Raytheon Company

John Rascon

Mark J Meisner

John Regis Leach

Anthony V Formica

Manuel E Gonzales

Christopher Schott

Jonathan Charles French

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

A vacuum insulated blast tube includes an insulating layer of a burn resistant material such as phenolic resin formed on an interior surface of the blast tube to provide the necessary erosion and thermal insulation properties to protect the blast tube and a vacuum insulated layer formed in the walls of the blast tube itself to provide the additional thermal insulation properties to protect any non-propulsive sub-systems positioned in the void space around the blast tube. A void space in the walls of the blast tube is held under vacuum with a pressure of less than 25 Torr and a thermal conductivity Tcond_vac of less than one-third of the thermal conductivity of air Tcond_air to form the vacuum insulation layer.

Vacuum insulated blast tube

A vacuum insulation layer is wrapped around the length of a warhead to thermally insulate the warhead from fire or aerodynamic heating. The vacuum insulation layer may be integrally formed into the warhead casing or provided as a sleeve that may be permanently or removably positioned about the warhead casing. The vacuum insulation layer is held under vacuum with a pressure of less than 25 Torr and a thermal conductivity Tcond_vac of less than one-third of the thermal conductivity of air Tcond_air.

Vacuum insulated warhead

A heavy inert gas insulation layer is wrapped around the length of a warhead to thermally insulate the warhead from fire or aerodynamic heating. The insulation layer may be integrally formed into the warhead casing or provided as a sleeve that may be permanently or removably positioned about the warhead casing. The insulation layer contains an inert gas such as Argon, Krypton, Xenon or a synthetic gas having a density of at least 1.5 kg/mand a thermal conductivity Tcond_gas no greater than two-thirds of the thermal conductivity of air Tcond_air.

Heavy inert gas insulated warhead

An insulated blast tube includes an insulating layer of a burn resistant material such as phenolic resin formed on an interior surface of the blast tube to provide the necessary erosion and thermal insulation properties to protect the blast tube and a heavy inert gas insulated layer formed in the walls of the blast tube itself to provide the additional thermal insulation properties to protect any non-propulsive sub-systems positioned in the void space around the blast tube. A void space in the walls of the blast tube contains an inert gas such as Argon, Krypton, Xenon or a synthetic inert gas having a density of at least 1.5 kg/mand a thermal conductivity Tcond_gas of no greater than two-thirds the thermal conductivity of air Tcond_air to form the heavy inert gas insulation layer.

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Tucson, AZ, United States of America

John Rascon