed suppressor uses metamaterials with highly engineered, mathematically driven geometry, that are at present only producible via additive manufacturing, to improve suppressor performance for noise and muzzle flash suppression by containing and mitigating the pressure wave emitted from the muzzle with each round. The use of thermal management geometries causes the suppressor to retain less heat from each round, lowering the operating temperatures and allowing higher rates of fire over longer durations than traditional designs. Pressure management geometries reduce backpressure, which decreases wear and tear on suppressor and firearm components, reduces recoil for improved user comfort and firearm accuracy, and reducing carbon fouling of the firearm operating components.
Embodiments of the present invention are hereafter described in detail with reference to the accompanying Figures. Although the invention is described and illustrated with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the combination and arrangement of parts can be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of exemplary embodiments of the present invention as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Also, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.
The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the invention. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
By the term “substantially” it is meant that the recited characteristic, parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, but that deviations or variations, including for example, tolerances, measurement error, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to those of skill in the art, may occur in amounts that do not preclude the effect the characteristic was intended to provide.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes reference to one or more of such surfaces.
As used herein any reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.
It will be also understood that when an element is referred to as being “on,” “attached” to, “connected” to, “coupled” with, “contacting”, “mounted” etc., another element, it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled with or contacting the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being, for example, “directly on,” “directly attached” to, “directly connected” to, “directly coupled” with, or “directly contacting” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that references to a structure or feature that is disposed “adjacent” another feature may have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature.
Spatially relative terms, such as “under,” “below,” “lower,” “over,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of a device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if a device in the figures is inverted, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “under” can encompass both an orientation of “over” and “under”. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. Similarly, the terms “upwardly,” “downwardly,” “vertical,” “horizontal” and the like are used herein for the purpose of explanation only unless specifically indicated otherwise.
Included in the description are flowcharts and block diagrams depicting examples of the methodology and components which may be used to provide automated design. In the following description, it will be understood that each block of such illustrations, and combinations of blocks in such illustrations, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a machine such that the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus create means for implementing the functions specified in the illustration block or blocks. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable apparatus to function in a particular manner such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the function specified in the illustration block or blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed in the computer or on the other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the illustration block or blocks.
Accordingly, blocks of the flowchart and block diagram illustrations support combinations of means for performing the specified functions and/or combinations of steps for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that each block of the illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the illustrations, can be implemented by general or special purpose hardware-based computer systems that perform the specified functions or steps, or combinations of hardware and computer instructions.
Some portions of this specification are presented in terms of algorithms or symbolic representations of operations on data stored as bits or binary digital signals within a machine memory (e.g., a computer memory). These algorithms or symbolic representations are examples of techniques used by those of ordinary skill in the data processing arts to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. In this context, algorithms and operations involve the manipulation of information elements. Typically, but not necessarily, such elements may take the form of electrical, magnetic, or optical signals capable of being stored, accessed, transferred, combined, compared, or otherwise manipulated by a machine. It is convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to such signals using words such as “data,” “content,” “bits,” “values,” “elements,” “symbols,” “characters,” “terms,” “numbers,” “numerals,” “words,” or the like. These specific words, however, are merely convenient labels and are to be associated with appropriate information elements.
Unless specifically stated otherwise, discussions herein using words such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” “presenting,” “displaying,” or the like may refer to actions or processes of a machine (e.g., a computer) that manipulates or transforms data represented as physical (e.g., electronic, magnetic, or optical) quantities within one or more memories (e.g., volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof), registers, or other machine components that receive, store, transmit, or display information.
With reference to
The disclosed firearm suppressor technology features designs created with an artificial intelligence/machine learning software application and intended for fabrication through additive manufacturing techniques. The disclosed suppressor designs are derived from shapes that have been subject to a modeling process 236 before the shapes are adjusted 240 for a particular application or suppressor design.
The AI/ML model uses a library of lattice structures, e.g., a regular lattice
Each lattice or TPMS is represented as a network of unit cells, or Svoxels, that have internal energy absorbing and/or dissipation, i.e., energy management, properties. With reference to
With further reference to
After the properties of an individual Svoxel shape are sufficiently characterized, inter-cell analysis is performed on different assembly configurations of networks of many Svoxels that make up the lattice or TPMS. The Svoxel configurations are investigated to determine the effects of scaling and arrangement on the performance of the shape. Through inter-cell analysis, the relationships between scaling parameters of multiple Svoxels and the energy management characteristics of the shape are identified.
