Patent Grant
8122833
The present invention, in various embodiments, is related to reactive material enhanced projectiles and, more particularly, to projectiles including incendiary or explosive compositions, the projectiles providing improved reaction characteristics in various applications.
There are numerous designs of projectiles containing incendiary or explosive compositions. Such projectiles are conventionally configured such that the incendiary or explosive composition becomes ignited upon, or shortly after, the projectile's contact with an intended target. Ignition of the incendiary or explosive composition is intended to inflict additional damage on the target (i.e., beyond that which is caused by the physical impact of the projectile with the target). Such additional damage may result from the pressure of the explosion, the burning of the composition, or both. Depending on the configuration of the projectile, ignition of the incendiary or explosive composition may also be accompanied by fragmentation of the projectile casing thereby providing additional shrapnel-like components that spread out to create a larger area of impact and destruction.
Some exemplary projectiles containing an incendiary or explosive composition are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,936 to Coates et al. The Coates patent generally discloses a ballistic projectile having one or more chambers containing a material that is explosive, hypergolic, incendiary or otherwise reactive or inert. The material may be a liquid, a semi-liquid, a slurry or of solid consistency. Initially, the material is hermetically sealed within a casing of the projectile but is released upon impact of the projectile with a target causing the projectile casing to become fragmented.
In many cases, projectiles containing an incendiary or explosive composition are designed to provide increased penetration of the projectile into a given target such as, for example, an armored vehicle. One such projectile is the MK211 armor piercing incendiary (API), a projectile that is configured for penetration of armor plating. However, the MK211 and similar projectiles have proven to be relatively ineffective against what may be termed thin-skinned targets. Thin-skinned targets may include, for example, liquid filled fuel tanks or other similar structures having a wall thickness of, for example, about 0.25 inch or less. Thin-skinned targets may further include cars, aircraft, boats, incoming missiles or projectiles, or buildings.
Use of conventional API's or other projectiles configured for penetration of armored structures often fail to inflict any damage on thin-skinned targets other than the initial penetration opening resulting from the impact of the projectile with the target. This is often because such projectiles are configured as penetrating structures with much of projectile being dedicated to penetrating rods or other similar structures. As such, these types of projectiles contain a relatively small amount of incendiary or explosive composition therein because the volume needed for larger amounts of such material is consumed by the presence of the penetrating structure. Thus, because such penetrating projectiles contain relatively small amounts of incendiary or explosive materials, the resultant explosions or reactions are, similarly, relatively small.
Moreover, penetrating projectiles conventionally have a relatively strong housing in which the reactive material is disposed. Thus, a relatively substantial impact is required to breach the housing and ignite the reactive material or energetic composition contained therein. The impact of such a projectile with a so-called thin-skinned target is often below the threshold required to breach the housing and cause a reaction of the composition contained therein.
One exemplary projectile that is designed for discrimination between an armored-type target and a thin-skinned target includes that which is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 20030140811. This projectile includes one or more sensors, such as a piezoelectric crystal, that are configured to determine the rate of deceleration of the projectile upon impact with a target. The rate of deceleration will differ depending on whether an armored-type target or a thin-skinned target is being struck. For example, the rate of deceleration of the projectile will be relatively greater (i.e., it will decelerate more quickly) if the projectile strikes an armored target than if it strikes a thin-skinned target. Upon determining the rate of deceleration, a fuse will ignite an incendiary or explosive composition at an optimized time in order to effectively increase the damage to the specific target depending on what type of target is being impacted.
While the projectile disclosed in the US20030140811 publication provides an incendiary or explosive projectile that may provide some effectiveness against thin-skinned targets, the projectile disclosed thereby is a complex structure requiring numerous components and would likely be prohibitively expensive and difficult to fabricate for use in large numbers as is the case with automatic weapons.
The present invention provides, in certain embodiments, a projectile comprising a reactive material including, for example, an incendiary, explosive or pyrotechnic composition wherein the projectile may be tailored for proper ignition of the reactive material contained therein depending on the nature of an intended target. Such projectiles may be configured to maintain a simple, robust and yet relatively inexpensive structural design while also exhibiting increased stability and accuracy.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a projectile is provided. The projectile includes at least one reactive material composition wherein at least a portion of the at least one reactive material defines an unbuffered exterior surface of the projectile. The at least one reactive material composition may include a plurality of reactive materials. In one embodiment, at least two reactive materials may be used, wherein one of the reactive materials is more sensitive to initiation upon impact of the projectile than is the other reactive material.
