Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41A—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE
  • F41A13/00—Cooling or heating systems; Blowing-through of gun barrels; Ventilating systems
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • C09K5/00—Heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants; Materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion
  • C09K5/02—Materials undergoing a change of physical state when used
  • C09K5/06—Materials undergoing a change of physical state when used the change of state being from liquid to solid or vice versa
  • C09K5/063—Materials absorbing or liberating heat during crystallisation; Heat storage materials
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41A—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE
  • F41A21/00—Barrels; Gun tubes; Muzzle attachments; Barrel mounting means
  • F41A21/20—Barrels or gun tubes characterised by the material
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41A—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE
  • F41A13/00—Cooling or heating systems; Blowing-through of gun barrels; Ventilating systems
  • F41A13/02—Heating systems
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41A—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE
  • F41A13/00—Cooling or heating systems; Blowing-through of gun barrels; Ventilating systems
  • F41A13/04—Injecting fluids into barrels or cartridge chambers

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a barrel for a launch device, where the barrel is arranged with a barrel for launching projectiles with a propellant charge.
• the invention further consists of an ejection device and a method for storing thermal energy in a barrel.
• Conventional barrel-based weapon systems are arranged with at least one barrel out of which a projectile is propelled, shot, by a propellant charge.
• Barrels can be smooth-drilled or arranged with knurling, which means that the projectile is rotated during the firing process.
• Barrels are preferably made of metal, but can also be made of a ceramic, and are designed with a circularly symmetrical crosssection machined into the barrel.
• heat is generated when the movement of the projectile in the barrel is caused by a gas pressure that is generated by the gunpowder, propellant, being burned.
• the gunpowder is burned so that the pressure generated on the projectile is constant during the movement of the projectile in the barrel.
• One purpose of the present invention is to solve the problems identified above.
• An additional purpose of the present invention is a barrel for a launching device, whereas the barrel is arranged with a bore for launching projectiles with a propellant charge, characterized in that the firing tube is arranged with at least one cavity, in addition to the bore of the firing tube, whereas a substance for storing thermal energy is arranged inside said at least one cavity.
• the substance used for storing thermal energy is a salt.
• the salt is a supercritical salt solution in the form of a hydrate.
• the supercritical salt solution comprises magnesium nitrate.
• the barrel is triangular in shape with a bore centered in the barrel, and includes three cavities arranged so as to be distributed around the bore.
• an improved method for storing thermal energy in a barrel has been achieved, characterized by the fact that the barrel is arranged with at least one bore and at least one cavity comprising a thermal storage substance where thermal energy generated when launching a projectile in the barrel heats up the barrel and at least parts of the thermal energy are stored in the thermal storage substance.
• the barrel can be heated since the thermal storage substance can be caused to undergo a phase conversion from liquid to solid form and thus generate heat.
• Fig. 1 shows a barrel in a view from the short side according to one embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 2 shows a barrel in a view from the lengthwise extent of the barrel according to one embodiment of the invention.
• the present invention points to a new and alternative design of a barrel intended for barrel-based launchers.
• An ejection device also termed a cannon, a howitzer, or a piece, in the sense of an artillery piece, has the goal of making use a propellant for the purpose of firing a projectile.
• a propellant such as gunpowder
• a chamber specifically adapted to the purpose. Initiation takes place by way of igniting the fuze, for instance by means of an ignition cartridge or an igniter in a munitions device, which is initiated by means of striking.
• igniting the propellant may include ignition of the propellant by means of laser energy or electric energy.
• the propellant bums at a high rate and results in large amounts of gas being produced, which creates a gas pressure in the chamber which propels the projectile out of the barrel of the firing ejection device.
• the propellant has been adapted in order to generate a constant pressure on the projectile during the entire barrel procedure, to the greatest extent possible, as the projectile moves in the barrel, which results in the projectile leaving the mouth of the barrel with high speed.
• thermal energy from the combustion will heat the barrel. Additionally, friction between the projectile and the barrel will cause the barrel to heat up.
• Projectiles such as various types of grenades, generally include some form of operational part and some form of fuze which initiates the operational part.
• Barrels can be of different types where contact fuzes are common for projectiles that are meant to burst when in contact with an object, time fuzes when the projectile is meant to burst at a certain predetermined time and proximity fuzes when the projectile is meant to burst when an object comes within a certain distance from the projectile.
