WO2023059288A2

WO2023059288A2 - Rocket, missile and satellite components spring release system

Info

Publication number: WO2023059288A2
Application number: PCT/TR2022/051000
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ruhi YEŞİLDAL; Ömer Fatih DÖNMEZ; Öznur ÇOBAN; Muhammed TURGUT; Samed Beşir BABAYİĞİT; Firat ATAŞ; Serpil AYDIN; Gürsel GÜÇ; Tolunay TEKİN; Muhammet Emin KEKEÇ; Buğrahan Enes AKÇELİK; Furkan Şükrü ÜNAL; Alper Şahi̇n; Kader GENÇ; Ahmet Hamdi ARSLAN; Emre AKLAN; Murat Emre ÖZTÜRK; Ferhat KARABACAK
Original assignee: Atatürk Üni̇versi̇tesi̇ Rektörlüğü Bi̇li̇msel Araştirma Projeleri̇ (Bap) Koordi̇nasyon Bi̇ri̇mi̇
Priority date: 2021-09-16
Filing date: 2022-09-16
Publication date: 2023-04-13
Also published as: TR2021014519A2; WO2023059288A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to a release mechanism (60) that evacuates components such as useful load (20), useful load parachute (30), nose cone (50) etc. to be separated from the vehicle body (10) after launching with the vehicle body (10) which is the main structure of the utility rocket (1) used for scientific purposes, comprises of mechanism body (61), which is placed at the top of the said vehicle body (10) and forms the main body of the separation mechanism, spring (62), which is passed over the mechanism body (61) and compressed, drive element (66), which moves the elements necessary for said spring (62) to be released, connection plates (67) placed inside the mechanism body (61) to which the said drive element (66) will be attached, transmission part (68), which is placed in said connection plates (67), ensures that the spring (62) stays in a stable manner after being compressed, to which the latches (681) are attached.

Description

ROCKET, MISSILE AND SATELLITE COMPONENTS SPRING RELEASE SYSTEM

Field of the Invention

In general, the present invention relates to a release system that enables air vehicles subject to a specific mission, such as utility (scientific) rockets and missiles, to fulfill their duties and to land without any damage to the earth after fulfilling the mission.

In particular, the present invention relates to a release system that starts the separation process without the need for ignition as soon as the command is given, thus fulfilling its task undamaged and safely with the help of the developed spring mechanism.

State of the Art

Today, after enabling the fulfillment of the task of the utility (scientific) rockets, missiles, such as aircraft subject to a specific task of dropping a useful load at any time, separation and rescue systems are used that allow the vehicle in which the system is used to descend to the earth in a reusable condition. Said useful load is satellite, meteorological measuring devices, experimental setups, rover, etc. are tools.

Today, systems such as gunpowder recovery system, carbon dioxide tube recovery system and electric linear actuator are used as release systems.

Gunpowder recovery system:

The gunpowder used here can damage the vehicle body and subsystems of the vehicle during release.

Gunpowder burner can be triggered uncontrollably and in case it is triggered at an undesirable time during the flight, it can cause the project to fail. Also, in case it is triggered at an undesirable moment before the flight, it can cause great damage and cause injuries.

Carbon dioxide tube release systems:

The pressure gas in the tube used here is released and the separation takes place. This gas is of high pressure and as it reaches about (-25'C), it damages the body and subsystems of the vehicle. In carbon dioxide tube release, system activation occurs through perforation of the tube's membrane. Perforation is made by means of injection. Gunpowder is one of the ways to make an injection, and the disadvantages mentioned above can still be seen in cases where gunpowder is used. There is a total delay of approximately 250 ms in this system.

Electrical linear actuator systems:

• Since the release system moves very slowly, although the electrical trigger given at the desired height is at the right time, the rocket goes into free fall and its speed increases until the parachute comes out. Therefore, the damage that will occur while the parachutes are opened is greatly increased and the probability of failure of both the mission and the rescue operation increases.

