Rheinmetall W & M Gmbh

Rheinmetall Industrie Gmbh

Rheinmetall Industries Ag

Gunter Stoffler

Herbert Krumm

Thomas Weise

Frank Venier

Adolf Nordmann

Johann Lorenz

Johannes Ehrhardt

A plasma injection device in combination with a projectile includes a reusable multi-part propellant case which has a cartridge base and an electrically insulating case body directly attached to the cartridge base. The case body has an interior, a front end and an opposite rearward end. The rearward end of the case body is directly attached to the cartridge base. The case body has an outer surface for engaging an inner surface of a weapon tube whereby the case body constitutes an obturator. An electrode is held in the cartridge base in direct contact therewith. The electrode extends into the electrically insulating material and is exposed to the interior of the case body. The device further includes a plasma-receiving container having a front end and a rearward end; the rearward end is attached to the front end of the case body. The case body and the plasma-receiving container are substantially consecutively disposed end-to-end. The front end of the plasma-receiving container is in engagement with the projectile, whereby the container is flanked by the case body and the projectile. The propellant case, the plasma-receiving container and the projectile form a structural unit.

Plasma injection device for an electrothermal gun

A plasma injection device (plasma burner) for a projectile has a multi-part propellant case and a plasma-receiving container attached to the propellant case. The multi-part propellant case includes a cartridge base; an electrically insulating case body directly attached to the cartridge base and also constituting an obturator; and an electrode held in and being electrically insulated from the cartridge base.

A gun barrel for a hybrid propellant/electrothermal gun has a first barrel portion; a second barrel portion axially separated from the first barrel portion; and an insulator unit forming a third barrel portion. The insulator unit connects the first and second barrel portions to one another and defines a plasma path. There is further provided an arrangement for placing the first barrel portion on a first electric potential and for placing the second barrel portion on a second electric potential. The first and second potentials are different from one another for generating, in the plasma path, an electric arc having an orientation parallel to the barrel axis for heating propellant gases which initially accelerate the projectile.

Hybrid propellant/electrothermal gun

Growing community of inventors

Vierkirchen, Germany

Gunter Stoffler