EP1498685B1 - Warhead with projectile forming charge - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a warhead with an ignition device and a projectile-forming charge.

Such warheads have long been known and are for example in artillery ammunition, rockets, but also in mines. The projectile-forming charge usually consists of a flat-cone charge, i. a generally dammed explosive charge having a front-side cavity seen in the main direction of action into which a conical insert of e.g. Copper or soft iron is inserted. After ignition of the explosive detonation wave causes a deformation of the insert, so that there is a projectile, which is stabilized by a corresponding rear expansion during its flight.

It has proved to be disadvantageous in the known warheads that the projectile-forming charges have a high armor-piercing effect in terms of their Durchdringungsvermögens, but that in contrast to conventional KE projectiles, the generation of secondary splinters, which should make the tank crew incapacitated, relatively low and therefore is insufficient.

The US 4,665,826 A concerns a warhead with a projectile-forming charge. The actual acting body is inside a double-walled tube. The second shell (sheath / protective cover) is absolutely necessary. The resulting active body itself will not be described in detail.

The invention has for its object to provide a warhead of the type mentioned, in which the projectile-forming charge a projectile is formed by explosive deformation, which has a secondary performance in the target, which is not only greater than that of comparable projectile-forming charges, but also comparable KE -Ammunition.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Further, particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention disclose the dependent claims.

The invention is based essentially on the idea not to produce the projectile by the action of the detonation wave on a flat cone insert, but on a metal tube, preferably made of steel, tungsten, tantalum or copper, whose axis of symmetry is arranged in the main direction of action of the projectile to be generated ,

The metal tube is surrounded at least in some areas by a dammed explosive charge, so that the detonation wave after ignition of the explosive charge acts on the metal tube that this is compacted with respect to the main direction of action from back to front to a projectile and accelerated in the said direction.

While the compaction of the metal tube is essentially caused by the orthogonal component of the detonation wave, the acceleration of the resulting projectile to a high velocity is essentially due to the axial component of the detonation wave, which is primarily on the transition region between the already compacted and the not yet compacted Pipe section works.

The metal tube is lined on the inside with a lower-density liner tube, preferably made of aluminum or magnesium. By using a substance of lower density within the tube it is achieved that the obstacle to be penetrated is quasi "punched out", so that overall less energy is required for the drilling work and more energy for the acceleration of the resulting particles are available (greater secondary effect) ,

Alternatively, it is provided that the cavity of the metal tube is filled with a powder, for example of aluminum particles, wherein the grain size of the powder should be between 0.3 mm and 5 mm. By using such a powder it is achieved that the degree of compaction can be adjusted by varying the bulk density.

The warhead according to the invention can preferably be used in multi-purpose projectiles. For this purpose, only the damming of the explosive charge needs to be designed as a splinter shell. The explosive disposed between the metal tube and the splinter shell then causes a much greater explosive effect than in the comparable, provided with a flat cone insert multi-purpose projectiles.

In order to prevent obstruction of the projectile generated by explosive deformation by the warhead casing, this has, seen in the main direction of the projectile, a smaller wall thickness than in the remaining area or alternatively has an opening whose diameter corresponds at least to the diameter of the resulting after detonation projectile ,

• Fig.1 den Längsschnitt eines als Mehrzweckgeschoß ausgebildeten erfindungsgemäßen Gefechtskopfes mit einer projektilbildenden Einlage, wobei das Metallrohr ein zusätzliches Einlagenrohr umschließt;
• Fig.2 einen vergrößerten Ausschnitt des in Fig.1 dargestellten Gefechtskopfes, bei dem nur die projektilbildende Ladung kurz nach der Zündung dargestellt ist;
• Fig.3 eine Fig.2 entsprechende Ansicht, bei welcher die projektilbildende Ladung ein Metallrohr ohne Einlagenrohr umfaßt und
• Fig.4 eine Fig.3 entsprechende Ansicht, bei welcher sich in dem Hohlraum des Metallrohres eine körnige Substanz befindet.

Further details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following with reference to figures explained embodiments. Show it:

• Fig.1 the longitudinal section of a multi-purpose projectile according to the invention warhead with a projectile-forming insert, the metal tube enclosing an additional liner tube;
• Fig.2 an enlarged section of the in Fig.1 shown warhead, in which only the projectile-forming charge is shown shortly after ignition;
• Figure 3 a Fig.2 corresponding view in which the projectile-forming charge includes a metal tube without liner tube and
• Figure 4 a Figure 3 corresponding view, in which there is a granular substance in the cavity of the metal tube.

In Fig. 1 is denoted by 1 a stabilizer stabilized multi-purpose projectile, which has on the rear side a hinged tail 2 and on the front side a projectile body 3. The projectile body 3 comprises a projectile envelope 4 designed as a fragment envelope.

