WO2019232597A1

WO2019232597A1 - Shot with a directed flow of high-speed kinetic elements

Info

Publication number: WO2019232597A1
Application number: PCT/BG2019/000011
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stancho Petkov PETKOV; Dobrin Ivanov IVANOV
Original assignee: Petkov Stancho Petkov; Ivanov Dobrin Ivanov
Priority date: 2018-06-07
Filing date: 2019-06-12
Publication date: 2019-12-12
Also published as: EA202190015A1; BG112748A; EP3803261A1

Abstract

The invention is related to a shot with a warhead designed to protect or strike/destroy a variety of objects, including low flying targets, light armored equipment and vehicles, the enemy's live force and firing equipment, located in open areas in trenches and field shelters, in brick and concrete facilities/structures. The effectiveness of the shot is as a result of forming a directed flow of high-speed kinetic destruction elements from the warhead. The shot consists of a warhead grenade and a connected actuator (drive) unit hereto; the warhead (1) comprises a housing (4) where a bottom blasting device (5) and a bursting charge (6) are located while a spherical metal plate (8) with a spherical metal grid (14) attached hereto is mounted in the front part of the bursting charge (6). The inner part of the later has a screen element (7) compressed therein above the bottom blasting device.

Description

SHOT WITH A DIRECTED FLOW

OF HIGH-SPEED KINETIC ELEMENTS

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention is related to a shot with a directed [targeted] flow of high-speed kinetic elements to be used in combat actions (hostilities) on the ground and in the air, and it aims to attack and destroy various objects, such as: anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), cumulative, tandem, thermobaric, fragmentation and other types of grenades for the protection of strategic objects and armored vehicles, as well as for striking down low flying targets, light armored equipment and vehicles, the enemy’s live force and firing equipment, located in open areas in trenches and field shelters, in brick and concrete facilities/structures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] There are various in construction shots, known to be used in practice - i. e. the grenade PG-18, designed to destroy various types of targets, consisting of a warhead, comprising of a housing, hosting a cumulative warhead (including an explosive substance, a blasting device and damage-bringing elements) in its front part, and a jet engine is connected to the warhead. The housing of the warhead has been provided with radially oriented sloping openings in order to release the gunpowder gases exhausted during the operation of the jet engine - as they give rotary motion to the warhead. The rotation of the warhead around its axis improves the accuracy of the shooting, and in turn, it has an effective action of a distance of about 200 meters, while the cumulative charge provides the opportunity of striking targets of armored/reinforced housing of thickness of up to 300 mm.

[0003] A disadvantage of the described construction is the limited effectiveness range of the warhead and its capability of damaging armored equipment, as well as the impossibility to impact on targets located in trenches.

[0004] RU 2118788 Cl Patent publication is known, describing a fragmentation grenade consisting of a frontal over-gauge part, consisting of an explosive substance and a blasting device as well as a metal blower block, filled with ready-made destruction elements. [0005] The disadvantages of the described fragmentation grenade are related to the poor effectiveness in striking the targets - mainly due to the construction of the frontally positioned over-gauge cumulative-fragmentation warhead. Its construction does not allow a big part of its metal mass to be used as part of the destruction elements. In addition, upon blowing the warhead before it has reached the target in question, the destruction elements are scattered in a limited circular field, and practically are not spread in the axial direction.

[0006] RU 2362962 Patent publication is known, and it discloses a fragmentation over-gauge grenade comprising a frontal over-gauge cumulative fragmentation warhead and a calibration part connected to it - the latter consisting of a jet engine and a stabilizer. The over-gauge cumulative fragmentation warhead consists of a front and a rear section connected to each other, while the front section comprises a destruction block consisting of a housing filled with explosive substance, and the rear part of the housing provides for a blower equipped with an inertia sensor and a time delay [mechanism]. The rear section of the warhead consists of a steel housing hosting the blasting device and the pyrotechnic charge connected to the blower via a channel. The described structure of the warhead allows for variants (options) in the manufacturing process where the blasting device is of a contact or command type.

[0007] The disadvantage of the described grenade is the limited striking (hitting) ability of the shot as the full weight of the cumulative fragmentation warhead is not used in addition to having a limited size of the targeted for destruction field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The scope of this invention is to present a shot of directed flow of high-speed kinetic elements, featuring an improved grenade warhead, distinguished by its simplified and technological production construction that provides effective action against anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), cumulative, tandem, thermobaric, fragmentation and other types of grenades for the protection of strategic objects and armored vehicles, as well as for striking down low flying targets, the enemy’s light armored equipment and vehicles, and live force thanks to the effective action of the properly shaped warhead.