• Said electrical linear actuator delay is approximately 3200 ms in total. This delay (the time taken from the trigger of the flight computer to the opening of the parachute) is too much. Therefore, it needs to be triggered early.

• When the vehicle is fast, the air pressure provided by the vehicle becomes too high, which causes the force applied by the actuator to be insufficient and the actuator draws too much current. Thus, the actuator consumes more energy because it works slowly, and this requires the battery used in the vehicle to be large. Since the actuator itself is heavy, there is also a disadvantage in terms of weight.

In the prior art, the rescue system must apply a certain driving force to the component to be separated in order to perform the task and ensure separation In vehicles where the mechanism can be used. Some of the existing systems perform this propulsion by considering unsafe methods and operate dangerously.

If the rescue systems used in the state of the art are triggered at an undesirable time during the flight, it may cause the project to fail, if it is triggered at an undesirable moment before the flight, it may cause great damage and cause injuries.

In the state of the art, the pressure that arises in the gunpowder and carbon dioxide tube release systems applies force in all directions in the environment. This can directly damage the vehicle's subsystems and cause unforeseen problems.

In the state of the art, separation takes place with pressurized gas in release systems using carbon dioxide tube and gunpowder. Since this gas is too cold (— 25'C) or too hot and high pressure, it can cause unexpected problems in the vehicle's subsystems.

The electric linear actuators are safe in the state of the art, but they cannot fulfill their duties in a proper manner since they work very slowly. At the same time, it can consume the energy required by other systems, since it draws current for a long time.

As a result of the researches made in the literature, various structure are encountered regarding said missile release systems. One of these is the patent application numbered 2020/02981 entitled "Actuating device for launching at least one removable part of the missile, in particular a cover". In the summary of the invention whose classification class is F42B 15/34 "Actuating device for launching at least one removable part of the missile, in particular a cover.-The device is a one-piece assembly comprising of a pyrotechnic actuator containing a pyrotechnic load suitable for producing an overpressure and removable part of the missile which is one of the ends of the system, at least one retaining pin and a piston configured to displace in a longitudinal direction so as to act on at least one thermal insulation element arranged to thermally insulate at least the pyrotechnic load.

In the abovementioned application, a pressurized system is used for the launching process. Therefore, this application can be referred as an example to some disadvantages mentioned above.

As a result; parallel to the developing technology in the missile release system, developments are made, therefore new configurations are required in order to eliminate abovementioned disadvantages and bring solution to current systems.

Aim of the Invention

The invention relates to a missile release system which is different from the structures used in the state of the art, is developed to solve said disadvantages and brings some additional advantages.

The aim of the present is to ensure that utility parts are launched without delay with a spring mechanism after launch in utility scientific missiles. Another aim of the present invention is to provide triggering in a controlled manner with the help of the spring mechanism developed, since flammable and explosive materials are not used.

Another aim of the invention is to ensure that this applied force is applied only between the bolts that the release system is attached to the body and the components that need to push by applying a linear force for the push action. The thrust force created in this way does not damage other systems and minimizes the possibility of encountering unforeseen problems.

Another aim of the invention is to eliminate the damage caused under the vehicle due to high temperature by eliminating the need for gas emission used for the thrust force.

Another aim of the invention is to eliminate the need for large-sized batteries. In this way, both the installation cost is reduced and the vehicle weight is not adversely affected.

The structural and characteristic features of the present invention will be understood clearly by the following drawings and the detailed description made with reference to these drawings. Therefore the evaluation shall be made by taking these figures and the detailed description into consideration.

Brief Description of the Figures Clarifying the Invention

Figure -1; shows the two-dimensional view of the utility rocket in which the inventive release mechanism is used.

Figure -2; shows the perspective view of the exploded state of the inventive release mechanism.

Figure -3; shows the perspective schematic view of the semi-assembled state of the inventive release mechanism.

Figure -4; shows the perspective view of the assembled state of the inventive release mechanism.

