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An armament system provides a launch tube filled with a mixture of gaseous propellant and a projectile possessing an external surface configuration which is effective to initiate a ram jet effect between the external surface of said projectile and the inner wall of said launch tube when said project

An armament system provides a launch tube filled with a mixture of gaseous propellant and a projectile possessing an external surface configuration which is effective to initiate a ram jet effect between the external surface of said projectile and the inner wall of said launch tube when said projectile is inserted at a high velocity into and along said tube.

대표청구항 ▼

An armament system comprising: a launch tube for a projectile, said launch tube having an aft end for receiving said projectile, a forward end and an inner tube surface; means for filling said tube with a combustible gaseous propellant; a projectile having an external surface configuration selected

An armament system comprising: a launch tube for a projectile, said launch tube having an aft end for receiving said projectile, a forward end and an inner tube surface; means for filling said tube with a combustible gaseous propellant; a projectile having an external surface configuration selected to provide a ramjet effect, including compression, ignition, combustion and expansion, between said external surface configuration and said inner tube surface when said projectile is inserted at a velocity above a minimum velocity into said tube fueled with combustible gaseous propellant; said projectile surface configuration having a maximum diameter which is smaller than the minimum diameter of said inner tube surface to provide an annular space therebetween; said projectile external surface configuration including: a vertex located on the axis of said projectile; first and second annular surface transitions; a leading portion having a concave surface of rotation originating at said vertex and having a progressively increasing diameter between said vertex and said first transition; an intermediate portion having a convex surface of rotation between said first and second transitions, said convex surface progressively increasing in diameter to said maximum diameter and thereafter decreasing in diameter to said second transition; and a trailing portion having a concave surface of rotation originating at said second transition and progressively decreasing in diameter; wherein, in conjunction with said inner tube surface: said leading portion provides said compression of said gas; said intermediate portion provides said ignition and combustion of said gas; and said trailing portion provides said expansion of said gas; said launch tube being provided with: first valve means for closing and opening said launch tube disposed near said tube aft end; and second valve means axially spaced from said first valve means for closing and opening said launch tube, said first and said second valve means defining a pressure chamber in said launch tube for receiving and containing combustible gaseous propellant from said filling means; said filling means including: a source of fuel gas; third valve means coupled to said fuel gas source; first tangentially directed nozzle means coupling said third valve means to said pressure chamber to provide a chordal path for the injection of fuel gas into said chamber, a source of oxidizer gas, fourth valve means coupled to said oxidizer gas source, second tangentially directed nozzle means coupling said fourth valve means to said pressure chamber to provide a chordal path for the injection of oxidizer gas into said chamber; and control means to sequentially (i) open and close said third valve means, and thereafter to (ii) open and close said fourth valve means.