Loading patent…
AssigneeForsvarets Forskningsanstalt
InventorsHenrik Almstrom, Gert Bjarnholt
Estimating the term…
The invention relates to a propellant charge comprising a compact propellant and a method for electrically initiating and controlling the burning of such a propellant charge. Electrothermal energy is supplied to the propellant charge by feeding electric current over electrically conductive surfaces (6, 7, 19) in the propellant, and that said supply is made to different parts or zones (15) of the propellant charge at different points of time during the burning. The invention specifically relates to a projectile propellant charge having a first end (9) facing the projectile (4) and a second end (10) facing the back (3) of the weapon. The electrothermal energy is then supplied to the propellant charge, beginning in the first end thereof and then successively to the second end thereof by feeding the current at each point of time over an axially restricted part (15) of the propellant charge.
A method for electrically controlling the mass burning rate of a compact propellant charge, said method comprising initiating a burning of a compact propellant charge having a compact mass of propellant and an electrically conductive material dispersed therein, controlling the amount of propellant mass that is initiated at each point of time during said burning by feeding an electric current to said conductive material over a select zone of said mass, said current having sufficient power to instantly heat said zone to ignition temperature, and feeding said current to different selected zones of said mass at different points of time during said burning.
A method for electrically controlling the mass burning rate of a compact propellant charge which comprises forming a mass of propellant material into a generally elongated compact propellant charge having electrically conductive material dispersed axially therein, initiating and controlling the burning of said propellant material at each point of time during said burning by feeding an electric current initially at a first end of said charge over an axially restricted zone adjacent a projectile to be propelled by said charge, and successively feeding said current along said longitudinal charge to successive axially restricted zones toward a second end of said elongated charge, said current having sufficient power to instantly heat said propellant material in each said zones to ignition temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.