• zone barrels is preferred when confronting flying vessels, while timed barrels can be used when confronting a large number of various objects. It is advantageous to combine various types of barrel functions in one and the same barrel, for instance in order for the projectile to burst after a certain time if it fails to detect any object, and so on.
• the operational part comprises some type of explosive substance, as well as some type of shattering casing which encloses the explosive substance.
• Various types of propellants, such as fins, can furthermore be arranged in either the barrel or in its own subcomponent.
• the projectiles are preferably designed with rotation or with fins.
• the projectiles are said to be rotationally stabilized and in cases where the projectiles are arranged with fins, the projectiles are said to be fin-stabilized. Fin-stabilized projectiles should have no rotation, or low rotation, when leaving the barrel.
• the barrel is often designed with rifling, to which the projectile connects during the firing process.
• Rifling means that the barrel in a firearm, the barrel, is provided with spiral-shaped rifling.
• the opposite is smooth-bore barrel.
• the rifling engages the projectile during firing, it rotates along its longitudinal axis. Due to the rotation, minor irregularities or damage to the projectile will not cause a drift in the trajectory of the projectile. Rotation is also necessary for an elongated (torpedo-shaped) projectile to maintain its direction after leaving the barrel and not start tumbling around. This is referred to as the projectile being rotation-stabilized.
• smooth-bore weapons only round (spherical) projectiles or fin-stabilized projectiles can be fired. An elongated projectile without fins will tumble as it leaves the muzzle.
• rifling consists of grooves that are integrated into the track of the barrel, and the elevation in between is referred to as barriers.
• the rifling of fine- caliber firearms usually consists of four grooves that are turned to the right, while cannons, such as artillery pieces, have more grooves depending on the caliber of the launching device.
• the projectile In order for the rifling to be able to engage the projectile, the projectile must either be slightly larger than the diameter between the barriers, which is common for fine-caliber weapons, or be equipped with a special flange, called a belt, which has a slightly larger diameter than the barriers, which is common in projectiles with a diameter greater than 20 mm.
• the belt can be made out of plastic, composite material or a soft metal, such as brass.
• cooling media that are pumped or circulated in channels arranged on or in the barrel.
• the barrel can be arranged with cooling fins for purposes of removing heat from the barrel.
• Barrels are also preferably manufactured with a certain material thickness to be able to handle heating effects during the use of the barrel.
• a supersaturated solution also known as a supercritical solution, is a solution containing more of a solute than what the solution should in fact contain according to conventional chemistry. This can happen when a soluble substance is poured into a hot solvent and, subsequently, when the solution has cooled down and is unable to be crystallized out.
• This principle is known, for example, from conventional hand warmers which often contain a solution consisting of sodium acetate and water. When hand warmers, often in the form of a plastic bag filled with the solution, are heated, the sodium acetate dissolves in the water and a saturated solution is formed. During the heating process, the salt absorbs thermal energy. When the bag is subsequently cooled down, the salt is unable to regain its structure, since it lacks any means to build up crystals. It turns into a supersaturated and undercooled melt, which is very unstable.
• a metal plate preferably a plate of ferrous steel with microscopic grooves where molecules of sodium acetate in solid form are present.
• the metal plate is placed inside the device, the bag, to start the reaction.
• the melt acquires the crystals, sprouts, which are required to start the crystallization by means of nucleation.
• An exothermic reaction then takes places, by which crystals of sodium acetate are formed and the heat is released. Heating up the supersaturated solution makes it possible to repeat the process.
• the melting point of sodium acetate trihydrate is 58°C, which is the maximum temperature a hand warmer containing sodium acetate trihydrate reaches when the crystallization process is started.
• the chemical substance, sodium acetate is chosen so that a suitable temperature is reached without harming the user of the hand warmer.
• other substances can be chosen with both higher and lower melting points.
• a launching device for firing, firing, projectiles with a propellant charge.
• the propellant charge which can be gunpowder, for example, burns after initialization and generates a high pressure that drives the projectile out of a barrel.
• the projectile is arranged in the barrel by a method called hiring, it is common for a belt enclosing the projectile to be deformed relative to a groove arranged in the barrel which retains the projectile in the barrel.
• the propellant charge is arranged in what is often called a chamber in which the propellant charge is combusted during the generation of gases, gunpowder gases, which cause the projectile to move in the barrel.
• a continuous/constant pressure is created in the chamber which also fills the barrel behind the projectile as it moves towards the mouth of the barrel.
• Fig. 1 shows the barrel 10 seen from the short side, the radial part of the barrel, with a barrel opening 20.