[0009] This task is solved by a directed flow of high-speed kinetic elements consisting of a grenade (comprising a warhead and an actuator/drive unit connected behind it) where the energy of the detonation products of the explosive substance is used, controlled by a cone-spherical energy generator (screen) designed to provide the dynamic deformation of the spherical metallic casing of the warhead and the elements to it, resulting in the formation of a concentrated [directed] flow of high-speed kinetic elements.

[0010] The shot consists of a warhead comprising a housing where the bottom blasting device and the bursting charge are arranged successively from the rear side towards the front, while the front part of the blasting device is attached to the front of the housing, and the blasting device is connected to the bottom part of the blasting device using a conductor.

[0011] According to the invention, a screen-like element is compressed into the bottom blasting device and inside the charge, while a spherically shaped plate (lamella) and a locking ring are mounted in front of the screen-like element. In the front part of the housing, a coupling cone is fixed rigidly using a deformable connection and a remote cylindrical bushing, connected in turn to the front of the blasting device.

[0012] The housing is cylindrical in shape and is - preferably - made of glass-filled polyamide.

[0013] According to a preferred execution/production of the shot, scope of the invention, the housing of the warhead is made of steel, and there are tension concentrators made (projected) along the outer cylindrical part.

[0014] The screen element is located between the bottom blasting device and the spherical plate and is made as a double-domed body: it has a spherical shape from the side of the bottom blasting device, and the shape of a truncated cone with rounded transition sides from one surface to the other one - from the side of the spherical plate.

The screen element is [preferably] made of a dense inert (raw) material, and its geometrical parameters and shape being adapted to the specific constructional features of a particular warhead.

[0015] According to a preferred execution of the warhead, the spherical plate is metal, having wall thickness from 3 to 6 mm, and a central angle of opening (spreading) from 110^° to 170^°.

[0016] The spherical plate should be suitably [preferably] made of a plastic deformable metal material, such as copper or pure iron (ARMKO type), capable of perceiving high stretching stresses. [0017] According to a variation of the production, the spherical metal plate is made with a variable wall thickness of 3-6 mm, progressively decreasing from the top to the base.

[0018] According to a preferred execution of the warhead, the mounted in the internal space of the housing spherical metal plate is provided with a metal grid attached to its rear side, and the shape of the grid is identical to the shape of the metal plate.

[0019] The spherical metal grid is made of structural steel of a constant wall thickness of 3 to 5 mm, with symmetrically shaped openings all over the surface, with a diameter of 10 to 40 mm

[0020] According to a variation of the warhead production, a metal spherical plate is mounted in the inner space of the housing, and ready kinetic elements are mounted on the front surface of the plate.

[0021] The kinetic elements may be made in a different shape, preferably a cube, a polygon, a sphere, or another shape.

[0022] The blasting device is constructed as a front-bottom protective type; the front part comprises an electronic proximity location system consisting of a non-contact optical distance- measurement sensor and a pair of optoelectronic devices - a photodiode / phototransistor.

[0023] According to a preferred execution, the blasting device is made as a bottom blower with three levels of protection: electrical, inertial and pyrotechnic, respectively.

[0024] According to a preferred execution, the electronic system includes a radio sensor located at the front and containing an AUTODIN connected to a processor block and an amplifier of the radio sensor output signal.

[0025] The directed flow shot - according to the invention - is distinguished by an improved efficiency in striking different objects - in types and locations. This is expressed in the increased striking ability as well as providing a considerable in size striking/destruction fragmentation field. The elements of the warhead are made and arranged in such a way that upon detonation, the detonation products affect the spherical plate and the grid, wherein - due to the structural design of the two aforesaid elements - the following are formed: a directed flow of high-speed compact moving striking elements (depending of the amount of grid holes) as well as kinetic elements resulting from the breakage of the spherical grid moving in the direction of the grenade flight. In addition, the provided herein stress (pressure) concentrators along the cylindrical part of the housing assist in the radial distribution of ready-made striking kinetic elements and thus further increase the effectiveness of destruction to all targets and objects within the area of action.

[0026] The effectiveness of the warhead itself is also thanks to a more suitably shaped screen element, compressed into the bursting charge, as far as the specifically shaped double spherical body of inert material, with its geometric parameters acts as an energy generator, by managing the front of the formed detonation wave in such a way that it fits simultaneously across the entire outer formation of the spherical casing, while at the same time assists in the maximum acceleration of the formed kinetic elements.

