Raytheon Company

Christopher Schott

Bradley M Biggs

George Darryl Budy

Timothy B Bonbrake

John Rascon

Mark J Meisner

Heavy inert gas insulation layer(s) are provided for containers configured to contain components that include an energetic material. The heavy inert gas insulation layer delays desensitization or inhibits premature reaction of the energetic material due to high external temperatures. The layers may be formed in hollow walls of the container itself or as inserts that are attached to the container. An inert gas fills a sealed void space in the walls or the insert. The inert gas has a density of at least 1.5 Kg/mand a thermal conductivity (Tcond_gas) of no greater than two-thirds of a thermal conductivity of air (Tcond_air) to form the heavy inert gas insulation layer. The inert gas may be Argon, Krypton, Xenon or a synthetic gas and is suitably held at a pressure of 760 Torr (1 atmosphere) or greater at sea level.

Energetic material container having a heavy inert gas insulating layer

Heavy inert gas insulation layers are provided for one or more components of a launch system for a plurality of missiles. The layer may be integrated into the walls of the components or provided in inserts attached to the components. An inert gas fills a sealed void space in the walls or the insert. The inert gas has a density of at least 1.5 Kg/mand a thermal conductivity (Tcond_gas) of no greater than two-thirds of a thermal conductivity of air (Tcond_air) to form the heavy inert gas insulation layer. The inert gas may be Argon, Krypton, Xenon or a synthetic gas and is suitably held at a pressure of 760 Torr (1 atmosphere) or greater at sea level. The heavy inert gas insulation layer delays desensitization or inhibits premature reaction of the energetic materials inside the missiles due to high external temperatures. The insulation layers allow for more compact and dense configurations of the launch system and missiles.

Vertical launch system (VLS) including heavy inert gas insulating layers

An initiator assembly includes an initiator housing having an initiator cavity and a housing orifice edge. A bridge substrate is positioned within the initiator cavity, the bridge substrate includes a substrate base including a uniform first planar surface and first and second bridge contacts flush with the uniform first planar surface. The first and second bridge contacts form a continuous planar mounting surface. An explosive charge and a flyer plate are within the initiator cavity, the flyer plate interposed between the explosive charge and the bridge substrate. A plunger head is telescopically received in the initiator cavity and includes an anchoring cylinder face having a face perimeter and extends between first and second face ends. The housing orifice edge is anchored to the anchoring cylinder face at a position between the first and second face ends and extends around the face perimeter.

Shock hardened initiator and initiator assembly

Embodiments of an initiator support assembly that includes an initiator housing including an initiator cavity system are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a bridge substrate is positioned within the initiator cavity. The bridge substrate includes a substrate base including a uniform first planar surface and an opposed second surface. The bridge substrate further includes a first bridge contact extending over the substrate base. The first bridge contact is substantially flush with the first planar surface. A second bridge contact extends over the substrate base. The second bridge contact is substantially flush with the first planar surface. The first and second bridge contacts and the uniform first planar surface form a continuous planar mounting surface. An explosive charge, positioned within the initiator cavity, includes a charge mounting surface that is continuously coupled in surface-to-surface contact across the continuous planar mounting surface.

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Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Christopher Schott