GAS GENERATOR AND METHOD OF GAS GENERATION

• US 20130087064A1
• Filed: 10/06/2011
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alliant Techsystems Incorporated (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Sampson, William P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,616,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 102/530
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 15/00 Chemical processes in general for reacting gaseous media with non-particulate solids, e.g. sheet material; Apparatus specially adapted therefor B01J19/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 7/00 Apparatus for generating gases production of inert gas mixtures B01J19/14; for generating specific gases, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. C01B, C10J ; in "air bags" on vehicles B60R21/26; for starter gas F02C7/26; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure F42B3/04

Abstract

A gas generator assembly and method of operation. A plurality of stacks of laterally adjacent and laterally and axially supported gas generant wafers are contained within a housing. An igniter material is placed between the wafer stacks and an initiator. Upon ignition of the igniter material by the initiator, the wafer stacks are ignited and combust, generating a gas which, when reaching sufficient pressure within the housing in excess of ambient exterior pressures, opens a closed exhaust gas port and is released into a gas discharge structure where the gas passes through a heat sink material, cooling the gas before it exits the gas discharge structure for an intended use.

Claims

1. A gas generator assembly comprising:

a gas generator including;

a housing containing;

a plurality of laterally adjacent and laterally and axially supported stacks of gas generant wafers; and

an igniter material adjacent one end of the laterally adjacent stacks; and

at least a portion of an initiator operably associated with the igniter material communicable with an exterior of the housing;

the housing comprising at least one closed gas exhaust port adjacent an opposing end of the laterally adjacent stacks, the at least one closed gas exhaust port configured to open in response to a pressure within the housing above ambient pressure.

2. The gas generator assembly of claim 1, further comprising a gas discharge structure into which the at least one gas exhaust port communicates when open.

3. The gas generator assembly of claim 2, wherein the gas discharge structure further comprises a substantially tubular housing including a heat sink chamber containing a heat sink material providing passages for gas from the at least one gas exhaust port therethrough.

4. The gas generator assembly of claim 3, wherein the heat sink material comprises steel shot.

5. The gas generator assembly of claim 4, wherein the steel shot is contained between two axially separated perforated supports within the substantially tubular housing and a portion of the tubular housing.

6. The gas generator assembly of claim 5, wherein a position of at least one of the perforated supports is axially adjustable within the tubular housing.

7. The gas generator assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing is substantially cylindrical, the gas generant wafers are substantially cylindrical, and at least some of the plurality of laterally adjacent gas generant wafer stacks are laterally supported by lateral support structure extending axially along a length of a respective stack and substantially contacting the respective stack on at least a part of a circumference thereof, and are axially supported at opposing ends by axial support structure contacting gas generant wafers of the respective stack.

8. The gas generator assembly of claim 7, wherein the axial support structure comprises spiders disposed adjacent opposing ends of the plurality of laterally adjacent stacks, the lateral support structure comprises a cage laterally surrounding the plurality of laterally adjacent stacks, and a retainer ring adjacent one of the spiders on a side thereof opposing the plurality of laterally adjacent support stacks.

9. The gas generator assembly of claim 8, wherein

each spider comprises a plurality of radially extending legs secured to a ring intermediate ends of the legs, inner ends of the legs surround a central opening and outer ends of the legs defining a diameter slightly smaller than an inner diameter of the housing, one spider adjacent one end of the housing;

the cage comprising a plurality of axially spaced support rings having a plurality of axially oriented, circumferentially spaced support segments secured thereto, the support rings being axially spaced from ends of the support segments;

the retainer ring disposed between the one of the spiders and adjacent an opposing end of the housing.

10. The gas generator assembly of claim 1, wherein the gas generant wafers are of cylindrical shape.

11. The gas generator assembly of claim 10, wherein the gas generant wafers further comprise an axial, central aperture.

12. The gas generator assembly of claim 1, wherein the gas generant wafers comprise a HACN composition.

13. The gas generator assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of laterally adjacent gas generant wafer stacks comprises seven gas generant wafer stacks.

14. The gas generator assembly of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of laterally adjacent gas generant wafer stacks are arranged circumferentially within the chamber.

15. The gas generator assembly of claim 1, further comprising a frangible barrier closing the at least one closed gas exhaust port, the frangible barrier structured to fail and open the at least one closed gas exhaust port in response to the pressure within the housing above ambient pressure.

16. The gas generator of claim 11, further comprising a changeable orifice plate having a bore diameter less than a bore diameter of the at least one gas exhaust port secured in alignment with the at least one gas exhaust port.

17. A method of generating a gas comprising:

substantially simultaneously igniting a plurality of laterally adjacent stacks of laterally and axially supported gas generant wafers within a common housing with an ignition material; and

increasing pressure within the housing responsive to ignition and burning of the gas generant wafers, causing a closure of at least one port in the housing to open in response to the increased pressure and release pressurized gas from within the housing.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising igniting the plurality of laterally and axially supported gas generant wafer stacks using igniter material disposed adjacent a common end of the plurality of stacks.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising initiating the igniter material to ignite the plurality of gas generant wafer stacks using an initiator actuated from outside the housing.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising cooling the pressurized gas released from within the housing by passing the gas through a heat sink material.