Figure -5; shows the perspective view of the connection plates and other elements placed inside the mechanism body. Reference Numbers

1 . Utility rocket

10. Vehicle body

20. Useful load

30. Useful load parachute

40. Vehicle parachute

50. Nose cone

60. Release mechanism

61. Mechanism body

611. Latch holes

62. Spring

63. Pusher

64. Moving ring

65. Centering ring

66. Drive element

661. Dampener

662. Drive element ring

67. Connection plates

671. Shaft bearing element

672. Plate feet

673. Castermid part

674. Rotation shaft

68. Transmission part

681. Latches

69. Router

Detailed Description of an Embodiment of the Invention

In this detailed description, the preferred embodiments of the inventive release mechanism (60) is described only for clarifying the subject matter in a manner such that no limiting effect is created. Structure principle:

Utility rockets (1) used for scientific purposes consists of the following; vehicle body (10), useful load (20), useful load parachute (30), vehicle parachute (40), nose cone (50) and the inventive release mechanism (60). Figure 1 shows the two-dimensional view of the utility rocket (1).

Said separation mechanism (60) ensures that the upper components that make up the utility rocket (1), which is launched into the sky after ignition, are evacuated from the vehicle body (10).

Said release mechanism (60) consists of the following main elements; mechanism body (61), spring (62), pusher (63), moving ring (64), centering ring (65), drive element (66), connection plates (67), transmission part (68) and router (69). Figure 2 shows the perspective view of the disassembled state of the inventive release mechanism (60).

Said mechanism body (61) is the element that contains the elements that make up the mechanism thereon or therein and provides the bearing of the spring (62). The spring (62), on the other hand, is the element that is compressed by being passed over the mechanism body (61), and that ensures the application of the force required to push the components to be discharged by releasing the energy it contains while it is compressed. Here, thrust force can be created by using a piston structure instead of the spring (62).

The pusher (63), which is positioned on the spring (62), is the part that prevents the components that need to be released from being trapped inside the spring (62) and provides pushing these components. The moving ring (64) is positioned between the spring (62) and the pusher (63). The moving ring (64) grips the components in a proper manner that the spring (62) needs to push and ensures that the force of the spring (62) is transferred to these components smoothly. The moving ring (64) also helps the latches (681) that prevent the spring (62) to perform its task properly.

Said centering ring (65) is the element that enables the mechanism body (61) to be securely attached to the vehicle body (10).

The drive element (66) is the element that activates the mechanism by causing the latches (681) to be pulled in front of the spring (62) by turning the rotation shaft (674) in case of triggering. Servomotor will be used as the drive element (66). The dampener (661) is placed on top of the drive element (66) and is connected to the rotation shaft (674) in the middle. The drive element ring (662) on the upper part of the drive element (66) is attached to the plate feet (672) and mounted to the connection plates (67). The dampener (661) prevents squeezing if the drive element (66) assembly is defective. It prevents the vibration from damaging the drive element (66). It also prevents the vibration in the drive element (66) from being transferred to the mechanism.

Connection plates (67) are used to connect the components in the mechanism to the mechanism body (61). A shaft bearing element (671) is located in the middle of the connection plates (67). Shaft bearing element (671) provides bearing of rotation shaft (674) to connecting plates (67) and ensures that the force required for rotation is reduced to a minimum. A flanged bearing is used as the shaft bearing element (671).

Plate feet (672) are used in order to position said connection plates (67) at the desired distance from each other. As the plate foot (672), a shank is preferred.

When the aforementioned drive element (66) is rotated, the rotation shaft (674) is used to transfer the rotational movement formed here to the other elements.

The transmission part (68) is the elements that transfer the rotational movement of the rotation shaft (674) to the latches (681) linearly. The latches (681) are the obstacles in front of the compressed spring. When the mechanism is triggered, it is pulled in front of the spring (62) with the help of the drive element (66), and it activates the system by releasing the spring (62).

The castermid piece (673) is positioned inside the mechanism body (61) just above the latches (681). Since the coefficient of friction is very low, it greatly facilitates the movement of the latches (681). It is seen in Figure 5.

