Projectile and weapon system providing variable lethality
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorMichael J. Wardlaw
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A weapon system and projectile are disclosed. The projectile incorporates a rheological fluid, the viscosity of which is adjustable in the presence of an appropriate field of energy. The weapon system includes a launching device (e.g., a gun) for firing the projectile and an energy field generator coupled to the launching device. The energy field generator provides the appropriate field of energy about the projectile to increase the viscosity of the rheological fluid. The projectile can be non-lethal when the rheological fluid has not been subjected to the field of energy and can be made more lethal when the rheological fluid has been subjected to the field of energy.
Claims35
A weapon system comprising:
- a projectile incorporating a rheological fluid;
- a launching device for firing said projectile, wherein a direction of travel is defined for said projectile;
- and
- means coupled to said launching device for generating a field of energy about said projectile as said projectile is fired from said launching device, wherein viscosity of said rheological fluid is increased along said direction of travel to control lethality of said projectile.
A weapon system comprising:
- a projectile incorporating a rheological fluid having particles of a polarizable material mixed in a carrier;
- a launching device for firing said projectile, wherein a direction of travel is defined for said projectile;
- and
- means coupled to said launching device for generating a field of energy capable of manipulating said particles in said carrier, said means positioned to immerse said projectile in said field of energy as said projectile is fired from said launching device such that said particles align themselves within said carrier in a way that increases viscosity of said rheological fluid along said direction of travel to control lethality of said projectile.
A variable lethality projectile for firing from a weapon comprising:
- a housing defining a shape for a projectile having a length;
- and
- a rheological fluid contained within said housing, said rheological fluid having a viscosity that is increased along said length in the presence of a field of energy applied about said housing as said housing is fired from the weapon along a direction of travel that is parallel to said length wherein lethality of said projectile is controlled.
A variable lethality projectile for firing from a weapon comprising:
- a housing defining a shape for a projectile having a length;
- and
- a rheological fluid contained within said housing, said rheological fluid having particles of a polarizable material mixed in a carrier, wherein said particles can be manipulated in the presence of a field of energy to increase viscosity of said rheological fluid along said length as said housing is fired from the weapon along a direction of travel that is parallel to said length wherein lethality of said projectile is controlled.
A method of changing the lethality of a projectile, comprising the steps of:
- providing a projectile incorporating a rheological fluid, said projectile having a length;
- and
- immersing said projectile in a field of energy that increases viscosity of said rheological fluid as said projectile is fired from said launching device along a direction of travel that is parallel to said length, wherein lethality of said projectile is controlled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.