Torpedo provided with an early impact detection system
AssigneeWass Submarine Systems S.r.l.
InventorsGiacomo PAOLI, Filippo Maria BONDI, Simone FIORAVANTI
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Abstract
Torpedo, wherein an explosive warhead comprises three explosive components: a detonator which receives an activation command; a booster explosive which is detonated by the detonator; and a main explosive which explodes following the explosion of the booster. When an impact with an obstacle is detected following the torpedo's entry into water and such an impact is detected at an instant is less than a limit value Tlim, an inhibition circuit is activated, which brings the torpedo into a safety state in which the explosive warhead is prevented from exploding.
Claims7
Torpedo provided with an early impact detection system (1) and comprising a tubular cylindrical body (2) housing in the back an electric motor (3) moving a propeller (4);
- the tubular body houses a warhead (6), an electrical power supply (7) that powers the electric motor (3) and an electronic control unit (8);
- the warhead has (6) three explosive parts:
- a detonator (10) configured to receive an activation command from the electronic control unit (8);
- a booster explosive (11) that is configured to be detonated by the detonator (10);
- and
- a main explosive (12) that is configured to explode following the explosion of the booster explosive (11),
- wherein a first circuit (20) configured to detect a first event when the torpedo has hit an obstacle with a predetermined energy after the torpedo has been placed in water;
- the output of the first circuit (20) is configured to change from a first logical value corresponding to an absence of impacts to a second logical value indicating that the torpedo has hit an obstacle with a predetermined energy after being placed in water;
- a second circuit (30) is configured to measure time T elapsed from the time T0 at which the torpedo has been placed in water and to output a third logical value when time T is below a limit value Slim (T<Tlim) and a fourth logical value when time T is greater than limit value Tlim (T>Tlim);
- a logical circuit (32) configured to receive at its inputs the outputs of the first circuit (20) and the output of the second circuit (30);
- the output of the logical circuit (32) is configured to switch towards a deactivation state when an impact is detected at a time T below the time limit Tlim;
- there is provided an inhibition circuit (37) configured to set the torpedo, following the generation of the deactivation state, in a safety state preventing an explosion of the warhead.
Method of detecting an early impact of a torpedo (1) comprising a tubular cylindrical body (2) housing in the back an electric motor (3) moving a propeller (4);
- the tubular body houses a warhead (6), an electrical power supply (7) that powers the electric motor (3) and an electronic control unit (8);
- the warhead has (6) three explosive parts:
- a detonator (10) configured to receive an activation command from the electronic control unit (8);
- a booster explosive (11) that is configured to be detonated by the detonator (10);
- and
- a main explosive (12) that is configured to explode following the explosion of the booster explosive (11);
- the method being wherein it comprises the steps of:
- detecting a first event when the torpedo has hit an obstacle with a predetermined energy after being placed in water thus generating a first logical value indicating absence of impacts or a second logical value indicating that the torpedo has hit an obstacle with a predetermined energy after being placed in water;
- detecting time T elapsed from time T0 at which the torpedo has been placed in water and generating a third logical value when time T is below a limit value Tlim (T<Tlim) and a fourth logical value when said time T is greater than the limit value Tlim (T>Tlim);
- performing a logic operation based on the first, second, third and fourth logical value to determine a deactivation state when an impact is detected before the limit value;
- placing (37), following the generation of deactivation state, the torpedo in a safety state in which the explosion of the warhead is prevented.
(22) is supplied at a first input (24-a) of a comparator (24) having a second input (24-b) receiving a signal representing a limit energy value Elim corresponding to an impact.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.