Cluster rocket motor boosters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9534563-B2
Application number	US-201314100362-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2013
Priority date	Dec 9, 2013
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A projectile for firing from a launcher includes a propulsion stage having non-axisymmetric boosters arranged about a longitudinal axis of the propulsion stage. The propulsion stage may further include a central booster about which the non-axisymmetric boosters are arranged.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A projectile for firing from a launcher, the projectile comprising:
a propulsion stage having a plurality of boosters arranged about a longitudinal axis of the propulsion stage, wherein at least one booster of the plurality of boosters is non-axisymmetric;
further including a binding material jointly wrapped about the plurality of boosters and providing radially inwardly directed structural support to each of the boosters of the plurality of boosters; and
further including a central booster about which the plurality of boosters are arranged.

2. The projectile of claim 1 , wherein the central booster is axisymmetric.

3. The projectile of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of boosters each have a booster outer wall; and
wherein the booster outer walls each include an arcuate wall portion of the respective booster outer wall corresponding to a curvature of the central booster.

4. The projectile of claim 1 ,
wherein each booster of the plurality of boosters is non-axisymmetric;
wherein the non-axisymmetric boosters each have a booster outer wall;
wherein the booster outer walls each include a planar wall portion; and
wherein the non-axisymmetric boosters abut one another at the planar wall portions.

5. The projectile of claim 1 , as part of a projectile system,
wherein the projectile system also includes a projectile outer launch canister; and
wherein the projectile is at least partially interior to the projectile outer launch canister.

6. The projectile of claim 1 , at least one of the boosters of the plurality of boosters includes a longitudinally extending portion made of a flexible material.

7. The projectile of claim 6 , wherein the binding material compressively restrains the plurality of boosters effecting compression of the at least one of the boosters of the plurality of boosters having a flexible material towards the other boosters of the plurality of boosters thereby effecting the non-axisymmetry.

8. A projectile propulsion stage comprising:
contiguous boosters arranged about a longitudinal axis of the propulsion stage; and
a binding material wrapped about the contiguous boosters;
wherein at least one of the contiguous boosters is non-axisym metric;
wherein the contiguous boosters include an axisymmetric primary booster and non-axisymmetric boosters arranged about the primary booster;
wherein each of the non-axisym metric boosters has two substantially planar surfaces; and
wherein each of the non-axisym metric boosters is operatively coupled to adjacent of the non-axisymmetric boosters at the substantially planar surfaces.

9. The projectile propulsion stage of claim 8 , wherein longitudinally-extending portions of each of the contiguous boosters are integral parts of a unitary body of boosters.

10. The projectile propulsion stage of claim 8 , wherein longitudinally-extending portions of each of the contiguous boosters are continuous edgeless tubes.

11. The projectile propulsion stage of claim 8 ,
wherein the contiguous boosters define a central cavity therebetween; and
further including structural reinforcement material filling most of the cavity.

12. The projectile propulsion stage of claim 8 ,
wherein the primary booster is substantially cylindrical; and
wherein each of the non-axisym metric boosters has a concave curved surface corresponding to and contiguous with the substantially cylindrical primary booster.

13. The projectile propulsion stage of claim 8 , wherein four non-axisym metric boosters are arranged about the longitudinal axis.

14. The projectile propulsion stage of claim 8 , wherein the propulsion stage further includes deployable airbags each mounted between two of the contiguous boosters.

15. The projectile propulsion stage of claim 8 , further comprising:
nozzles; and
an actuation system operatively coupled to one nozzle for moving the one nozzle; and
wherein the one nozzle is further operatively coupled to additional nozzles for moving the additional nozzles.

16. The projectile propulsion stage of claim 8 ,
wherein the primary booster and the non-axisym metric boosters define cavities therebetween; and
further including structural reinforcement material filling most of each of the cavities.

17. The projectile of claim 8 , wherein the non-axisymmetry of the at least one of the contiguous boosters is effected via compressive force caused by the binding material wrapped about the contiguous boosters.

18. A method of deploying a projectile from a launcher, the method comprising the steps of:
igniting a propellant in a central booster of the projectile, thereby enabling egress of the projectile from the launcher;
igniting a propellant in non-axisymmetric peripheral boosters of the projectile abutting the central booster prior to exhaustion of the propellant in the central booster, thereby enabling propulsion of the projectile away from the launcher towards a target; and
radially-outwardly deploying outer inflatable airbags circumferentially spaced about the projectile, thereby effecting drag at an outer surface of a propulsion stage including the central booster, non-axisymmetric peripheral boosters, and airbags, to enable the propulsion stage to separate from a remainder of the projectile.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the inflatable airbags are mounted at locations between non-axisymmetric peripheral boosters.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Facciano Andrew B
• Gonzalez Juan
• Moore Robert T
• Alkema Michael S

Classifications

• B64G1/008

  Arrangement of launch rockets or boosters · CPC title

• B64G1/64

  Systems for coupling or separating cosmonautic vehicles or parts thereof, e.g. docking arrangements · CPC title

• F41F3/04

  for rockets · CPC title

• F02K9/763

  with solid propellant · CPC title

• B64G1/641

  Interstage or payload connectors (docking systems B64G1/646) · CPC title