In the projectile casing 4 is an ignition device 5 at the rear, to which a metal tube 7 made of steel with a deposit tube 8 made of aluminum connects in the direction of the axis of symmetry 6 of the projectile 1 on the front side. In this case, the axis of symmetry 6 of the projectile 1 and the symmetry axis 9 of the metal tube 7 coincide. The ignition device 5 and the metal tube 7 are rotationally symmetrical surrounded by an explosive charge 10, consisting of a plastic-bonded explosive. In addition, a detonation shaft link 18 is arranged between the ignition device 5 and the metal tube 7 ( Fig.2 ).

Subsequently, the process that leads to the formation of a projectile in the explosive deformation, using the Fig. 1 and 2 explained.

If the multipurpose projectile 1 is located in the immediate vicinity of an armored target to be attacked, e.g. by means of a proximity fuse, not shown, the ignition device 5 is activated, which in turn ignites the explosive charge 10. This results in highly stressed gases 11, which compact the metal tube 7 and the deposit tube 8 therein progressively from back to front. In this case, the detonation waveguide 18 ensures by deflecting the detonation wavefront for a symmetrical compaction.

The detonation wavefront marked 12 acts axially on the step-shaped transition region 13 between the already compacted tube region 14 and the not yet compacted tube region 15, so that the forming projectile is accelerated simultaneously in the direction of the symmetry axes 6 and 9. This results in a relatively long projectile of high velocity and thus high kinetic energy, which breaks through the armored target and has an extraordinarily high secondary performance.

The likewise compacted liner tube causes above all a density gradient in the penetrator and leads to an increase in the secondary effect.

Simultaneously with the formation of the projectile and the splinter shell 4 of the projectile 1 destroys and causes a splinter rain in the vicinity of the target to be combated.

As Figure 3 can be removed, can also be dispensed with the deposit tube. This has the consequence that a homogeneous penetrator arises. This embodiment is not part of the invention.

When using a metal tube, in which the cavity 16 is filled with a granular material 17 ( Figure 4 ), z. B. with aluminum particles of grain size 0.3 to 5 mm, it is achieved that by varying the bulk density of Kompaktierungsgrad is adjustable.

The invention is of course not limited to the embodiments described above. Thus, the projectile casing front thin-walled than in the remaining area of the projectile body are formed or remain open there, so that the accelerated projectile exits through the projectile casing as unhindered.

The metal tube may be formed at its ends both open and closed. Open, it is especially formed when a granular substance is used so that it is not "blown away". Closed, however, it is especially trained when a pipe is used as an insert.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Warhead, projectile, multipurpose projectile

2

tail

3

bullet body

4

Projectile shell, splinter shell, warhead cover

5

ignition device

6

Symmetry axis (projectile)

7

metal pipe

8th

deposits pipe

9

Symmetry axis (metal tube)

10

explosive charge

11

gas

12

Detonation wavefront

13

Transition area

14

compacted tube area

15

not compacted tube area

16

cavity

17

granular material

18

Detonation wave guide

Claims (6)

1. Warhead (1) having a fuze device (5) and having a projectile-forming charge,
   wherein

   - the projectile-forming charge comprises a metal tube (7) whose axis of symmetry (9) is arranged in the main effect direction of the projectile which can be formed by explosion shaping,

   - the metal tube (7) is surrounded on the outside, at least in subareas, by a tamped explosive charge (10) such that, after initiation of the explosive charge (10), a detonation wavefront (12) is created which compacts the metal tube (7) with respect to the main effect direction, from the rear to the front, to form a projectile, and accelerates this projectile in the said direction, and characterized in that

   - the metal tube (7) is lined with an insert tube (8) which has a low density like the casing tube (7), or characterized in that

   - a cavity (16) in the metal tube (7) is filled with a grainy material (17) of lower density than the metal tube (7), preferably composed of aluminium and/or magnesium.
2. Warhead according to Claim 1, characterized in that the metal tube (7) is composed of steel, tungsten, tantalum or copper, and the insert tube is composed of aluminium or magnesium.
3. Warhead according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the warhead (1) is a multipurpose round, with the tamping of the explosive charge (10) being a fragmentation casing (4).
4. Warhead according to one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the axis of symmetry (9) on the metal tube (7) and the axis of symmetry (6) of the round (1) coincide.
5. Warhead according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the warhead casing (4), which is located in the main effect direction of the projectile-forming charge, has a lesser wall thickness than in the rest of its area.
6. Warhead according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the warhead casing (4) which is located in the main effect direction of the projectile-forming charge has an opening whose diameter corresponds at least with the diameter of the projectile which results after explosion shaping.

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