The router (69) which is the last element, is the element directing the latches (681) to prevent the spring (62) while the system is being set up.

The inventive release mechanism (60) is mounted on the top part of the vehicle body (10), as seen in figure 1. Useful load (20), useful load parachute (30), vehicle parachute (40), nose cone (50) will be mounted on the release mechanism (60), respectively.

Release mechanism (60) assembly

The transmission part (68) is first placed between the connection plates (67) for the assembly of the release mechanism (60), which is shown in its disassembled state in Figure 2. The router (69) is connected to the connection plates (67) and the transmission part (68) by passing through the plate feet (672). Then, the drive element (66) is placed on the lower part of the connection plates (67) and the dampener (661) is passed to the rotation shaft (674). The drive element ring (662) is secured by attaching it to the plate feet (672). This resulting structure is shown in perspective in Figure 5. This structure is placed inside the mechanism body (61). When this placement is performed, the latches (681) enter the latch holes (611) formed on the upper part of the mechanism body (61). Figure 3 shows the connection plates (67) placed inside the mechanism body (61) and the spring (62) not being pressed onto the mechanism body (61). Here, it is clearly seen that the latches (681) come out of the latch holes (611).

A centering ring (65) is attached to the lower part of the mechanism body (61). Afterwards, the spring (62) is placed on the mechanism body (61). The spring (62) is pressed and compressed by the top moving ring (64) and the pusher (63) is placed thereon. When the moving ring (64) falls below the level of the latch holes (611), the system is activated and the latches (681) come out. In this way, the moving ring (64) remains fixed at this level, ensuring that the spring (62) remains compressed and fixed.

Said centering ring (65) and the release mechanism (60) are mounted on the vehicle body (10), and the assembly process of the release mechanism (60) is completed. Figure 4 shows the perspective view of the separating mechanism (60) that has been assembled in itself. Afterwards, as mentioned above, the useful load (20), useful load parachute (30), vehicle parachute (40) and nose cone (50) are mounted on top of each other and the assembly of the utility rocket (1) is completed. In Figure 1, the two-dimensional view of the utility rocket (1), whose assembly has been completed, is shown.

Operating principle: In vehicles where the release mechanism (60) can be used so as to perform the task and to ensure the evacuation, the release mechanism (60) needs to apply a certain driving force to the components to be separated. This thrust force is realized by the release of the potential energy stored in the spring (62) in the present invention.

As explained in the assembly process above, while the separation mechanism (60) is being set up, the spring (62) is passed around the mechanism body (61) and pressed downwards and compressed, and the movable ring (64) is positioned thereon. A signal is then sent from the setup circuit to the drive element (66). The rotating drive element (66) transfers its rotational movement to the dampener (661) with this signal. The dampener (661) will also transfer the rotational motion from the drive element (66) to the rotation shaft (674). Afterwards, the rotation shaft (674) transmits the rotational movement to the transmission part (68). The transmission part (68) transforms this rotational movement into linear movement and allows the latches (681) to come out of the latch holes (611) formed on the mechanism body (61). Therefore, it creates an obstacle in front of the moving ring (64) and keeps the spring (62) stuck. The release mechanism (60) established with these processes ensures that the utiity rocket (1) is made available for launch in such a way that it can complete its task

The latches (681) in the release mechanism (60) are positioned symmetrically, with angles of 120 degrees given. The reason for this positioning is to ensure that the spring (62) opens in a balanced manner when the energy stored in the spring (62) is released and to prevent snags.

After the utility rocket (1) is launched, the mechanism mounted on the body (10) of the vehicle is triggered when needed. Upon triggering, the drive element (66) rotates. The rotational motion of the driving member (66) is transferred to the dampener (661) and then to the rotation shaft (674). Likewise, the rotation shaft (674) transmits the rotational movement to the transmission part (68). The transmission part (68) transforms this rotational movement into linear movement and enables the latches (681) to be pulled into the mechanism body (61). When the latches (681) enter through the latch holes (611), the obstacle in front of the movable ring (64) is removed. Afterwards, the stuck spring (62) is released. The force from the spring (62) is transmitted to the pusher (63) via the moving ring (64) in the mechanism, and to the components that need to be applied force for separation through the pusher (63), evacuating said components with the release of the energy stored in the spring (62).

