Gt-devices

Advanced Launch Corporation

Other

General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc.

Gt-device

Derek A Tidman

Yeshayahu Shyke Goldstein

Niels K Winsor

Rodney L Burton

Dennis W Massey

Yong C Thio

Joseph R Greig

Mark L Kregel

David Fleischer

Shyke A Goldstein

An apparatus for moving a mass, the apparatus having an arcuate track, a clamping member attached to a section of the arcuate track, an arm assembly pivotably connected to the clamping member, and a counterweight connected to the arm assembly. A projectile for use in a mass accelerator having an arcuate track, the projectile having a core and at least one of a low-friction layer, a propellant layer, and a polycarbonate layer.

High velocity mass accelerator and method of use thereof

A spiral mass launcher for moving a mass including a spindle support assembly; connected to a swing-arm pair module. The spindle support assembly rotates on a motor shaft, allowing the swing-arm pair module to swing on a parallel bearing shaft. A spiral track passes through a radial opening in the bearing shaft. Thus, the swinging motion of the swing-arm pair modules allows the spiral track to move in a gyrating motion. The spiral track has a first end and a second end, the first end adapted to receive a mass or projectile and a second end adapted to launch the mass. A mass can be fed into the spiral mass launcher by either a feed mechanism that feeds the mass into the first end of the spiral. Such feed mechanisms include a feed mechanism that linearly oscillates and picks up the mass at a first amplitude of oscillation and feeds the mass into the first end of the spiral track at a second amplitude of oscillation; or a feed mechanism that includes a continuous tube and 'crank arm' feed. The mass can also be fed into the spiral track by a low jitter gun.

Spiral mass launcher

A spiral mass launcher is disclosed. The spiral mass launcher includes provisions that permit greater packing density and permit better support of a track. Some of these provisions include the use of specially designed angled swing arms. The spiral mass launcher also includes provisions to assist the spiral in achieving faster gyration speeds. Some of these provisions include improved arm designs and vacuum enclosures. A feed mechanism for a spiral mass launcher is also disclosed.

The velocity of a mass is monotonically increased from an initial non-zero value at the time it enters a spiral track. A drive gyrates the track about an axis so the mass makes each turn around the track in about the same period of time. The drive includes plural rotary drive shafts eccentrically and fixedly connected to the track at several points. The drive shafts and track are arranged so points on a first side of a particular spiral turn where the mass is located are driven toward the axis and points on a second side of the particular spiral turn remote from where the mass is located are driven away from the axis.

Method and apparatus for moving a mass in a spiral track

A mass located in a track defined by a closed, continuous path is gradually and smoothly accelerated or decelerated by controlling movement of the track so a portion of the track where the mass is sensed to be located is moved inwardly (for acceleration) or outwardly (for deceleration) along a local radius of curvature of the track.

Method of and apparatus for moving a mass

A cartridge for accelerating a projectile includes a light gas pressurized in a sealed container to 5,000-10,000 psi. Upon ignition in the sealed container, a gas mixture having a low or intermediate molecular weight and a high or low energy density is applied as a high sound speed gas to accelerate the projectile to speeds of above about 2.4 km/sec.

Cartridge having high pressure light gas

A pressurized light gas in a first chamber segment of a light gas gun is heated and highly pressurized by an electric discharge. Solid chemical propellant in a second chamber segment behind and separated from the first chamber segment by a perforated wall is ignited by the heated and highly pressurized light gas to form a gaseous piston to assist in accelerating the light gas against a projectile.

Hybrid electrothermal light gas gun and method

A projectile is accelerated through a gun barrel in response to high pressure gas applied to the rear of the projectile in response to a high pressure plasma discharge. Plasma from the discharge flows transversely of the discharge into a chamber through multiple openings in a passage wall that confines the discharge. The high pressure, high temperature plasma flowing into the chamber causes an exothermic reaction of water and metal particles in a slurry in the chamber to produce high pressure hydrogen gas that flows longitudinally of the discharge against the rear of the projectile. To maintain the pressure of hydrogen gas acting against the projectile relatively constant as the projectile is accelerated down the barrel, electric power applied to the discharge increases substantially linearly as a function of time.