The at least one reactive material composition may include at least one fuel, at least one oxidizer and at least one binder. The at least one binder may include, for example, a urethane binder, an epoxy binder or a polymer binder. The fuel may include, for example, a metal, an intermetallic material, a thermitic material or combinations thereof.
In one embodiment, the projectile may include a jacket at least partially surrounding the reactive material composition. The jacket may be formed, for example, of a material including copper or steel.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, another projectile is provided. The projectile includes a first reactive material forming a body portion and a second reactive material disposed at a first end of the body portion. The second reactive material is more sensitive to initiation upon impact of the projectile than is the first reactive material. A jacket is disposed substantially about the first reactive material and the second reactive material. The jacket defines an opening adjacent the first reactive material at a second end of the body portion, opposite the first end. A disc hermetically seals the opening defined by the jacket.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of forming a projectile is provided. The method includes forming a body from at least one reactive material composition and defining at least a portion of an exterior surface of the projectile with the at least one reactive material composition. The method may further include casting the at least one reactive material composition into a desired shape either under vacuum or under pressure. In another embodiment of the invention, the method may include extruding the reactive material composition into a near-net shape and then machining the near-net shape into a desired shape. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the reactive material composition may be pressed into a desired shape, such as under high pressure. The method may further include using any of a variety of compositions for the reactive material compositions and may include forming or defining additional features in the projectile.
The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:
Referring to
Upon actuation of the detonation device 108, such as by a firing pin of a gun or other artillery weapon (none shown), the detonation device 108 ignites the propellant composition 106 causing the projectile to be expelled from the casing 104 and from the barrel of a gun, or other weapon in which the cartridge 100 is housed, at a very high rate of speed. For example, in one embodiment, the cartridge may be designed as a 50 caliber round, wherein the projectile 102 may exhibit a muzzle velocity (the velocity of the projectile as it leaves the “muzzle” or barrel of a weapon) of approximately 2,500 to 3,000 feet per second (approximately 760 to 915 meters per second).
Of course, the present invention may be practiced by forming the cartridge 100 and projectile 102 as different sizes such as, for example, 5.56 mm, 7.62 mm, 9 mm, 0.40 caliber, 0.45 caliber, 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 35 mm or other sizes of ammunition.
Referring now to
In other words, the projectile 102 is configured so that at least a portion thereof is without a buffer between the reactive material and the barrel of a gun or other weapon from which the projectile is launched. Additionally, the projectile 102 is without a buffer between the reactive material from which it is formed and the target with which the projectile 102 is intended to impact. Thus, the projectile 102 is particularly useful against thin-skinned targets wherein the reactive material of the projectile will substantially immediately react, such as by an explosive or incendiary reaction, upon impact with such a target without impediment of such a buffer or casing.
Due to the design of the projectile 102 it will function upon initial impact with various types of targets including, for example, thin-skinned metal targets as well as fiberglass and glass targets. The “unbuffered” reactive material of the projectile 102, such as at the intended leading tip 116 thereof, greatly increases the initiation rate of the reactive material 111 upon impact of the projectile 102 with a given target as compared to reactive materials that are buffered from their target to some degree by a housing, casing or other jacket material. This enables the reactive material 111 to react more readily on thin-skinned targets where other projectiles may penetrate the target without initiating the reactive material contained therein.
Once initiated, the reactive material of the projectile 102 rapidly combusts generating a high overpressure, large amounts of heat, and significant damage to the target impacted thereby. In some applications, the energy release from such a projectile has been determined to have increased energy release, based on plume size and plate (or target) damage, by more than 50% as compared to conventional projectiles with “buffered” reactive or energetic materials contained therein.
The projectile 102 may be utilized in a number of applications, or against a number of intended target types, including, for example, active protection of ships from incoming missiles or projectiles, against aircraft, watercraft, or to damage and initiate combustion of fuel storage containers or fuel tanks on numerous types of vehicles, aircrafts, watercrafts or other structures.
The projectile 102 may be formed using a number of different manufacturing methods or processes using a number of different reactive material compositions. For example, in one embodiment, the projectile 102 may be formed through vacuum or pressure casting wherein the projectile 102 is cast into a mold and the cast composition is cured to produce the monolithic projectile. The cast mold may be cured at ambient (e.g., approximately 70° F. (21° C.)) or it may be cured at an elevated temperature (e.g., greater than approximately 135° F. (57° C.)) to accelerate the cure rate. The cured projectile is then removed from the mold and ready for installation into an associated cartridge or assembled with a housing or casing such as shall be described hereinbelow.