Claims

1. Release mechanism (60) that evacuates components such as useful load (20), useful load parachute (30), vehicle parachute (40), nose cone (50) etc. to be separated from the vehicle body (10) after launching with the vehicle body (10) which is the main structure of the utility rocket (1) used for scientific purposes, characterized in that, it comprises the following;

• Mechanism body (61), which is placed at the top of the said vehicle body (10) and forms the main body of the separation mechanism,

• Spring (62), which is passed over the mechanism body (61) and compressed and has the necessary thrust by storing energy with this compression,

• Drive element (66), which moves the elements necessary for said spring (62) to be released,

• Connection plates (67) placed inside the mechanism body (61) to which said drive element (66) will be attached,

• Transmission part (68), which is placed in said connection plates (67), ensures that the spring (62) stays in a stable manner after being compressed,

• Latches (681) which is placed around said transmission part (68) at an angle of 120 degrees, ensures that the spring (62) remains fixed and released by closing and opening the front of spring (62) when the transmission part (68) goes back and forth linearly after the movement.

2. Release mechanism (60) according to claim 1, characterized in that; it contains latch holes (611) formed on the mechanism body (61) so that said latches (681) protrude out of the mechanism body (61) and reach in front of the spring (62).

3. Release mechanism (60) according to claim 1, characterized in that; it contains a moving ring (64) that allows the latches (681) to easily stop the spring (62) after being positioned on said spring (62) and compressed.

. Release mechanism (60) according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that; it contains a pusher (63) which is positioned on said moving ring (64), is placed on the mechanism body (61) like a cover with this positioning, and which enables the ejection of useful components with the driving force created by the release of the spring. . Release mechanism (60) according to claim 1, characterized in that; it contains a centering ring (65) that enables said mechanism body (61) to be fixed to the vehicle body (10). . Release mechanism (60) according to claim 1, characterized in that; it contains a dampener (661) located on the upper part of said drive element (66) and absorbing vibrations during operation. . Release mechanism (60) according to claim 1, characterized in that; it contains plate feet (672) that enable said connection plates (67) to be positioned at the desired distance from each other. . Release mechanism (60) according to claim 1, characterized in that; it contains a castermid part (673), which facilitates the sliding of said latches (681). . Release mechanism (60) according to claim 1, characterized in that; it contains a rotation shaft (674) located in the middle of said connection plates (67) and transmits the rotational movement to other elements that occurs when the drive element (66) is rotated. 0. Release mechanism (60) according to claim 1 or 9, characterized in that; it contains a shaft bearing element (671) that enables said rotation shaft (674) to be supported by the connection plates (67). 1. Release mechanism (60) according to claim 1, characterized in that; it contains a router (69) that enables said latches (681) to move back and forth in front of the spring (62). 2. Operating method of release mechanism (60) that evacuates components such as useful load (20), useful load parachute (30), vehicle parachute (40), nose cone (50) etc. to be separated from the vehicle body (10) after launching with the vehicle body (10) which is the main structure of the utility rocket (1) used for scientific purposes, characterized in that, it comprises the following process steps;

• Rotation of the drive element (66) with the signal from the setup circuit when it is time to evacuate the useful rocket (1) sent on a mission,

Rotating the rotation shaft (674), which is connected to the connection plates (67) by the rotation of said driving element (66),

• Inserting the latches (681) linearly through the latch holes (611) with the rotation shaft (674) moving the transmission part (68),

• Paving the way of the moving ring (64) and releasing the spring (62) in compressed position with the insertion of the latches (681),

• Evacuating the useful load (20), useful load parachute (30), vehicle parachute (40), and nose cone (50) placed on the release mechanism (60) by releasing the spring (62).