Propellant system

• US 5,712,445 A
• Filed: 04/10/1996
• Issued: 01/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alliant Techsystems Incorporated (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alliant Techsystems Incorporated (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Kennedy, James L., Kassuelke, Gregory T., Candland, Calvin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Peter A.
• Application Number:
  US08/537,882
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 102/286, 102/288, 102/289
• US Class Current: 102/288
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 21/0033 Shaping the mixture
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 45/00 Compositions or products which are defined by structure or arrangement of component of product explosive charges of particular form or shape F42B1/00, F42B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/16 characterised by composition or physical dimensions or form of propellant charge, with or without projectile, or powder chemical composition C06B; F42B5/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/181 consisting of a combustible casing wall and a metal base; Connectors therefor

Abstract

A propellant load arrangement for a large caliber ammunition cartridge case accommodating a ballistic projectile includes a plurality of relatively flat shaped segments of propellant assembled face to face in an ordered arrangement. The faces of the segments of the arrangement are optionally parallel or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge case and essentially occupy the entire available propellant volume of the case. The outer peripheral geometry of each segment of the ordered arrangement is shaped to match the corresponding cartridge casing interior geometry and each segment of the ordered arrangement also has a shaped central interior recess opening as required of a geometry matching the corresponding geometry of any interfering internal cartridge part and any projectile geometry present. Relatively cool-burning segments can be combined with relatively hot-burning segments in stratified arrangements to provide a cooler boundary layer and reduce tube erosion.

Claims

1. A propellant load arrangement for a munition cartridge having a longitudinal axis and having an internal volume for accommodating a ballistic projectile and propellant material comprising:

(a) a plurality of relatively flat shaped slab segments of propellant material assembled face to face in an ordered arrangement, the faces of the segments of the arrangement being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge case and generally configured to occupy the available propellant volume of the cartridge; and

(b) each of said slab segments of the ordered arrangement further having an outer peripheral geometry being generally shaped to accommodate the corresponding cartridge casing interior geometry and each of said slab segments of the ordered arrangement, where necessary, further having a shaped central interior recess opening of a geometry accommodating the corresponding geometry of any interfering internal cartridge element and any required projectile exterior geometry.

2. The propellant load arrangement of claim 1 further comprising means controlling burning progression throughout the propellant load.

3. The propellant load arrangement of claim 2 wherein the means for controlling burning progression throughout the load further comprises a plurality of patterned perforations of small diameter in each of the plurality of relatively flat shaped segments of propellant.

4. The propellant load arrangement of claim 1 wherein said plurality of relatively flat segments are in the form of relatively elongated slabs arranged generally in a stack comprising a plurality of inner slabs flanked by a pair of outer flanking slabs wherein said outer flanking slabs of the stack are fabricated of relatively cool-burning propellant material.

5. The propellant load arrangement of claim 3 wherein the means for controlling burning progression throughout the load further comprises small diameter perforations at adjacent surfaces between the shaped segments of propellant.

6. The propellant load arrangement of claim 1 wherein the propellant material comprises a plurality of propellant formulae including relatively hot and relatively cool burning material.

7. A method of providing propellant for a large caliber munition cartridge case accommodating a ballistic projectile comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an ordered series including a plurality of relatively flat slabs disposed face to face in an ordered arrangement, the faces of the slabs being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge case;

(b) shaping the outer peripheral geometry of each slab correspond to adjacent cartridge case interior surface geometry;

(c) providing and shaping a central interior opening as required in each serially ordered slab of a geometry similar to accommodate the corresponding geometry of any internal cartridge elements and the corresponding external geometry of the projectile; and

(d) stacking the propellant slabs in the cartridge case in the ordered sequence.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of providing each slab with a plurality of pattern perforations therethrough.

15. The propellant load arrangement of claim 8 further comprising means controlling burning progression throughout the propellant load.

16. The propellant load arrangement of claim 15 wherein the means for controlling burning progression throughout the load further comprises a plurality of small diameter patterned perforations in each of the plurality of relatively flat shaped segments of propellant.

17. The propellant load arrangement of claim 16 wherein the means for controlling burning progression throughout the load further comprises separate spacing means between the segments.

18. The propellant load arrangement of claim 16 wherein the means for controlling burning progression throughout the load further comprises perforations between the shaped segments of propellant.

20. The method of claim 7 wherein the slabs comprise a plurality of propellant formulae including relatively hot burning and relatively cooled burning slabs, the method further comprising the step of stacking said hot and said cool burning slabs in a predetermined arrangement in said cartridge case.

9. A propellant load arrangement for a large caliber munition cartridge having a longitudinal axis and having an internal volume for accommodating a ballistic projectile and an amount of propellant material, said propellant material comprising:

(a) a plurality of relatively flat shaped slab segments of propellant material in juxtaposed alignment in an ordered arrangement, the faces of the segments of the arrangement being generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge and configured to occupy the available propellant volume of the case;

(b) wherein the outer peripheral geometry of each segment of the ordered arrangement is generally shaped to accommodate the corresponding cartridge casing interior geometry and each segment of the ordered arrangement, where necessary, further having a shaped central interior recess opening, as required, of a geometry accommodating the corresponding geometry of any interfering internal cartridge element and any required projectile geometry; and

(c) wherein the propellant material includes amounts of relatively hot-burning and relatively cool-burning propellant in stratified form.

10. The propellant load arrangement of claim 9 wherein said plurality of relatively flat segments are in the form of relatively elongated slabs arranged generally in a stack comprising a plurality of inner slabs flanked by a pair of outer slabs wherein said outer flanking slabs of the stack are fabricated of relatively cool-burning propellant material.

11. The propellant load arrangement of claim 10 wherein the inner slabs are alternately fabricated of relatively hot-burning and cool-burning propellant material.

12. The propellant load arrangement of claim 10 wherein the inner slabs are all fabricated of relatively hot-burning propellant material.

13. The propellant load arrangement of claim 10 wherein the inner slabs are of a composite construction comprising outer longitudinally disposed edges of relatively cool-burning propellant flanking a core portion of relatively hot-burning propellant.

14. The propellant load arrangement of claim 13 wherein the inner slabs comprise a plurality of segments of diverse burning temperatures.

19. A propellant load arrangement for a munition cartridge having a longitudinal axis and having an internal volume for accommodating a ballistic projectile and propellant material comprising:

(a) a plurality of relatively flat shaped disk segments of propellant material assembled face to face in an ordered arrangement, the faces of the segments of the arrangement being generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge case and generally configured to occupy the available propellant volume of the cartridge;

(b) each of said disk segments of the ordered arrangement further having an outer peripheral geometry being generally shaped to accommodate the corresponding cartridge casing interior geometry and each of said slab segments of the ordered arrangement, where necessary, further having a shaped central interior recess opening of a geometry accommodating the corresponding geometry of any interfering internal cartridge element and any required projectile exterior geometry; and

(c) wherein each of said disk segments is provided with a dense pattern of perforations through the faces thereof for controlling burning progression.

21. The propellant load arrangement of claim 19 wherein at least one of the disks is a composite of hot-burning material surrounded by cool-burning material.

22. The propellant load arrangement of claim 19 wherein the means for controlling burning progression throughout the load further comprises perforations at adjacent surfaces between the shaped segments of propellant.