The energy management properties of a new shape are modeled by defining an intra-cell energy absorption and/or dissipation model for each mode of energy considered, i.e., pressure, heat, sound, and light, and then an inter-cell energy management model is developed for each mode. Energy management for suppressor design can be modeled by use of the following equation:
ΣE=[ME+HE+SE+LE]
wherein the total energy to be managed is represented as the sum of mechanical energy or pressure, heat energy, sound energy, and light energy. The above relation has already been simplified by setting a maximum pressure value in step 210. With ME set, the design performance is optimized for the remaining variables.
The remaining variables, HE, SE, and LE, are simplified through the observation that the thermofluidic flow of gasses through a suppressor geometry is a function of the internal surface area and the amount of turbulence within the flow. Generally, higher surface area and smoother (less turbulent) flow allows faster movement of energy through the device. Using this observation, the system uses a bootstrapping process that takes different novel suppressor geometries and characterizes the performance of each geometry. Then the system takes the geometric parameters as the inputs and design performance as the outputs and uses an AI/ML model to predict the right combinations of inputs to get the optimized performance outputs. Once modeled, the shape characterization is added to the structure library 232.
With reference to
The geometric factors used as input variables are initially characterized 541 to begin shape geometry modification. Such factors include Svoxel size, beam or surface thickness, lattice or TPMS topology, alterations in gradient variation, and/or modifications to shape periodicity. Working from the initial characterizations, the shape geometry is adjusted to optimize performance 542. Performance optimization includes two concurrent aspects: adjustment of geometric factor values 543, and geometry evolution 544. The geometric factors are adjusted and evolved to optimize outputs, including minimizing gas velocity and pressure at suppressor exit, and maximizing heat absorption within the device and heat dissipation from the suppressor surface. The individual performance metrics for velocity, pressure and temperature are considered collectively to achieve the best overall (combined) performance profile for the suppressor. By optimizing these outputs, the individual performance characteristics are also optimized. For example, backpressure and blowback are minimized by minimizing pressure and velocity at suppressor exit. Similarly, sound energy is absorbed and dissipated by minimizing gas velocity at exit. Heat is managed by minimizing the temperature at suppressor exit, which also reduces infrared signature. Light is minimized by slowing gas velocity through the suppressor and minimizing exit temperature to allow combustible materials to burn within the suppressor and to deny heat for continued burning past the suppressor exit. Once performance is optimized, the shape geometry is selected 546.
Relevant thermofluidic relationships govern the relevant energy management processes and inform geometric design choices. For example, the Inverse Square Law requires that temperature and sound reduce inversely proportional to the distance squared. Similarly, the Cube Law states that energy decreases inversely proportional to the velocity cubed, and Boyle's Law states that pressure reduces proportionally to the volume, here a stand-in for distance. These aspects of energy management by the suppressor are therefore mitigated according to the reduction factor applicable to each one. By evolving the design geometries 544 based on different coordinate systems, i.e., linear, cylindrical, or spherical, the performance of the suppressor is optimized.
Geometry evolution may be varied by adjusting the periodicity of the energy management function. With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
With further reference to
Rather than attempt to brute force calculate or empirically discover changes resulting from geometry adjustments by trial and error, an AI/ML algorithm is trained on multiple instances of geometry changes and the resulting changes to performance and other parameters. To accomplish this, all relevant criteria must be identified, and a proper test developed for minimizing each energy mode. Uniform test parameters for each mode are developed to limit variations between test runs, and test instrumentation designed to test only the performance characteristic of interest while limiting unintended variation between specimens. A training workflow is needed to collect the relevant data, process it, and store it for feeding to the AI/ML model. Once developed, the training workflow is automated to increase the rate of data collection and provide more data for AI model training, which will result in a more robust and accurate characterization of performance of the lattice or TPMS. The AI model may require a separate database of solutions for each mode, and therefore separate training of the AI model.
Through such training, the algorithm develops the ability to predict the effect of geometry changes on the various parameters for a given shape as used to construct a suppressor and can thereby reduce the computational cost and reduce the time required to perform the design process. The AI/ML model is trained on a database of engineering design tasks for suppressor technology, and through such training, develops a library of shapes that have been evaluated for use in suppressors for various purposes and having various performance requirements.
Training of the model can be physical, synthetic, or a hybrid of the two. To conduct physical training, a user builds geometries and tests them to gather data, while synthetic training includes simulating geometries computationally and calculating their performance characteristics. Each method has is benefits and drawbacks. For example, physical data tends to be more accurate, but is more complex to collect. By contrast, synthetic testing is cheaper and the data easier to collect. To capture the advantages of both methods, hybrid training may be used, in which a percentage of the data is gathered from physical geometries, and a percentage is derived from simulations.
