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US 10,415,925 B2Granted
Projectile accelerator with heatable barrel
AssigneeScience Applications International Corporation
InventorGary David Warren
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems, methods, and apparatuses are described for accelerating projectiles at high velocity. A barrel may include one or more heaters configured to heat a bore of the barrel prior to launch of a projectile. The barrel bore may be formed in a tungsten sleeve and may be heated to high temperatures. Heat from the barrel bore may be transferred to expanding propellant behind a projectile as it travels through the barrel bore.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a barrel comprising a bore extending from a barrel entrance to a barrel exit and further comprising a heater configured to heat at least a surface of the bore;
- a breach chamber positioned behind the barrel entrance;
- a compression chamber sealable to contain gas pressurized to at least a predefined value;
- a barrier sealing a connection between the compression chamber and the breach chamber and configured to open upon pressure within the compression chamber reaching the predefined value;
- a gas valve openable to allow delivery of gas into the compression chamber and closable to prevent release, via the valve, of gas in the compression chamber.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a barrel comprising tungsten, the barrel comprising a bore extending from a barrel entrance to a barrel exit and further comprising a heater configured to heat at least a surface of the bore;
- a breach chamber positioned behind the barrel entrance;
- a compression chamber sealable to contain gas pressurized to at least a predefined value;
- and
- a barrier sealing a connection between the compression chamber and the breach chamber and configured to open upon pressure with the compression chamber reaching the predefined value.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.