Brakes – Internal-resistance motion retarder – With heat exchanger
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-17
2004-10-12
Siconolfi, Robert A. (Department: 3683)
Brakes
Internal-resistance motion retarder
With heat exchanger
C042S001060, C089S198000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06802406
ABSTRACT:
GOVERNMENT INTEREST
The invention described herein may be manufactured, used and licensed by or for the United States Government.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to artillery. More particularly, the present invention relates to a valve system for improving the survivability of a large caliber gun by isolating the hydraulic recoil system from the hydraulic power components during the recoil/counterrecoil cycle and preserving the hydraulic fluid in the recoil system upon failure of any, of the hydraulic supply or return components.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The current trend in the military is for deployable lightweight units which provide comparable lethality and effectiveness as provided by multiple traditional heavier units. This trend particularly applies to artillery which benefits from advances in munitions and automatic loading schemes. For example, currently used 155 mm self-propelled howitzers have a maximum rate of fire of four rounds a minute for up to three minutes. In order to reduce the total deployed units, there is a need then for a single weapon with a rate of fire two to three times that of current units. The drawback to this approach is that a single component failure on the weapon could shut down the equivalent of an entire artillery battery.
There is a need then to ensure that the new artillery unit can withstand the increased operational demands. The weapon must be more reliable while maintaining high fire rates. In order to achieve the required firing rates, a number of subsystems within the weapon must evolve to withstand increased service demands. The sustained rate of fire creates extremely high temperatures within the barrel and the recoil system. Conventional large caliber guns utilize an integral sealed recoil brake in which a piston coupled to the barrel forces a fluid through a set of metering orifices during the recoil movement. As the firing rate increases so does the temperature of the fluid. Eventually the fluid reaches a thermal limit and the gun must stop firing.
There is a need then for a survivable cooled recoil system. A typical cooling system, utilizing a combination of pumps, filters and a heat exchanger, increases the complexity of the recoil system. The gun must be able to continue operating should one of these systems fail due to mechanical or operational reasons. Furthermore, a recoil brake for a large caliber gun generates hydraulic pressures as high as 6500 psi, vacuum conditions, pressure spikes, and reversals of flow all induced by the action of the recoil piston. A hydraulic fluid cooling system subject to such extreme operating conditions would be cost and size prohibitive.
There is a need then to provide a hydraulic recoil system for a large caliber gun that is capable of maintaining high rates of sustained fire. The recoil system should be cooled so as to maintain the high sustained fire volumes. The recoil system should be survivable so that the weapon does not become useless should a thermal control component fail or suffer damage. Further, the recoil system should not hinder deployability of the weapon by excessively increasing weight or size.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The recoil brake isolation system of the present invention substantially meets the aforementioned needs. The system uses two sets of valves to control fluid flow for use with any piston style hydraulic recoil brake requiring active cooling due to high rates of fire. One set of valves is disposed along the hydraulic fluid supply line for the recoil system while the other set of valves is disposed on the return line. Valve activation occurs due to changes in hydraulic pressure as experienced by individual valves. The system does not require any wiring, software or electrical controls. The present invention relates to the arrangement, orchestration and functioning of the valves during the various modes of recoil, counterrecoil, and subsystem failure.
During normal operations, the valves allow the fluid within the recoil brake to be circulated through the thermal dissipation system (TDS). Upon firing, the recoil/counterrecoil mode is automatically activated so that the valves protect the heat exchanger and fluid circulating equipment from pressure spikes, vacuum, high pressure conditions and reversal of flow. In the event of a subsystem failure, such as the loss of a supply line, the valves revert to a sealed mode system so as to minimize fluid loss and prevent ingestion of air by the recoil system. This allows continued operation of the weapon until thermal limits are reached. The system can return to operation after cooling below the thermal threshold.
The present invention is a recoil brake isolation system, adaptable to any large caliber artillery piece using a piston style hydraulic recoil system, which incorporates an arrangement of valves to control fluid flow within the recoil system so as to maintain high rates of sustained fire under normal firing situations and an isolation mode which allows for continued use if the thermal system is damaged or fails. The present invention is further a method of configuring a valve system so as to minimize weight and maximize survivability of a large caliber artillery piece.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3964365 (1976-06-01), Zielinski
patent: 3991650 (1976-11-01), Garland et al.
patent: 4088059 (1978-05-01), Hayner
patent: 4587882 (1986-05-01), Metz
patent: 4591342 (1986-05-01), Lipp
patent: 4656921 (1987-04-01), Zierler
patent: 4757960 (1988-07-01), Paris et al.
patent: 4867038 (1989-09-01), Metz
patent: 4875402 (1989-10-01), Metz
patent: 4955281 (1990-09-01), Metz et al.
patent: H001010 (1992-01-01), Kasten et al.
patent: 5168120 (1992-12-01), Rossel
patent: 5555919 (1996-09-01), Lipp
patent: 6625983 (2003-09-01), Kawasaki
patent: 0491106 (1995-03-01), None
Kramer Devon
Patterson Thuente Skaar & Christensen P.A.
Siconolfi Robert A.
United Defense L.P.
LandOfFree
Recoil brake isolation system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Recoil brake isolation system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Recoil brake isolation system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3330301