When presented with a new engineering task, the AI/ML model uses its training database to predict what combination of inputs will create the optimal suppressor for the job in question. The model then uses the selected candidate shapes to design the three-dimensional metamaterial core of the suppressor to possess required performance metrics and obey specified constraints. The metamaterial core is then paired with an external sheath to strengthen and facilitate the function of the device. Performance metrics may relate to the various modes of energy management, including thermofluidics (i.e., pressure and heat management, fluid flow control), sound absorption, flash suppression, and infrared signature reduction. Design constraints may include size, general shape, volume, weight, durability, cost, ability to be cleaned, etc. From the given requirements, the application generates a computational 3-D model of the new suppressor design that simultaneously tunes the performance characteristics for the particular application and fits within the design constraints. Extensive AI modeling of various lattice and TPMS structures has produced suppressor designs that generally have larger channels and higher wall thickness near the muzzle to provide higher heat absorption and contain higher pressure gases. While the exit end generally has thinner walls and smaller diameter, or cross-sectional area, channels to reduce weight and to create a chimney effect wherein lower pressure draws low energy gases out of the suppressor. Suppressor Device Design
The described AI/ML modeling process has yielded the following exemplary suppressor design comprising two distinct components: a monolithic metamaterial core and an external sleeve. With reference to
The sleeve or case 820 surrounds the core 810 and is integral to the function of the design. The sleeve is configured to contain the captured gases and direct them to designated pressure vents. The sleeve also serves to protect users from escaping gases and hot internal parts while also preventing dust and other debris from fouling the core 810. In some embodiments, the case is manufactured separately from the core, and may be made through conventional means or additive manufacturing. The core and sleeve may be 3-D printed as a single body to improve strength and durability, or the core may be 3-D printed and added to a commercially available sleeve to decrease cost and simplify maintenance. The thickness of the sleeve can be adjusted based on expected gas pressures reaching it from the suppressor core, material strength, cost, weight, durability, overall suppressor function, or other suitable factor.
Various materials are possible and contemplated, including titanium, nickel, stainless steel, alloys, or polymers. The channels 814 of the energy manager 813 are configured to allow three-dimensional, continuous fluid flow and energy dissipation throughout the length of the suppressor in the direction of the arrow 12. The suppressor may be attached to a firearm by conventional attachment means, such as a male or female threads, a quick-detach mechanism, or other suitable means (not shown).
With reference to
As illustrated above, because the flow volume and energy dissipation requirements placed on the core evolve throughout the suppressor, channel geometry evolves accordingly. Geometry evolution permits optimized energy management performance while reducing weight and material costs. Channel cross-section, opening size, and wall thickness are variables of the design that may be adjusted incrementally along the length of the suppressor. The Svoxel and overall shape attributes responsible for these qualities are evolved according to the energy management modeling equation as integrated along the length of the suppressor. Because of the higher energies encountered nearest the muzzle, channel cross-section, opening size, and wall thickness will be greatest near the muzzle end 830 of the suppressor, and will taper toward the exit end 840. Evolution of the geometry may start at the muzzle end, may start after the attachment means, e.g., a set of threads, or may start at another point after the end of the firearm muzzle.
The disclosed design method creates suppressor designs that are superior to existing conventional designs, as well as suppressors constructed through additive manufacturing methods. By precisely designing the thermofluidic pathways through the device, the disclosed suppressor is optimized to minimize the muzzle blast produced by the paired firearm and projectile, with some embodiments optimized for firing supersonic projectiles, and others optimized for sub-sonic rounds. Heat build-up within the suppressor is controlled so that the suppressor material can stay at its maximum operational heat longer without material degradation, and then dissipates the heat quickly for a rapid return to ambient temperature. Such heat control characteristics allow for high rates of fire, to include designs for automatic weapons that provide an extended operational window before excess heat harms suppressor performance.
Backpressure and forward pressure from the suppressor can be tuned to reduce recoil forces and prevent pressure build-up, while ensuring ample pressure for automatic weapons to cycle normally. Flow of gases is controlled so that the combustible products in the cartridge discharge are able to fully burn before leaving the suppressor, thereby reducing muzzle flash. Heat absorption and dissipation are managed so that infrared signature is also decreased, for example through rapid heat dissipation to reduce the time when an infrared signature is evident. While optimizing the suppressor's performance characteristics, the design method also accounts for constraints imposed on the design, such as dimensions, weight, cost, and available materials. By simultaneously accounting for each of these performance characteristics and constraints, the method produces optimized designs. The unitary metamaterial construction of the suppressor core improves durability and strength over traditional suppressor designs.
