FR2544069A1 - PROJECTILE CONTAINING AN ELECTRICALLY ACTIVABLE CHARGE AND WEAPON SYSTEM IMPLEMENTING SUCH A PROJECTILE - Google Patents

Abstract

THE PROJECTILE, SUCH AS A SHELL OR ROCKET, CONTAINS AN ELECTRICALLY ACTIVABLE CHARGE; IT CARRIES A PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERTER10, CONNECTED TO A CAPACITOR16 FOR ELECTRIC ENERGY STORAGE. THE CONVERTER 10 IS PLACED IN A MANNER TO BE SUBJECT TO AN INTENSE LUMINOUS FLOW IN RESPONSE TO THE IGNITION OF THE PROPULSIVE CHARGE OF THE PROJECTILE. THIS FLOW IS FOR EXAMPLE THAT OF AN ECLAIR12 LAMP CARRIED BY THE PROJECTILE.

Description

Projectile containing an electrically activatable charge and weapon system

  The invention relates to projectiles containing an electrically activatable charge during their flight, which requires an on-board source and, in particular, those whose characteristics exclude or make undesirable the

  generation of electricity from kinetic energy.

  As an example, we can cite artillery ammunition

  and most small self-propelled devices.

  It has already been proposed to supply the necessary electrical energy using a battery. However, the possible storage time is then considerably reduced and, in most cases, insufficient. A much more solution

  advantageous (patent application-FR 80 01420) consists in trans-

  show the required energy and program the projectile,

  diat before firing, from transmitting organs of

  light carried by the weapon This solution however has the

  agrees to add a step before shooting and to complicate

notably the weapon.

  The invention aims to provide a projectile containing an electrically activatable charge which responds better than those previously known to the requirements of practice,

  especially in that it does not contain an electro-

  chemical, does not involve an additional step between introduction of the projectile at the firing site and firing of the propellant charge, and does not complicate in a way

notable the weapon.

  To this end, the invention notably proposes a pro-

  jectile containing an electrically activatable charge, comprising an onboard photoelectric converter, connected

  to an electric energy storage accumulator, charac-

  in that the converter is placed so as to be subjected to an intense luminous flux in response to the ignition of

the propellant charge of the projectile.

  In the most frequent case, the means to apply

  that the intense light flux at the converter will be cons-

  titu @ s by a consumable flash lamp, carried by the projectile, provided with trigger means in response to 2 - start of the shot A first possibility consists in triggering the flash lamp by the means which ensure

  also the ignition of the propellant charge This solution

  tion has the drawback of charging the capacitor capable of activating the military charge even in the event of failure to ignite the propellant charge Another, more advantageous possibility consists in triggering the flash lamp only in response to departure effective blow This result can be achieved using pressure sensitive means

  caused by the effective firing of the propellant charge

  sive, especially in a cannon, by the displacement of the

  ammunition in the barrel of the weapon, by linear acceleration

  area or centrifuge to which the projectile is subjected.

  This increased security will often eliminate the traditional pyrotechnic alignment chain, which constitutes

a delicate and expensive mechanism.

  In another embodiment of the invention, the intense luminous flux will be caused by the very glow of combustion of the propellant charge. This solution is particularly advantageous in the case of projectiles.

  comprising a main or additional propellant charge

  tional driven by the projectile out of the launch tube. The invention also provides a weapon system comprising a projectile of the kind defined above and a

  weapon with which the tube is equipped in such a way as to provoke the application

  cation of the intense light flux at the photo-

  electric in response to ignition of the propellant charge

projectile.

  The invention will be better understood on reading the

  description which follows of particular embodiments,

  given as nonlimiting examples The description is

  refers to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram of a circuit

  electric carried by a projectile, comprising a condensate

  energy storage and photoelectric converter

  cudgel receiving its energy from a flash lamp; Figure 2 is a block diagram, in section -3- showing a possible arrangement of the flashlight of Figure 1 and its triggering means; Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an arrangement constituting a variant of that of Figure 2; Figures 4 and 5 show, in two perpendicular directions, another possible arrangement of the flash lamp and its triggering means, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a possible arrangement of the photoelectric converter itself.

  allowing exposure to the glow of the propellant charge

  sion, in a rocket Figure 7 is a sectional view along the line

VII-VII of Figure 6.

