Method and apparatus for executing a weapon safety system utilizing explosive flux compression

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9658044-B2
Application number	US-201514636449-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2015
Priority date	Mar 3, 2015
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

There is a firing and arming system, such as an activation system, of a munition for quickly and accurately activating a warhead or a propulsion system of the activation system. An initiator interface of the activation system activates the warhead or propulsion system. At least one power source is included in the activation system to provide the initial power for activation of the initiator interface and subsequent activating of the respective warhead or propulsion system. Logic elements are communicatively disposed between the at least one power source and a flux compression generator circuit to control activation of the generator. The flux compression generator circuit is at least partially detonated to transform current received from the at least one power source into sufficient current for activating the initiator interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An activation system of a munition for activating a warhead or a propulsion system of the munition, the activation system comprising:
an initiator interface that activates the warhead or the propulsion system;
first and second logic elements; and
a flux compression generator circuit for being powered by a power source and communicatively connected to the logic elements and to the initiator interface;
wherein activation of the flux compression generator circuit via switching of the logic elements causes current to flow from the flux compression generator circuit to the initiator interface, resulting in activation of the initiator interface and subsequent activating of the respective warhead or propulsion system.

2. The activation system of claim 1 , wherein the flux compression generator circuit includes an inductor for receiving current from the power source upon switching of the first logic element, and a circuit detonator for being triggered by the power source to detonate upon switching of both the first logic element and the second logic element, causing shorting of the inductor and increasing current in the inductor.

3. The activation system of claim 1 , wherein the initiator interface is an exploding foil initiator.

4. The activation system of claim 1 , wherein the flux compression generator circuit further includes a physically-activated shorting switch, and wherein current does not flow from the flux compression generator circuit to the initiator interface until switching of the physically-activated shorting switch.

5. The activation system of claim 4 , wherein the physically-activated shorting switch is automatically activated in response to detonation of a portion of the flux compression generator, the detonation being caused by the activation of the flux compression generator.

6. The activation system of claim 2 , wherein the flux compression generator circuit further includes a physically-activated shorting switch communicatively coupled between the inductor and the initiator interface, wherein the flux compression generator circuit is configured to cause current to flow from the flux compression generator circuit to the initiator interface upon switching of the physically-activated shorting switch.

7. The activation system of claim 2 , further including the power source, coupled to each of the first and second logic elements.

8. The activation system of claim 2 ,
wherein the circuit detonator includes explosive material encased by a detonator housing;
wherein the inductor coil is wrapped about the detonator housing; and
wherein detonation of the explosive material causes the detonator housing to expand radially outwardly, causing the inductor coil to short and causing current in the inductor coils to increase until the subsequently increased current is released into the initiator interface, thus activating the initiator interface.

9. The activation system of claim 8 ,
wherein the inductor coil includes lead turns at a first longitudinal end of the coil and lag turns at a second and opposite longitudinal end of the coil,
wherein detonation of the explosive material causes the subsequently increased current to be directed into the lag turns; and
wherein the lag turns and the initiator interface are electrically separated by a switch that is switched via explosive force caused by the detonation.

10. The activation system of claim 9 , wherein the circuit detonator is disposed radially inwardly of the lead turns of the inductor coil and is longitudinally spaced along a longitudinal coil axis of the inductor coil from the lag turns of the inductor coil.

11. The activation system of claim 2 , further including a timing element communicatively connected to the first and second logic elements, and configured to switch the second logic element after a predetermined period of time has passed after the switching of the first logic element.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Bonbrake Tim B
• Christianson Kim L
• Kim Henri Y

Classifications

• H01L41/113

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02N2/18

  producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators (for measurement devices G01) · CPC title

• H03K3/53

  by the use of an energy-accumulating element discharged through the load by a switching device controlled by an external signal and not incorporating positive feedback (H03K3/335 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F42C11/04 Primary

  with current induction · CPC title

• H10N30/30

  with mechanical input and electrical output, e.g. functioning as generators or sensors · CPC title