US 4,664,631 A · Surrogate weapon for weapons effects signatures

Abstract

The invention comprises a surrogate weapon for simulating the sound and flash of gunfire having a combustion chamber system in which a primary chamber is an elongated cavity, having a proximal end closed with a head and an open distal end. A combustible mixture is injected via electronically timed hydrocarbon fuel and oxidizer pulses into the combustion chamber near the closed end through an annular injector having a plurality of spaced apart fuel and oxidizer nozzles. The fuel nozzles are axially spaced from the oxidizer nozzles and are closer to the head. Thus the injected fuel/oxidizer charge is stratified with a fuel concentration distribution preferentially being richer at an ignition source near the head. The open distal end of the combustion chamber is in the form of an annular convergent nozzle which also comprises the proximal end of a secondary chamber that is acoustically tuned and provided at its open distal end with an annular muzzle having a cross-sectional shape capable of controlling the fundamental frequency and modifying tuned frequency overtones of the acoustic signature. One embodiment provides the fuel nozzles as a plurality of radial grooves on the proximal side of a generally flat plate transverse to the primary combustion chamber cavity and having an aperture therethrough, the aperture being flush with the inner surface of the combustion chamber cavity, and also providing oxidizer nozzles as a plurality of radial grooves on the distal side of the flat plate.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A surrogate weapon for producing weapons effects signatures including:

a primary combustion chamber in the form of elongated cavity having a proximal end closed with a head wall and an open distal end;
an annular injector within the primary combustion chamber having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart fuel and oxidizer nozzles, the fuel nozzles also axially spaced closer to the head wall;
an electrical timing pulse generator operable from a source of electrical power;
a pressurized supply of fuel and a pressurized supply of oxidizer connected through electrically operable solenoid valves driven by the timing pulse generator and through a manifold to the fuel and oxidizer nozzles respectively within the primary combustion chamber;
an ignition source positioned within the primary combustion chamber and operable at least once by the timing pulse generator at a timed delay following each fuel and oxidizer injection;
a trigger means to initiate a timed pulse sequence from the timing pulse generator to operate the solenoid valves and the ignition source;
a combustion mixture of fuel and oxidizer injected into the primary combustion chamber upon trigger-initiated timed pulses of the solenoid valves and ignited by the ignition source;
an elongated acoustically tuned secondary chamber coaxial with the primary chamber, having its proximal end contiguous with the distal end of the primary chamber;
and
an annular muzzle at the distal end of the secondary chamber.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Surrogate weapon for weapons effects signatures

Life of this patent

Surrogate weapon for weapons effects signatures

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30