System and method for estimating performance of a closed cycle thermal propulsion system
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorWilliam A. Girouard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention permits determination of steady-state off-design performance characteristics of a vehicle, such as a torpedo, powered by a closed cycle thermal propulsion system. The method may be utilized to determine propellant consumption for a torpedo resulting from various off-design kinematic maneuvers. Total run time may be calculated in response to a plurality of torpedo speed changes and/or torpedo configurations of variable torpedo length or torpedo diameter. The present invention may be utilized to define weapon design options for existing or future underwater weapons with mission requirements different from those for which the weapons were originally designed.
Claims6
A method for determining one or more off-design performance characteristics for a vehicle powered by a closed cycle thermal propulsion system, said method comprising:
- providing design characteristics of said closed cycle thermal propulsion system;
- inputting off-design requirements for said closed cycle thermal propulsion system, wherein said off-design requirements comprise one or more curve segments of a selected speed-versus-time plot of a run for a vehicle powered by closed cycle thermal propulsion system, and providing a speed and a time duration for each of said one or more curve segments;
- and
- determining said one or more off-design performance characteristic of said closed cycle thermal propulsion system in response to said off-design requirements.
A method for determining one or more off-design performance characteristics for a closed cycle thermal propulsion system, said method comprising:
- providing design characteristics of said closed cycle thermal propulsion system;
- inputting off-design requirements comprising one or more curve segments of a selected speed-versus-time plot of a run for a vehicle powered by said closed cycle thermal propulsion system, and providing an off-design speed and a time duration for each of said one or more curve segments;
- and
- determining said one or more off-design performance characteristics of said closed cycle thermal propulsion system in response to said off-design requirements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.