When forming the projectile 102 by casting, various reactive material compositions may be used. For example, the reactive material composition may include urethane binders such as hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene polymer cured with isocyanate curatives such as isophorone diisocynate (IPDI) and a cure catalyst such as dibutyltin diacetate, triphenylbismuth, or dibutyl tin dilaurate.
In another example, an epoxy cure binder system may be used which, in one embodiment, may include a carboxyl terminated polyethyleneglycolsuccinate polymer (such as is known commercially as Witco 1780) cured with a BIS-phenyl A-trifunctional epoxy (ERL 0510) catalyzed with amines, or iron linoleate, or iron octoate. In another embodiment, such an epoxy cure binder system may include a liquid polysulfide polymer cured using one of a variety of epoxy curatives such as a Bis-A epoxy resin (commercially known as Epon 862) or a polyglycol epoxy resin (commercially known as GE 100) and an amine cure accelerator. Other epoxy compositions may also be used.
In yet another example, an energetic polymer binder system may be used which, in one embodiment, may include glycidyl azide polymer (GAP polyol made by 3M) cured with IPDI or a similar curing agent and a cure catalyst such as dibutyltin diacetate, triphenylbismuth, or dibutyl tin dilaurate.
A wide variety of organic polymers may be combined with oxidizers, fuels, reactive materials without oxidizers, intermetallic compositions, theremitic compositions, or combinations thereof.
Examples of oxidizers include ammonium perchlorate, alkali metal perchlorates—such as sodium, barium, calcium, and potassium perchlorate, alkali and alkaline metal nitrates —such as lithium nitrate, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, rubidium nitrate, cesium nitrate, strontium nitrate, barium nitrate, barium and strontium peroxides.
Examples of fuels include aluminum, zirconium, magnesium, iron, titanium, sulfur, tin, zinc, copper, indium, gallium, copper, nickel, boron, phosphorous, silicon, tungsten, tantalum, hafnium, and bismuth.
Examples of intermetallic compositions include aluminum/boron, nickel aluminum, zirconium/nickel, titanium/aluminum, platinum/aluminum, palladium/aluminum, tungsten/silicon, nickel/titanium, titanium/silicon, titanium/boron, zirconium aluminum, hafnium/aluminum, cobalt/aluminum, molybdenum/aluminum, hafnium/boron, and zirconium/boron.
Examples of thermitic compositions include iron oxide/aluminum, iron oxide/zirconium, iron oxide/titanium, copper oxide/aluminum, copper oxide/tungsten, aluminum/bismuth oxide, zirconium/bismuth oxide, titanium manganese oxide, titanium/copper oxide, zirconium/tungsten oxide, tantalum/copper oxide, hafnium/copper oxide, hafnium/bismuth oxide, magnesium/copper oxide, zirconium/silicon dioxide, aluminum/molybdenum trioxide, aluminum/silver oxide, aluminum/tin oxide, and aluminum/tungsten oxide.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the projectile 102 may be formed using extrusion techniques. Using such techniques, the reactive material composition being used to form the projectile may be extruded into a near net shape of the desired projectile and then machined, or hot pressed in a mold, to obtain the desired final dimensions of the projectile 102. Examples of compositions that may be suitable for forming the projectile through extrusion techniques include a combination of a fluoropolymer such as terpolymer of tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene and vinylidenefluoride (THV) with a metallic material. Such combinations may include THV and hafnium (Hf), THV and aluminum (Al), THV, nickel (Ni) and aluminum, or THV and tungsten (W). Examples of various polymers that may be used to form the projectile through extrusion techniques include the fluoropolymers set forth in TABLE 1 below. Examples of such compositions, as well as formation of structures by way of extrusion using such compositions, are set forth in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/386,617, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,634, issued Nov. 8, 2005, entitled LOW TEMPERATURE, EXTRUDABLE, HIGH-DENSITY REACTIVE MATERIALS, assigned to the assignee hereof, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In certain examples, such polymers may be used together, or separately, while also being combined with a number of different fuels and oxidizers including metallic materials or intermetallic compositions such as described hereinabove.
In another example of manufacturing the projectile 102, such may be formed using pressable compositions that are pressed to net shape projectile in a die at high pressures (e.g., above approximately 10,000 pounds per square inch (psi) (approximately 69 megapascals)). Generally, pressable compositions may be produced by decreasing the organic polymer binder and increasing the solid ingredients (e.g., oxidizer/fuel, fuel only, intermetallics, or thermites) of the reactive material composition being used. The various examples of oxidizers, metallics, intermetallics, thermitic compositions and other materials set forth hereinabove may be used.
