Reusable resettable retriggerable rebuildable squibless missile battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10529995-B2
Application number	US-201514856989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2015
Priority date	Sep 17, 2015
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

A receptacle in the body of a missile includes a plurality of electrical contacts connected to one or more electrically powered devices within the missile and configured to connect to an electrical power source. The receptacle receives a removable and reusable battery pack including connectors contacting the plurality of electrical contacts when the battery pack is mounted within the receptacle and one or more non-chemical, squibless batteries, preferably comprised of high power density primary cell lithium metal oxide cells. An interface circuit coupled to the squibless batteries initiates, terminates, and re-initiates delivery of electrical power from the squibless batteries to the plurality of electrical contacts based on a control input. Transportation, storage, and use risks associated with squibs in chemical batteries are avoided. During development testing, battery power may be shut down and restarted without the battery first becoming fully depleted and replaced shortening overall testing time and reducing expense.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerial vehicle, comprising:
a housing forming at least a portion of a body of the aerial vehicle;
a plurality of electrical contacts within the housing and electrically connected to one or more electrically-powered devices within the aerial vehicle;
one or more squibless battery packs supported within the housing and removable from the housing, each battery pack including:
connectors electrically connected to the plurality of electrical contacts within the housing when the battery pack is mounted within the housing, and
one or more squibless batteries; and

an interface circuit electrically coupled between the connectors for the one or more squibless batteries and at least one of the one or more electrically-powered devices, the interface circuit including:
first and second dual-input drivers,
a first control input coupled to the first dual-input driver and configured to receive a first control signal for initiating delivery of electrical power to the at least one device,
a second control input coupled to the first dual-input driver and configured to receive a second control signal for terminating the delivery of the electrical power to the at least one device, and
a third control input coupled to the second dual-input driver and configured to receive a third control signal for latching the delivery of the electrical power until reset and for resetting the latching of the delivery of the electrical power.

2. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more squibless battery packs are formed by primary cell lithium metal oxide cells.

3. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the interface circuit is further configured to switch the delivery of the electrical power from a first voltage to a second voltage based on an output voltage control signal.

4. The aerial vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein:
the one or more squibless batteries comprise a first set of batteries and a second set of batteries, and
the delivery of the electrical power at the first voltage employs only one of the first and second sets of batteries while the delivery of the electrical power at the second voltage employs both of the first and second sets of batteries.

5. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein, when the delivery of the electrical power to the at least one device has been terminated, the interface circuit is configured to reinitiate the delivery of the electrical power to the at least one device in response to the first control signal being applied to the first control input coupled to the first dual-input driver.

6. The aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein each battery pack includes the interface circuit.

7. The aerial vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the interface circuit further includes a fourth control input configured to receive the output voltage control signal for selecting one of the first voltage or the second voltage.

8. A method, comprising:
providing, within a housing forming at least a portion of a body of an aerial vehicle, a plurality of electrical contacts electrically connected to one or more electrically-powered devices within the aerial vehicle;
supporting one or more battery packs within the housing in a removable manner, each battery pack including:
connectors electrically connected to the plurality of electrical contacts within the housing when the battery pack is mounted within the housing, and
one or more squibless batteries; and

employing an interface circuit electrically coupled between the connectors for the one or more squibless batteries and at least one of the one or more electrically-powered devices, the interface circuit including:
first and second dual-input drivers,
a first control input coupled to the first dual-input driver and configured to receive a first control signal for initiating delivery of electrical power to the at least one device,
a second control input coupled to the first dual-input driver and configured to receive a second control signal for terminating the delivery of the electrical power to the at least one device, and
a third control input coupled to the second dual-input driver and configured to receive a third control signal for latching the delivery of the electrical power until reset and for resetting the latching of the delivery of the electrical power.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the one or more squibless batteries are primary cell lithium metal oxide cells.

10. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
switching the delivery of the electrical power from a first voltage to a second voltage based on an output voltage control signal received by the interface circuit.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein:
the one or more squibless batteries comprise a first set of batteries and a second set of batteries, and
the delivery of the electrical power at the first voltage employs only one of the first and second sets of batteries while the delivery of the electrical power at the second voltage employs both of the first and second sets of batteries.

12. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
following termination of the delivery of the electrical power to the at least one device, reinitiating the delivery of the electrical power to the at least one device in response to the first control signal being applied to the first control input coupled to the first dual-input driver.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein each battery pack includes the interface circuit.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the interface circuit further includes a fourth control input configured to receive the output voltage control signal for selecting one of the first voltage or the second voltage.

15. A battery system, comprising:
a battery pack sized to be supported within a receptacle in a body of an aerial vehicle and configured to be removable from the receptacle, the battery pack including:
connectors configured to be electrically connected to a plurality of electrical contacts within the receptacle that are electrically connected to one or more electrically-powered devices within the aerial vehicle, and
one or more squibless batteries; and

an interface circuit configured to be electrically coupled between the connectors for the one or more squibless batteries and at least one of the one or more electrically-powered devices, the interface circuit including:
first and second dual-input drivers,
a first control input coupled to the first dual-input driver and configured to receive a first control signal for initiating delivery of electrical power to the at least one device,
a second control input coupled to the first dual-input driver and configured to receive a second control signal for terminating the delivery of the electrical power to the at least one device, and
a third control input coupled to the second dual-input driver and configured to receive a third control signal for latching the delivery of the electrical power until reset and for resetting the latching of the delivery of the electrical power.

16. The battery system according to claim 15 , wherein the one or more squibless batteries are primary cell lithium metal oxide cells.

17. The battery system according to claim 15 , wherein the interface circuit is further configured to switch the delivery of the electrical power from a first voltage to a second voltage based on an output voltage control signal.

18. The battery system according to claim 17 , wherein:
the one or more squibless batte

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Miller Jr Joseph Brent
• Murphy Timothy A
• Golding Donald J

Classifications

• F42B35/00

  Testing or checking of ammunition {(apparatus for measuring the energy of projectiles G01L5/14)} · CPC title

• F42B15/01

  Arrangements thereon for guidance or control ({steering arrangements F42B10/60}; aircraft flight control B64C; guidance systems other than those installed aboard F41G7/00, F41G9/00; locating by use of radio or other waves G01S; flight control in general G05D1/00; computer aspects G06]) · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H02J2207/20

  Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter · CPC title

• F42B15/00

  Self-propelled projectiles or missiles, e.g. rockets; Guided missiles (F42B10/00, F42B12/00, F42B14/00 take precedence; for practice or training F42B8/12; rocket torpedoes F42B17/00; marine torpedoes F42B19/00; cosmonautic vehicles B64G; jet-propulsion plants F02K) · CPC title