[0027] The construction of the warhead is considerably simplified and at the same time technological in regards to production.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The shot of directed high-speed kinetic elements flow, scope of the invention, is explained in details using the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig-1 -General view of the shot with a grenade, comprising of a warhead and an actuator (drive) unit with stabilizers, scope of the invention

Fig-2 - General view of the grenade, comprising of a warhead and an actuator (drive) unit

Fig-3 - Cross-section of the warhead shown in Figure 1

Fig-4 - Cross-section view of a variation in the production of the warhead, having a spherical plate and spherical grid

Fig.4.1.- Variations of positioning of the openings on the spherical grid

Fig.5 - A variation in the production of the warhead, having a spherical plate and ready- made destruction elements attached to its front part

Fig-5.1 - Variations of positioning the ready-made destruction elements, of a different shape, attached to the spherical grid.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Next, the description shall present an exemplary making of a shot of direct high-speed kinetic destruction elements flow where the described structural features and parameters of the individual elements and assemblies may be implemented in various productions and modifications, having an equivalent action or functional purpose as well as providing the described beneficial effect of using the shot scope of the invention. In this sense, the exemplary production of the shot according to the invention has to be considered and interpreted as an illustration of the idea of the proposed technical solution and it does not restrict the use of [any] other variations.

The invention is better illustrated by the following production presentation.

[0030] The shot of high-speed kinetic elements - scope of the invention - consists of a warhead 1 and an actuator (drive) unit containing a jet engine 2 and a starter gunpowder charge with a stabilizer 3 [figure 1].

[0031] The warhead 1 comprises a housing 4 made of glass-filled nylon with a cylindrical- spherical shape, and the following are arranged subsequently from the back side to the front side: bottom blasting device 5 (its front is gripped/covered by the charge 6 containing fragmentation explosive substance and the screen element 7 is pressed in it), and a spherically shaped metal plate 8 is mounted in front of the screen element 7. A locking ring 9 is mounted in front of the spherical plate 8, and a coupling cone 10 (rigidly fixed using a deformable connection using a cylindrical bushing 12) is rigidly fixed, for example by using a threaded connection, to the front of the housing 1. The front part of the blasting device 13 is attached to the cylindrical bushing 12, and by using a conductor 11 it is connected to the bottom of the blasting device 5.

[0032] According to a preferred execution, the housing 4 of the warhead 1 may be made of steel; and stress (pressure) concentrators may be made on the outer cylindrical part - their purpose is to form radially spreading kinetic elements upon burst - and these elements may have rectangular, square, rhomboidal, or another shape, their mass being preferably not less than 0.001 kg.

[0033] A specific feature of the warhead 1 is the constructional design of the screen element 7 located between the bottom blasting device 5 and the bursting charge 6 and the spherical plate 8 formed as a double-dome body, having a spherical shape from the side to the bottom blasting device 5, and it has the shape of a truncated cone with rounded transition sides from one surface to the other one - on the side of the spherical plate 8. The screen element 7 is preferably made of a dense inert material, its geometric parameters and shape being compliant to the constructional features of the particular warhead 1, respectively with the targeted objects to be destroyed and the shot shall be applied for. [0034] According to a preferred execution of the warhead 1, the spherical metal plate 8 is made/provided with a variable wall thickness, progressively decreasing from the top to the base (from the most convex part to the edges of the plate).

[0035] According to a preferred execution of the warhead 1, the spherical shaped metal plate 8 (mounted in the internal space of the housing 4) is provided with a rigidly fixed to its rear side metal grid 14 (Figure 4) and its shape is identical to the one of the metal plate 8.

[0036] A specific feature is the following: the spherical grid 14 is made of construction steel of constant wall thickness of 3-5 mm and of symmetrically shaped openings all over the surface (Figure 4.1.), having a diameter from 10 to 40 mm; their quantity is determined constructively - depending on the functional necessity.

[0037] According to a variation of the warhead 1 production, a metal spherical plate 8 is mounted in the inner space of the housing 4, and kinetic elements 15 are mounted on the front surface of the plate (Figure 5). The kinetic elements 15 may be made in a different shape, preferably a cube, a polygon, a sphere, as well as other shapes (Figure 5.1.).

[0038] According to the invention, metal plates 8 with isotropic mechanical properties and finely grain structure of the material (having a central angle of opening/spreading - from 110° to 170°) as well as a bursting charge 6 (containing homogenous explosive substances) are suitable for use in the warhead 1.

