Artillery charge with laser ignition
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorsAnthony E. Tartarilla, III, Henry Kerwien, Thomas DeVoe, Joseph Leone, Luke Helsel, Nicholas Turner
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Abstract
An artillery charge includes a generally cylindrical body with a hollow core; propellant disposed in the body and first energetic material disposed in the hollow core; and a seal disposed over one end of the hollow core, the seal including second energetic material disposed therein. A laser igniter ignites the second energetic material in the seal, thereby providing more reliable ignition of the first energetic material and the propellant. The artillery charge reliably ignites using a lower powered laser than known charges.
Claims11
An artillery charge that is ignited by a laser beam, comprising:
- a generally cylindrical body having a hollow core that is axially disposed within the body, along a path of the laser beam;
- wherein the hollow core includes a first end and a second end;
- a propellant disposed in the body, around the hollow core;
- a core igniter bag containing a core energetic material, wherein the core igniter bag is axially disposed relative to the body, inside the hollow core;
- a first end igniter bag that is generally co-axially disposed relative to the core igniter bag, inside the first end of the hollow core;
- wherein the first end igniter bag contains a first energetic material;
- a first seal disposed over the first end of the hollow core;
- the first seal having an internal surface;
- wherein the internal surface of the first seal forms a first pocket that is generally co-axially disposed relative to the first end igniter bag, at a distance from the first end igniter bag, inside the first end of the hollow core;
- a second energetic material disposed against the internal surface of the first seal, within the first pocket of the first seal;
- wherein the loser beam ignites the second energetic material for reducing the scattering of the laser beam;
- wherein the ignited second energetic material, in turn, ignites the first energetic material inside the first end igniter bag;
- wherein the ignited first energetic material, in turn, ignites the core energetic material inside the core igniter bag;
- and
- wherein the ignited core energetic material, in turn, ignites the propellant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.