Ammunition propellant temperature measuring assembly

• US 5,700,088 A
• Filed: 10/06/1995
• Issued: 12/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Department of the Army (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Madulka, Karol Anne Liu, Piacente, Robert A., Kenna, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): GUTIERREZ, DIEGO F
• Application Number:
  US08/540,605
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 374/126, 374/128, 374/141, 374/142, 73/167, 42/1.01, 102/481, 364/557
• US Class Current: 374/141
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/12 with means for compensating for muzzle velocity or powder temperature with means for compensating for gun vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/20 Compensating for effects of temperature changes other than those to be measured, e.g. changes in ambient temperature

Abstract

An ammunition propellant temperature measuring assembly comprising a firstemperature measuring device for determining at least two surface temperatures of a round of ammunition and for transmitting a first signal indicative of the surface temperature, a second temperature measuring device for determining ambient temperature in a storage area for the ammunition and for transmitting a second signal indicative of the ambient temperature, and computer apparatus for receiving the first and second signals and a temperature profile for the ammunition, and adapted to compute therefrom a propellant temperature of the round.

Claims

1. An ammunition propellant temperature measuring assembly comprising:

a first temperature measuring device for determining at least two surface temperatures of a round of ammunition and for transmitting a first signal indicative of said at least two surface temperatures;

a second temperature measuring device for determining ambient temperature in a storage area for said round of ammunition and for providing a second signal indicitive of said ambient temperature; and

a computer for receiving said first signal, said second signal, and an input as to a temperature profile for said round of ammunition corresponding to a relationship between said at least two surface temperatures, said ambient temperature, and the propellant temperature, to compute therefrom the propellant temperature of said round.

2. The assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said assembly includes a display of said indication of said ambient temperature and said computer manually receives said second signal.

3. The assembly in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a position sensor disposed proximate said first temperature measuring device for detecting movement of said round toward a gun breech and to signal said first temperature measuring device to begin a temperature measuring operation.

4. An ammunition propellant temperature measuring assembly comprising:

a first temperature measuring device for determining at least two surface temperatures of a round of ammunition and for transmitting a first signal indicative of said at least two surface temperatures;

a second temperature measuring device for determining ambient temperature in a storage area for said round of ammunition and for transmitting a second signal indicative of said ambient temperature; and

a computer for receiving said first and second signal and a temperature profile for said round of ammunition corresponding to a relationship between said at least two surface temperatures, said ambient temperature, and the propellant temperature, for computing therefrom the propellant temperature of said round.

5. The assembly in accordance with claim 4 wherein said first temperature measuring device comprises an infrared transducer.

6. The assembly in accordance with claim 5 for use with a gun that fires said round, wherein said computer comprises a first computer for computing said propellant temperature, and a ballistic computer, said first computer transmitting a signal indicative of said propellant temperature to said ballistic computer, and said ballistic computer receiving said signal indicative of said propellant temperature to refine an expected trajectory of said round.

7. The assembly in accordance with claim 4 and further comprising a position sensor disposed proximate said first temperature measuring device for detecting movement of said round toward a gun breech and to signal said first temperature measuring device to begin a temperature measuring operation.

8. The assembly in accordance with claim 7 wherein said position sensor emits a beam of energy, and said assembly includes a reflector in position to receive said beam and reflect said beam at least in part back to said sensor, said position sensor and said reflector being on opposite sides of said breech, such that said round in moving toward said breech interrupts said beam.

9. The assembly in accordance with claim 8 wherein said position sensor delays said signal to said first temperature measuring device for a selected time after interruption of said beam.

10. An ammunition propellant temperature measuring assembly for use with a gun that fires a round of ammunition, comprising:

a first temperature measuring device disposed proximate a gun breech that receives ammunition, said first temperature measuring device determining at least two surface temperatures of the round of ammunition entering said breech and transmitting a first signal indicative of said at least two surface temperatures;

a second temperature measuring device disposed in a storage area for said round of ammunition for determining an ambient temperature in said storage area and for transmitting a second signal indicative of said determined storage area ambient temperature;

a first computer for receiving said first signal, said second signal, and a temperature profile for said round of ammunition corresponding to a relationship between said at least two surface temperatures, said ambient temperature, and the propellant temperature, and computing therefrom the propellant temperature of the round of ammunition, said first computer transmitting a signal indicative of said computed propellant temperature;

a ballistic computer receiving said signal indicative of said computed propellant temperature from said first computer to refine an expected trajectory of the round of ammunition upon firing from the gun;

a position sensor disposed proximate said first temperature measuring device for detecting movement of the round toward said breech and to signal said first temperature measuring device to begin a temperature measuring operation; and

a reflector mounted proximate said gun breech on an opposite side thereof from said position sensor and in alignment with said position sensor to receive and reflect an energy beam from said position sensor, said signal from said position sensor to said first temperature measuring device being triggered by interruption of said beam by the round of ammunition moving toward said breech.