Airbreathing propulsion assisted gun-launched projectiles
AssigneeRockwell International Corporation
InventorsArthur C. Grantz, Kevin G. Bowcutt, Richard T. Cervisi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air-breathing, propulsion-assisted projectile designed to be rocket or gun launched and capable of accelerating to hypersonic velocities includes a body having an encompassing cowl, an air compression section, an engine assembly located adjacent the air compression section, and a nozzle section located adjacent the engine assembly. The engine assembly includes apparatus for fuel storage and delivery to a combustion region. The rear end portion of the cowl is configured to direct the exiting combusted air-and-fuel mixture over the nozzle section of the body.
Claims30
An airbreathing propulsion-assisted projectile adapted to be fired from a gun at velocities greater than Mach 1, comprising:
- a body, including an external compression section, an internal compression section, a combustion section and a nozzle section having an external diameter,
- a fuel supply isolated from said combustion section,
- means for directing ambient fluid to said combustion section of the body,
- said directing means and said body cooperating with the ambient fluid to produce thrust greater than drag when said projectile travels at velocities greater than Mach 1, and
- a plurality of circumferentially spaced stabilization fins located within said external diameter of said nozzle section of said body to protect said fins from the gun barrel walls during firing of the projectile from said gun.
An airbreathing propulsion-assisted projectile adapted to be fired from a gun and capable of travel at velocities greater than Mach 1, comprising:
- an engine having a fixed geometry flowpath for generating thrust greater than drag so that said projectile accelerates to hypersonic velocities.
An airbreathing propulsion-assisted projectile adapted to be fired from a gun and capable of travel at velocities greater than Mach 1, comprising:
- a body having an exterior surface,
- engine means disposed about said exterior surface of said body and including a combustion section,
- a fuel supply within the body and isolated from said combustion section, and
- a compression section external to the body and having an internal contraction ratio greater than one, whereby said projectile generates thrust greater than drag and therefore accelerates during its engine operation cycle.
An airbreathing propulsion-assisted projectile capable of travel at velocities greater than Mach 1, comprising:
- an engine for generating thrust greater than drag so that said projectile accelerates to hypersonic velocities, wherein said engine includes a nozzle section having an internal expansion surface and an external expansion surface.
An airbreathing propulsion assisted gun-launched projectile, comprising:
- a body having an internal flowpath with a fixed geometry, said flowpath including an inlet having a contraction ratio greater than one, an isolator, a combustor and an internal nozzle,
- said flowpath enabling operation of the projectile in a ramjet mode, a scramjet mode or a combination of ramjet and scramjet modes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.