High-pressure having plasma flow transverse to plasma discharge

A pulsed high pressure, supersonic plasma jet for accelerating a projectile through an elongated confined bore is derived from a dielectric structure including a capillary passage having an interior wall surface from which plasma forming material is ablated in response to a discharge voltage applied to first and second electrodes respectively forming a nozzle and plug at opposite ends of the passage. The nozzle injects the plasma into the bore behind the projectile.

Method of and apparatus for deriving a high pressure, high temperature

A projectile is accelerated through a barrel by a high pressure hydrogen gas jet that is derived by exothermically reacting water or a water-hydrogen peroxide liquid mixture with metal or a metal hydride. The temperature of the reaction is controlled by controlling the power in a plasma discharge applied to a reaction chamber containing the liquid and particles of the metal or metal hydride. A non-vaporous metal oxide resulting from the reaction is centrifugally separated from the hydrogen that drives the projectile.

Method of and apparatus for generating hydrogen and projectile

A projectile is accelerated in a bore of a barrel by applying a plasma to the bore behind the projectile. The plasma has a tendency to occupy a volume in the bore behind a location in the bore where the plasma is applied. A magnetic field is applied to the plasma synchronously with application of the plasma to the bore for substantially preventing the plasma from flowing into the bore volume behind the location.

Plasma projectile accelerator with valve means for preventing the

A projectile is accelerated in a barrel bore by applying a plasma jet to a projectile propelling fluid. The plasma jet is derived from a structure forming a capillary passage having a wall formed by a low molecular weight, dielectric powdery filler or water in many rigid containers, shaped as spheres or straw-like tubes having axes parallel to the passage longitudinal axis. The fluid and jet interact so the fluid is heated by the jet, whereby low atomic weight constituents of the fluid are sufficiently heated to become mixed with the plasma to form a high pressure mixture that is injected into the bore to accelerate the projectile. The fluid is dragged into the plasma during mixing to cool the plasma and form a boundary layer between the plasma and the barrel walls so that the mixture does not cause substantial damage to the walls of the bore. The plasma is energized by applying voltage from an electric pulse source to electrodes at opposite ends of the passage. The pulse has a wave shape and duration for initially igniting the plasma source and for thereafter applying energy to the ignited plasma to control the pressure of the mixture. Initially, the fluid cools the plasma without the mixture developing sufficient pressure to accelerate the projectile appreciably. The wave shape and duration are such that the pressure applied to the projectile remains substantially constant while the projectile is being accelerated through the barrel, as occurs during about one-half of the projectile travel time in the barrel.

Plasma propulsion apparatus and method

Atmospheric drag and heating of the forwardmost portions of high speed transatmospheric vehicles and projectiles are reduced by lowering the atmospheric mass density immediately forward of a moving body. A fine high speed stream or jet of a material containing a chemically interactive component is ejected forwardly of such a body moving at high speed with respect to the atmosphere and, in a preferred embodiment of this invention ignites by interaction with the oncoming atmosphere and forms a sustained zone of combustion that, in effect, acts as a maintained 'fireball' that explodes away ambient atmosphere transversely of the moving body so that there is generated a zone of low atmospheric density immediately in front of the forwardmost portion of the body. A supply of ejectable material and equipment for forcibly driving the same through a nozzle are carried with the body. The ejected material is preferably pressurized to render it flowable before ejection. The addition of fine particulate material and/or material forming long chain molecules to the flammable component of ejected material facilitates projection of the fireball ahead of the moving body and, also, to increase the transverse dimension of the zone of reduced atmospheric mass density generated thereby.

Apparatus and method for facilitating supersonic motion of bodies

A high pressure plasma initially formed from a fluidizable substance in a confined region of a passage behind a projectile in the passage initially accelerates the projectile toward an open end of the passage. The plasma is intially derived by supplying a discharge current to an electrode in the substance. The plasma in the confined region is ohmically heated by an azimuthal current generated in the plasma by an AC magnetic field that is coaxial with the passage or by a discharge current flowing longitudinally through the passage and projectile. A cartridge includes the projectile and a wall of the passage that is evaporated after the projectile has been fired so the evaporant flows out of the passage after the projectile.

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McLean, VA, United States of America

Derek A Tidman