• the barrel 10 three sided or triangular shape, but can also be of a different geometric shape and be adapted on the basis of, for example, advantages related to the manufacturing techniques.
• the barrel is designed with a number of cavities 12, 14, 16, including temperature storage substance.
• the barrel is designed with a certain material thickness 30 which can be variable.
• the geometry of the cross-section 20 of the barrel opening, the bore, and cavities 12, 14, 16 are processed in the barrel with conventional processing methods such as, for example, various forms of cutting processing including reaming.
• the cross section 20 for the geometry of the barrel opening can also be called the course of the barrel.
• the barrel 10 can also be manufactured by additive manufacturing methods.
• the advantages of a triangular shape on the barrel are that the cavities 12, 14, 16 can be arranged symmetrically around the cross-section 20 so that the heat is distributed evenly around the cross-section 20 when projectiles are fired in the barrel.
• the temperature storage substance stores thermal energy and can, for example, be a salt or a salt solution, for example a supersaturated salt solution, and is arranged in cavities 12, 14, 16.
• the thermal energy from the heating process will be distributed throughout the barrel and, in whole or in part, enclose the temperature storage substance arranged in cavities 12, 14, 16.
• the thermal energy can be stored in the temperature storage substance, for example by the temperature storage substance undergoing a phase transformation.
• the temperature storage substance is preferably initially in solid form, and, during the heating process, thermal energy is accumulated in the temperature storage substance and a phase transformation to liquid form can occur if the generated thermal energy is sufficient for the temperature storage substance in the entirety of the cavity 12, 14, 16 to undergo a phase change.
• the temperature storage substance will cool down and revert to solid form.
• a nucleation can be initiated in order to bring about renewed crystallization of the temperature storage substance. Initiation can take place by electrically, chemically or mechanically arranging at least one molecule in solid form of the temperature storage substance in the supersaturated solution in liquid form. Examples of methods for initiation may include the arrangement of a metal plate comprising cracks where crystals of the temperature storage substance are enclosed in solid form which can be released by mechanical deformation of the metal plate, for example by electromagnetical ly deforming the metal plate.
• a eutectic mixture is used as the temperature storage substance.
• a eutectic mixture or eutectic of two substances is a mixture with such a composition that the melting point is the lowest possible, and in any case lower than that of the two individual substances. It is only in an atomic/molecular mixing ratio that the composition melts as a whole at a specific temperature (the eutectic temperature) and forms a superlattice, releasing all its components into a liquid mixture.
• the eutectic point represents the lowest temperature for which the liquid phase of a mixture can exist. In a eutectic mixture, the phases change between molten and solid form instantaneously, when the eutectic temperature is passed.
• Fig. 2 shows the barrel 10 seen from the long side in cross-section, the radial part of the barrel, with a barrel opening, a bore 20 and two cavities 14, 16, whereas the third cavity 12 is not visible in the section in question.
• a chamber 40 is shown where the projectile and propellant are arranged, either in the form of cased ammunition, that is, where the projectile is arranged in a sleeve comprising a propellant and may also include an initiator arranged for the propellant or, alternatively, in the form of a separated projectile and propellant which is common with coarser calibers.
• inlets 50, 52 are shown, whereas the temperature storage substance can be arranged a control device for the temperature storage substance, if any, can be arranged.
• the control device can include different sensors, for example temperature sensor or sensors used for measuring the form of the temperature storage substance, for example solid form or liquid form.
• Each respective cavity 12, 14, 16 can be designed as a cavity running over the entirety of the barrel, alternatively running along part of the barrel, or alternatively be divided into several separate units along the axial extent of the cavities 12, 14, 16.
• Examples of caliber are 20-155 mm and a length of the barrel of between 1 m and 10 m.
• the projectile can be arranged so that it is capable of exploding, emitting shrapnel, catching fire, exerting a thermobaric effect, fighting fires, to be used as a training projectile, in light kits, in smoke kits, to exert electromagnetic effect, bring about electromagnetic disturbances or other loads and functions.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Branch Pipes, Bends, And The Like (AREA)
• Quick-Acting Or Multi-Walled Pipe Joints (AREA)
• Toys (AREA)

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Citations (9)

• 2021
  • 2021-10-07 SE SE2100145A patent/SE2100145A1/sv unknown
• 2022
  • 2022-09-29 WO PCT/SE2022/050864 patent/WO2023059243A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (9)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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