  In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1, the light flux applied to a converter

  photoelectric 10 is provided by a flash lamp with

  bustion 12 The lamp 12 can be constituted by a transparent bulb containing magnesium in filaments, provided with a, socket 14 Such a constitution is commonly used on cameras The lightning is triggered by striking on the socket 14 to cause l air entering the bulb 12 The magnesium of such a bulb has a

  extremely short burn time, approx. 10 ms.

  The optical coupling between the photo-

  electric 10 and the bulb should be as high as pos-

  sible, so as to have a conversion efficiency as high as possible A simple solution consists in constituting the converter 10 of several photovoltaic cells

  attached and surrounding the lamp 12 An additional advantage

  The reason for this arrangement is that the electromotive force supplied by the converter can be increased by putting the cells in series.

  use six photovoltaic cells of corresponding height

  Dant to that of the lamp 12, placed in series Another solution consists in silvering one of the faces of the lamp to return the luminous flux towards the converter placed on the other side The luminous energy thus transferred 4 - in a duration about 10 ms, in the wavelength range less than 1000 t for which the converter is sensitive, allows energy to be obtained without difficulty

  electric, several tens of m J, required to perform

  kill the ignition of the load and to power low power electronic modules, ensuring for example a

stopwatch function.

  The photoelectric converter 10 supplies a

  storage capacitor 16 through an anti-diode

  back 18 We will generally use a dry tantalum capacitor, which tolerates a temperature range from

  from -551 C to about 1550 C The capacity of this capacitor.

  will be chosen according to the supply voltage and the energy to be stored. A 1000 OF capacitor, associated with a converter providing a voltage of 5 to 6 V, will generally be satisfactory. It can be produced in the form of a

  cylinder 20 mm high and 7 mm in diameter, suscep-

  tible to be mounted on an interconnection plate at the same time as the flash lamp and the converter

  together, possibly coated in a resin to increase

  ter resistance to acceleration, constitutes a self-

name insertable into ammunition.

  The circuit shown as an example in Figure 1 com-

  door means enabling automatic reset of electronic circuits fitted to the projectile These means comprise a Dorte ETNON 20 with two inputs One of the inputs is connected to the electrode of the capacitor

  storage 16 brought to the voltage + V of power supply.

  The other input is connected to the midpoint of a bridge connecting the two electrodes of the capacitor 16 One of the branches of this bridge comprises a capacitor 22 of low capacity

  (0.22 IF for example) and the other branch includes, in parallel

  lèle, a slow charge resistor 24 of the capacitor 22 (1 M Ohm for example) and a diode 26 reverse biased during the charging The AND-NO gate 22 receives different polarities on its two inputs at the start of the charging of the capacitor 22 equal polarities before the start of the

  charge and once it is completed.

  - We will not describe here the electronic circuits

  with which the Ces cir-

  cooked can have a constitution of the same kind as those

  described in patent application FR 80 01420 already mentioned-

  born and ensure in particular the following functions: arming security and neutralization delay,

  factory adjustable, usually by choice of values

  their variant in geometric progression of reason 2; delay in firing after impact, generally adjustable at the factory or by programming before firing at a value which can be modified in typically 100 ms steps;

  duration before self-destruction generally programmed

  Mable in the factory by choice of values increasing in progression

geometric of reason 2.

  The choice among values in geometric progression

  is particularly simple in binary system The program-

  before firing can be done by any process

  known conch shell, including by optical transfer means

  described in the French patent application already mentioned.

  It will often be possible to simplify the system by

  elimination of the standard alignment pyrotechnic chain

  due to the fact that the energy required to activate the charge is not received by the

  projectile only if the latter is actually fired.

  But in this case, it is desirable to provide the circuit shown in Figure 1 with an additional component 28 which does not connect the capacitor 16 with the electronics of

  timing and activation only to the extent that the impulse

  light radiation received has a minimum duration and / or intensity, in order to avoid inadvertent loading due to sources

bright exterior lights.

  This solution also implies that the decline

  lamp 12 does not intervene until the shooting has taken place successfully This condition is not fulfilled if the flash lamp 12 is triggered by the shooting command, and not in response to the conditions which prevail when the shooting is -6- effective. Figure 2 shows an arrangement which provides the required security. In this embodiment, the bulb of the lamp 12 is broken by striking a striker 30 on the socket 14 when the projectile leaves its launching tube 32 The striker 30 consists of a lever

  that a spring 34 tends to project towards the rod which is re-

  held by a pin 36 before loading, by the tube 32 when the ammunition is engaged The pin 36 can be

extractable or ejectable.

