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US 8,146,501 B1Granted
Supercavitating projectile having a morphable nose
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorJyun-Horng Fu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A supercavitating projectile having a nose that is capable of morphing its shape or length for extended operating range is disclosed.
Claims15
A projectile that is capable of moving underwater in a supercavitating mode, wherein the projectile comprises:
- a substantially cylindrical body;
- and
- a morphable nose attached to an end of the body, wherein the nose:
- (a) has a blunt end that is physically adapted for generating a projectile-encompassing air cavity;
- and
- (b) has a shape that morphs between a frustum of a cone and a right circular cylinder, as the projectile moves underwater, by varying the orientation of the side of the nose, wherein, when a half angle of the nose is equal to ninety degrees, the shape is a right circular cylinder and when a half angle of the nose is less than ninety degrees, the shape is a frustum of a cone.
3 more elements
A projectile that is capable of moving underwater in a supercavitating mode, wherein the projectile comprises:
- a substantially cylindrical body;
- and
- a morphable nose attached to an end of the body, wherein the nose:
- (a) has a blunt end that is physically adapted for generating a projectile-encompassing air cavity;
- and
- (b) comprises a plurality of cylindrical segments that vary in diameter, each having a different diameter, so that relatively smaller cylindrical segments are fully nestable within relatively larger cylindrical segments;
- and
- an actuation system, wherein the actuation system is operatively coupled to the morphable nose to extend and retract the cylindrical segments, and wherein an external surface of the morphable nose has a stepped profile dictated by the cylindrical segments that are extended by the actuation system, wherein the stepped profile results in step changes in a diameter of the morphable nose, the step changes causing a diameter of the morphable nose to decrease towards a tip thereof.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.