Additionally, pressable compositions may be formulated using an indium/tin/bismuth (INDALLOY®) composition as a binder that is combined with oxidizers or fuels as set forth hereinabove to produce an energetic or reactive material composition. It is noted that increasing the amount of INDALLOY® binder in the composition can result in the production of a liquid castable composition that may be poured into a hot mold and cooled to form a net shape of the projectile 102. More specific examples of such compositions and uses of such compositions are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/801,948 entitled REACTIVE MATERIAL ENHANCED MUNITION COMPOSITIONS AND PROJECTILES CONTAINING SAME, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/801,946 entitled REACTIVE COMPOSITIONS INCLUDING METAL AND METHODS OF FORMING SAME, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/512,058, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,614,348, issued Nov. 10, 2009, entitled WEAPONS AND WEAPON COMPONENTS INCORPORATING REACTIVE MATERIALS AND RELATED METHODS, each of which applications are assigned to the assignee hereof the disclosures of each of which applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
In another example of pressing reactive material compositions, materials such as, for example, fluoropolymers (e.g., PTFE) may be combined with reactive materials as set forth hereinabove and then pressed at a high temperature and sintered. One particular example of such suitable composition includes a composition of aluminum and PTFE. Pellets of such a composition may be pressed and sintered into a near net shape and then machined to produce the desired geometry of the projectile 102.
Some more specific examples of compositions that may be used as pressable compositions include those shown in TABLES 2 and 3 wherein percentages are representative of a weight percent of the specified ingredient.
Referring now to
It is noted that the projectile 102′ still includes a portion, most notably the intended leading tip 116, wherein the reactive material 111 is “unbuffered” or exposed to both the barrel of a weapon from which it will be launched and to the target that it is intended to impact. Thus, the projectile 102′ retains its rapid reactivity and suitability for thin-skinned targets such as has been discussed hereinabove.
Referring now to
Referring now to
As noted above, the second reactive material 120 may include a material that is more sensitive to initiation (such as upon impact with a target) than the reactive material 111 of the main body portion 113′. Thus, the initiation threshold of the projectile 102′″ may be tailored in accordance with an intended use or, more particularly, in anticipation of impact with an intended target type and consideration of the desired damage that is to be inflicted thereon by the projectile 102′″, by altering the volume or the composition of the second reactive material 120. In one specific example, the second reactive material may include a copper material.
Of course, in other embodiments, multiple types of reactive material compositions, such as with different levels of sensitivity, may be used without an accompanying jacket, or only with a partial jacket such as has been described herein with respect to
It is further noted that other munitions and components of other munitions, including structural components, may be formed in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention such that, for example, such components typically formed of relatively inert materials may be formed of reactive materials and tailored for a desired reaction depending on the intended use of such components.
While the invention may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have been described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/723,465, filed Oct. 4, 2005. The present application is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/368,284, filed Mar. 28, 2002, entitled Low Temperature, Extrudable, High Density Reactive Materials; U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,634, issued Nov. 8, 2005, entitled Low Temperature, Extrudable, High Density Reactive Materials; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/507,605, filed Jul. 22, 2009, entitled Low Temperature, Extrudable, High Density Reactive Materials, pending; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/184,316, filed Feb. 23, 2000, entitled High Strength Reactive Materials; U.S. Pat. No. 6,593,410, issued Jul. 15, 2003, entitled High Strength Reactive Materials; U.S. Pat. No. 7,307,117, issued Dec. 11, 2007, entitled High Strength Reactive Materials And Methods Of Making; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/801,946, filed Mar. 15, 2004, entitled Reactive Compositions Including Metal, now abandoned; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/620,205, filed Jan. 5, 2007, entitled Reactive Compositions Including Metal, pending; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/553,430, filed Mar. 15, 2004, entitled Reactive Material Enhanced Projectiles and Related Methods; U.S. Pat. No. 7,603,951, issued Oct. 20, 2009, entitled Reactive Material Enhanced Projectiles and Related Methods; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/801,948, filed Mar. 15, 2004, entitled Reactive Material Enhanced Munition Compositions and Projectiles Containing Same, now abandoned; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/127,627, filed May 27, 2008, entitled Reactive Material Enhanced Munition Compositions and Projectiles Containing Same, pending; U.S. Pat. No. 7,614,348, issued Nov. 10, 2009, entitled Weapons And Weapon Components Incorporating Reactive Materials And Related Methods; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/697,005, filed Apr. 5, 2007, entitled Consumable Reactive Material Fragments, Ordnance Incorporating Structures For Producing The Same, And Methods Of Creating The Same, pending; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/690,016, filed Mar. 22, 2007, entitled Reactive Material Compositions, Shot Shells Including Reactive Materials, and a Method of Producing Same, pending.
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