  In the alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is the pressure of the propellant gases acting on a piston 38 which releases the striker 30, constituted by a pincer spring. In the initial state, the spring at

  tweezers 30 is supported in a safety groove of the piss

  tone 38 and retains the latter When the propellant gas pressure builds up on the rear face 42 of the projectile and of the piston 38, the latter is pushed forward in a housing provided for this purpose A vent 44 allows the gas m trapped by the piston to escape As soon as the pincers spring 30 faces a narrowed part 46 of the piston, it is released and strikes the metal rod

14 of the flash lamp 12.

  A simpler solution consists in immobilizing the piston 38 in its bore by a shearable pin and in placing the flash lamp 12 so that its socket receives the shock of the piston 38 when the latter is projected after

pin shear.

  The variant embodiment shown in Figure 3, or the elements corresponding to those already described are designated by the same reference number, includes a flap of pyrotechnic alignment chain which, together with its other

  functions, causes the storage capacitor to charge.

  This flap can, for example, be actuated by the central force.

  fuge, in the case of projectiles stabilized by rotation.

  The flap 46 has a slot 48 that the centrifugal force

  brings in front of the striker 30 to release the latter.

  Still other solutions are possible, for example using a conventional striker to put the flash lamp -7- in the atmosphere. This solution can be used in particular on shells where the starting acceleration exceeds 10,000 g. Yet another solution consists in place the rod on a

  very high temperature flue gas evacuation channel

  erasing (exceeding 1000 ° C) When shooting, the violent jet of

  gas at very high temperature breaks the bulb.

  All the embodiments described so far

  use a flashlight as a source of light That illus-

  very in Figures 6 and 7, on the contrary, uses the glow of the propellant charge. For this, the bottom of the projectile 50 is lined with photovoltaic cells 10, the life of which can be increased by protecting them by depositing a layer of resin, vitrification, or even covering by a sheet of glass In the case where the projectile is constituted by a rocket or a shell with additional propellant charge, the photovoltaic cells 10 can in particular be placed so as to correspond to the recesses in the mass of propellant powder 52 (Figure 7) Naturally rapid destruction of photovoltaic cells, but the lifetime may always, possibly with appropriate protection, reach the 5 to 10 ms required to fully charge the

storage capacitor.

  Naturally, it is possible to arrange the conver-

weaver at other locations.

Claims (7)

  1 Projectile containing an electrically activatable charge comprising a photoelectric converter (10) connected to an accumulator (16) for storing electrical energy, characterized in that the converter (10) is placed so as to be subjected to an intense luminous flux in respond to   ignition of the propellant charge of the projectile.   2 Projectile containing an electrically activatable charge comprising a photoelectric converter (10) connected to an accumulator (16) for storing electrical energy,   typically a capacitor characterized in that -the conver-   weaver (10) is placed in the luminous flux of a consumable flash bulb (12) carried by the projectile, provided with triggering means in response to the ignition of the load projectile propellant.   3 Projectile according to claim 2, characterized by means for triggering the flash lamp by the means which also ensure the ignition of the propellant charge of the projectile. 4 Projectile according to claim 2, characterized in that the triggering means are means sensitive to the pressure caused by the effective firing of the propellant charge by the movement of the ammunition in the barrel of the weapon or by the acceleration linear or   to which the projectile is subjected.   Projectile according to Claim 4, characterized in that the triggering means comprise a striker (30) constructed so as to be projected onto an element of the flash lamp (12) to break the latter and cause   the ignition of the combustible material it contains.   6 Projectile according to any one of the claims   cations 2 to 5, characterized in that the converter pops up the flashlight.   7 Projectile according to claim 1 characterized   in that the converter (10) is placed so as to receive   see the intense luminous flux caused by the glow of bustion of the propellant charge.   8 Projectile according to claim 7, characterized 9 -   in that the converter is protected by a trans- related to glass or resin.   9 Projectile according to any one of the res-   dications previous characterized in that the energy storage capacitor (16) is a dry tantalum capacitor   and the converter (10) comprises several photo- voltai-ques mounted in series.   Weapon system comprising a weapon for firing projectiles containing an electrically activatable charge each projectile carrying a converter   photoelectric (10) connected to a capacitor (16) of sto-   ckage of electrical energy system characterized by   means for applying an intense luminous flux to the co-converted   in response to the ignition of the propellant charge of the projectile.