Unlike traditional suppressors, the disclosed design method also allows for the construction of suppressors that function adequately with a range of firearms, projectile calibers, or cartridge loads. Such capability is due to the use of continuous chambers in the suppressor core and the continuous evolution of chamber geometry over the suppressor body. This allows a suppressor to be designed with an optimized range of operation, for example, with projectiles ranging from 9 mm to .45 caliber, or for use with both 300 Blackout rounds and 5.56 NATO rounds. By contrast, traditional baffle designs are not continuous, but absorb energy in stages represented by sequential baffles and their accompanying chambers. As a result, if baffles near the muzzle are ineffective for a particular firearm or cartridge, the suppressor loses effectiveness rapidly. Because they are continuously constructed and tunable, the disclosed suppressors may be optimized for use with higher powered firearms, and still function adequately with lower powered firearms.
The disclosed firearm suppressor is optimally designed by use with computer assistance. The complex Svoxel and lattice or TPMS modeling to optimize performance characteristics and design constraints relies on a software application that is computationally intensive. Some aspects of design may be accomplished manually, or the modeling process may be simplified to lower computer resource requirements. Production of the suppressor core is preferably by use of additive manufacturing equipment and techniques. However, conventional manufacturing methods may be incorporated, such as by 3-D printing casting molds or sand cores, or use of investment casting. Once the suppressor design is modeled and finalized, the design will be translated into printable instructions for use by a 3-D printer. Optimally, a powder bed fusion type 3-D printer, such as a selective laser melting printer, is used to print the metamaterial core, but most metal additive manufacturing techniques are suitable, including Direct Energy Deposition (DED) and Binder Jetting. The material used for the suppressor will dictate the manufacturing method in many cases, or the type of shape needed may recommend one manufacturing method or another. The manufacturing method is flexible and may be adjusted based on the requirements of the manufactured part.
Once the core is printed, it undergoes secondary processing. Secondary processing may include precision drilling out the bore, or in some embodiments, the bore is included during the printing process. In other embodiments, the barrel may be manufactured with the suppressor attachment built in. The core may be subject to final finishing, such as removing extraneous deposits and polishing. An attachment means, such as a threaded socket, will generally be added in secondary processing. The suppressor will be secured inside a case, which may be fixed to the attachment means for additional structural integrity. In other embodiments, the case is built alongside the core.
The software application and modeling equations used to create firearm suppressors may be modified to design other devices. Such applications include devices that can be optimized through management of thermofluidic conditions for compressible fluids. For example, devices that release pressurized or heated compressible media into an unpressurized or unheated environment may benefit from multivariate 3-D modeling. A firearm suppressor is fundamentally a system to dissipate excess heat and pressure in a controlled manner. While currently applied to the rapid and explosive discharge of heat and pressure from firing a projectile, heat and pressure could originate from combustion, rapid ignition, acoustic, or light-based discharges.
For example, the reduction of acoustic signature is the function of many types of muffler devices for combustion engines. A 3-D printed metamaterial could be used in a muffler system to reduce noise, while allowing sufficient exhaust throughput for efficient engine function, and tuning backpressure. Such performance features may be constrained by the size and weight of the muffler device. Similarly, acoustic panels for noise control, such as those found in music recording studios, industrial buildings, submarines, or aircraft engines, can also be designed through the disclosed modelling techniques.
As another example, reduction or elimination of a thermal signature may be accomplished through use of specially designed metamaterials. Panels for masking thermal signatures from engines, or the treatment of aircraft and missile exhaust plumes could reduce the threat posed by infrared-guided munitions or other detectors. Heat shields for spacecraft re-entry into the atmosphere, or critical surfaces of hypersonic aircraft may be designed by the disclosed process, wherein heat absorption and dissipation, weight, and durability are optimized. Heat exchangers for internal combustion engines or HVAC systems may also be constructed using the disclosed metamaterials.
Metamaterial panels may be designed for absorption or dissipation of radar energy, which would reduce the radar cross-section for aircraft, missiles, or other vehicles seeking stealthy operations. Other small-scale applications include microfluidic and electrowetting surface treatments.