[0039] The spherical metal plate 8 facilitates the formation of strong shock waves in solid gas from the detonation products traveling at a speed of 16...20 km/sec. In the process of dynamic deformation of the spherical casing 8, the formed gas from the products of detonation in the shock wave is heated to a temperature greater than 100,000 K.

[0040] Depending on the nature and type of the targets to be destroyed, the metal plate 8 shall be made of a plastic deformable material capable of adopting high stretching stresses (copper or pure iron, ARMKO). Under the action/effect of the explosive flow of the material of the metal plate 8, the crystals of the structure become filamentous, and their length depends on their dimensions while their properties— on the crystallographic direction.

[0041] The spherically formed metal plate 8 may also be made of materials having the same crystallographic grain orientation and a uniform pillar-like structure oriented along the normal axis towards the forming surface of the metal plate 8. The basic mechanical properties of the crystals as well as the density, speed of sound, dynamic contraction, etc. are tensors and vector variables different in different crystallographic directions. For example, when a copper

metal plate 8, depending on the crystallographic direction of the grains, the sound velocity in the plate 8 varies from 2.8 km/s to 4.7 km/s, thus the maximum velocity of the so formed high-speed kinetic element and its length may vary depending on the crystallographic direction of the grains of the material of the metal plate 8. Because of the described dependence on the crystallographic grain direction, the density of the formed high-speed kinetic element is increased by up to 1.5 times.

[0042] A characteristic feature of the dynamic deformation of the spherical plate 8 is the following: the formed texture and microstructure of the material, the plasticity, the sound velocity, and other mechanical parameters of the material are established in a direction along the normal axis towards the surface of the spherical plate 8 - thus allowing the formation of a high- speed compact element of a higher maximum speed within the range of 1.25 to 1.5 times greater

- depending on the used materials (copper, copper alloys, aluminum and aluminum alloys, iron, tantalum, etc.).

[0043] Another characteristic feature in the process of dynamic explosive deformation of the spherical metal plate 8 and the further inertial flow is the following: there are processes assisting the establishment of a thermodynamic balance occurring in the middle, behind the front of the detonation wave.

[0044] According to the invention, the blasting device (5, 13) is made as a front-bottom protection type, where the front part 13 is made as an electronic proximity-location system, while the bottom part 5 is constructed in three protection stages: electric, inertial and pyrotechnic

- respectively, thus providing the necessary safety in service handling, when shooting, as well as safe remote escorting [triggering].

[0045] A characteristic feature is the following: the front-bottom blasting device (5, 13) provides a non-contacting action and a distance of the warhead blow of 6...10 meters from the target. The distance of firing is determined in production conditions, in effective limits, depending on the targets to be destroyed. [0046] A characteristic feature of the warhead 1, in particular of the high-speed kinetic elements explosive formation unit, is its construction design and sizing as well as the mutual arrangement of the metal spherical casing 8, the explosive substance 6 and the energy generator 7, thus determining their effect in such a way that after the initiation of the explosive substance 6 from the bottom blasting device 5, the metal spherical metal plate 8, as a result of the formed front of the detonation wave, dynamically deforms and practically forms a concentrated flow of highspeed compact striking elements providing an effective destruction action in the area of action.

[0047] The actuator (drive) unit of the shot - according to the invention— consists of a jet-march engine and a starter gunpowder engine with a stabilizer not shown in the figures. Depending on the targets to be destroyed, it is also possible to use an actuator (drive) unit where a two-mode jet engine with a stabilizer is used.

OPERATION OF THE INVENTION

[0048] The use of the described above shot with a direct flow of high-speed kinetic elements may be presented the following way:

[0049] The warhead 1 is connected to an actuator (drive) unit - i. e. carrier - consisting of a jet engine 2 and a starter gunpowder charge 3 or a two-stage jet engine with a stabilizer so that after a shot is produced, under the action of a reactive force by the starter gunpowder charge 3, the grenade starts to move and performs a progressively-rotational motion, as a result of linear- inertial forces. The inertia mechanisms of the pyro-delay ignition device of the jet engine 2 and the front-bottom blasting device (5, 13) of the warhead 1 are activated.

[0050] After a predetermined period of time of the flight path, the inertial mechanisms cease to operate, triggering in turn the jet engine 2, while the bottom blasting device 5 switches into a combat position/mode, i. e. the grenade is ready to meet the target.

[0051] When the shot approaches at a distance of 6...10 m from the target, the blasting device (5, 13) is triggered, delivering a detonation impulse to the bursting charge 6.