Turbulent airflow can be managed through use of metamaterial panels, which may be strategically placed to promote laminar flow over semi-trucks, automobiles, aircraft, and other vehicles. Turbulent jet wash, rotor wash, or propeller wash may also be mitigated through energy absorbing or dissipating metamaterial panels.
The disclosed techniques may also be used in industrial chemical processing requiring chemical flow reactors. In such applications, the flow properties of reagents can be more precisely controlled along with the reaction temperature by use of metamaterial structures, resulting in more optimized reactions with higher yield. Similarly, for nuclear fission reactors, metamaterials can be used to construct cooling sheets for reactor control rods.
One having skill in the art will recognize that portions of the disclosed invention may be implemented on a specialized computer system, or a general-purpose computer system, such as a personal computer (PC), a server, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, or a handheld or pocket computer.
The CPU 901 comprises a suitable processor for implementing the present invention. In some embodiments, a GPU 903 may supplement computational tasks as is known in the art. The CPU 901 communicates with other components of the system via a bi-directional system bus 912, and any necessary input/output (I/O) controller 913 circuitry and other “glue” logic. The bus, which includes address lines for addressing system memory, provides data transfer between and among the various components. RAM 902 serves as the working memory for the CPU 901. ROM 904 contains the basic I/O system code (BIOS), which is a set of low-level routines in ROM that application programs and the operating systems can use to interact with the hardware, including reading characters from the keyboard, outputting characters to printers 914, etc.
Mass storage devices 908, 909 provide persistent storage on fixed and removable media, such as magnetic, optical, or magnetic-optical storage systems, flash memory, cloud servers, or any other available mass storage technology. The mass storage may be shared on a network, or it may be dedicated mass storage. As shown in
In operation, program logic (including that which implements methodology of the disclosed invention described herein) is loaded from the removable storage 908 or fixed storage 909 into the main (RAM) memory 902, for execution by the CPU 901. During operation of the program logic, the system 900 accepts user input from a keyboard and pointing device 915, as well as speech-based input from a voice recognition system (not shown). The user interface 905 permits selection of application programs, entry of keyboard-based input or data, and selection and manipulation of individual data objects displayed on the screen, touchscreen, or display device 907. Likewise, the pointing device 915, such as a mouse, track pad, track ball, pen device, or a digit in the case of a touchscreen, permits selection and manipulation of objects on the display device. In this manner, these input devices support manual user input for any process running on the system.
The computer system 900 displays text and/or graphic images and other data on the display device 907. The video adapter 906, which is interposed between the display 907 and the system bus, drives the display device 907. The video adapter 906, which includes video memory accessible to the CPU 901, provides circuitry that converts pixel data stored in the video memory to a raster signal suitable for use by a display monitor. A hard copy of the displayed information, or other information within the system 900, may be obtained from the printer 914, or other output device.
The system itself communicates with other devices (e.g., other computers, other networks) via the NIC 911 connected to a network (e.g., Ethernet network, wi-fi, near field communication network, etc.). The system 900 may also communicate with local occasionally connected devices (e.g., serial cable-linked devices) via the COMM interface 910, which may include a serial port, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, or the like. Devices that will be commonly connected locally to the interface 910 include desktop computers, laptop computers, handheld computers, etc.
The system may be implemented through various wireless networks and their associated communication devices. Such networks may include mainframe computers, or servers, such as a gateway computer or application server which may have access to a database. A gateway computer serves as a point of entry into each network and may be coupled to another network by means of a communications link. The gateway may also be directly or indirectly coupled to one or more devices using a communications link or may be coupled to a storage device such as a data repository or database.
It will also be understood by those familiar with the art, that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Likewise, the particular naming and division of the modules, managers, functions, systems, engines, layers, features, attributes, methodologies, and other aspects are not mandatory or significant, and the mechanisms that implement the invention or its features may have different names, divisions, and/or formats. Furthermore, as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art, the modules, managers, functions, systems, engines, layers, features, attributes, methodologies, and other aspects of the invention can be implemented as software, hardware, firmware, or any combination of the three. Wherever a component of the present invention is implemented as software, the component can be implemented as a script, as a standalone program, as part of a larger program, as a plurality of separate scripts and/or programs, as a statically or dynamically linked library, as a kernel loadable module, as a device driver, and/or in every and any other way known now or in the future to those of skill in the art of computer programming. Additionally, the present invention is in no way limited to implementation in any specific programming language, or for any specific operating system or environment. Accordingly, the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/595,206, filed Nov. 1, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63595206 | Nov 2023 | US |