[0052] Because of the construction of the warhead 1, a front of the detonation wave is formed of a certain shape and properties dynamically deforming the spherical metal plate 8 to form a highspeed compact impact element of a mass constituting 90% of the initial mass of the spherical plate 8, and moving at an initial speed of 2.5 ... 3 m/sec.

[0053] At the same time, the products formed at the detonation are scattered in a radial direction, too, forming a radial field of impact/destruction in the area of action of the warhead 1.

[00541 In the event the grenade does not encounter a target or an obstacle, it goes into its successive self-liquidation mode by automatically triggering the blasting device 5, which delivers a detonation impulse of the bursting charge 6 by the explosive substance.

[0055] Thanks to the described herein construction design of the warhead 1, a front of the detonation wave of a certain shape and properties is formed upon the detonation of the explosive substance, defined also by the screen element 7 acting as an energy generator dynamically deforming the spherical metal plate 8 and the metal grid 14, resulting in forming a concentrated, high-speed flow of kinetic striking elements moving at an initial speed of 2.5-3 m/sec. The formed high-speed flow of kinetic striking elements continues its movement in the direction of the originally assigned grenade trajectory, maintaining its integrity and kinetic energy at a distance of dozens of meters reaching up to >100 m, destroying the target.

[0056] The effect of the destroying armored equipment of the high-speed kinetic elements is also accompanied by an off-armed effect specific at the interaction and breaking of armored steel by kinetic ammunition.

Legend:

1 - Warhead

2 - Jet engine

3 - Starter gunpowder charge with a stabilizer

4 - Warhead housing

5 - Bottom part of the blasting device

6 - Explosive substance of the bursting charge

7 - Screen element (energy generator)

8 - Spherical metal plate

9 - Locking ring

10 - Coupling cone

11 - Conductor

12 - Remote bushing

13— Front part of the blasting device

14 - Spherical metal grid

15 - Ready-made kinetic elements.

Claims

1.A shot consisting of a grenade with a warhead and a connected to it actuator (drive) unit consisting of a jet engine with a stabilizer attached thereto where the warhead includes a housing having a blasting device and a bursting charge located successively from the rear side towards the front, while the front part of the blasting device is attached to the front part of the housing, and using a conductor, it is connected to the bottom part of the blasting device. The specific characteristic here is the presence of a screen element (7) compressed to the bottom blasting device (5) and the inner part of the charge (6). A spherically shaped plate (8) and a locking ring (9) are mounted in front of the screen element (7), while a coupling cone (10) is fixed rigidly to the front part of the housing (4) - connected by a deformable connection with remote cylindrical bushing (12), connected in turn to the front part of the blasting device (13).

2. A shot according to claim 1, characterized with that the housing (4) has a cylindrical shape and is preferably made of glass-filled polyamide.

3. A shot according to claim 1, characterized with that the housing (4) of the warhead (1) is made of steel; and there are stress/pressure concentrators made on the outer cylindrical part.

4. A shot according to claim 1, characterized with that the screen element (7) is located between the bottom blasting device (5) and the spherical plate (8) and is made as a double-domed body; it has a spherical shape from the side of the bottom blasting device (5) and the bursting charge (6), and it has the shape of a truncated cone with rounded transition sides from one surface to the other one from the side of the spherical plate (8).

5. A shot according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the screen element (7) is made of dense (solid) inert material.

6. A shot according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the spherical plate (8) is metal, having wall thickness from 3 to 6 mm, and a central angle of opening (spreading) from 110^° to 170°.

7. A shot according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the spherical plate (8) is made of a plastic deformable metal material, such as copper or pure iron (ARMKO type), capable of perceiving high stretching stresses.

8. A shot according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the spherical metal plate (8) is made with a variable wall thickness of 3-6 mm, progressively decreasing from the top to the base.

9. A shot according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the mounted in the internal space of the housing (4) spherical metal plate (8) is provided with a metal grid (14) attached to its rear side, and the shape of the grid is identical to the shape of the metal plate (8).

10. A shot according to claim #1, the shot is characterized by the fact that the spherical metal grid (14) is made of structural steel of a constant wall thickness of 3 to 5 , with symmetrically shaped openings all over the surface, of a diameter of 10 to 40 mm.

11. A shot according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that a metal spherical plate (8) is mounted in the inner space of the housing (4), and ready-made kinetic elements (15) are mounted on the front surface of the plate (8).

12. A shot according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the kinetic elements (15) may be made in a different shape, preferably a cube, a polygon, a sphere, or another shape.