Ordnance – Fuse setters – Combined with projecting – launching or releasing devices
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-13
2003-05-06
Carone, Michael J. (Department: 3644)
Ordnance
Fuse setters
Combined with projecting, launching or releasing devices
C102S215000, C102S270000, C089S006000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06557450
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable.
STATEMENT OF FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The invention claimed and disclosed herein may be manufactured and used by, or on behalf of, the Government of the United States of America for government purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.
REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a system for monitoring inductive fuze setter systems for large-caliber guns, and more particularly to an apparatus and process for continuously monitoring and indicating the power level of a fuze setter system of large-caliber guns configured to fire inductively-fuzed shells.
Inductive fuze setter systems are known and have been used for setting fuzes in shell munitions for large caliber guns. For instance, a typical inductive fuze setter system is installed in the gun mount of the 5-inch 54 caliber Mark (Mk) 45 gun used aboard United States Navy vessels. The fuze setter system is used to pass fuzing data to and from inductively set fuzes of shells fired by the gun.
Hereinafter in this application, such large-caliber guns are collectively referred to as “gun” or “guns,” as grammar and form requires. Technically, the term “gun” is understood, within the scope of this application, to mean barrel and rifle weapons of the military type described previously, but may also encompass mortar-type devices, and any other type of gun that fires inductively-fuzed rockets, missiles or equivalent weaponry.
The term “shell,” means any kind of ammunition or munitions which is capable of carrying inductive fuze components and circuitry and is capable of receiving fuzing data inductively transmitted by a fuze setter system to the fuze of the shell.
The term “fuze” comprises any fuze known in the art that includes circuitry and components (e.g., a fuze coil) and other elements necessary to make the fuze operable to receive and send fuzing data inductively to the fuze setter system of the gun.
A typical fuze setter system, in a gun such as the Mk 45 system described previously, includes a fuze setter coil. Generally, the fuze setter system, including the fuze setter coil, is disposed within the gun mount so that the fuze setter coil is further disposed in close proximity to the shells as the shells are prepared for loading into the breech of the gun for firing.
The fuze setter coil may be connected as part of an R-L-C resonant circuit, and is operable to receive an excitation (carrier) signal from the fuze setter system. The carrier signal induces a magnetic field around the fuze setter coil, and the magnetic field is used to establish a data link with the fuze of the shell. The magnetic field induced in the fuze setter coil also functions to inductively power the circuitry and other components of the fuze of the shell. By the data link, fuzing data (forward data) may be transferred from the fuze setter system to the fuze of the shell, typically by the fuze setter system modulating the carrier signal. The fuze setter system may also receive data (reverse data) from the fuze of the shell, typically by the fuze effectuating phase-shift in the R-L-C circuit.
Therefore, in a typical inductive fuze setter system, the fuze setter system sends a carrier signal that induces a magnetic field in a fuze setter coil. The magnetic field establishes a data link with the fuze of the shell, and by the data link fuzing forward data and reverse data are communicated between the fuze setter system and the fuze of the shell. The fuze setter coil provides fuze-setting data to the fuze circuitry and also provides power for the fuze circuitry of the shell to function properly.
The strength of the magnetic field induced in a fuze setter coil by the fuze setter system, often referred to as coil “power,” is typically measured (in milliwatts) during assembly of the fuze setter system by using a standard receiving coil connected to a standard receiving circuit. Standard receiving circuits are known in the art and are used to measure and calibrate fuze setter system circuitry during assembly and testing of the system. In this field of technology, for example, a standard receiving coil takes the place of the fuze coil and standard circuitry takes the place of the fuze circuitry.
Therefore, during assembly of the fuze setter system the standard receiving coil and receiving circuits may be used to test a fuze setter system's ability to induce sufficient magnetic field strength in a fuze setter coil, and thereby test the ability of the fuze setter coil to establish an adequate data link with the fuze circuitry of a shell.
Effective fuze setting is accomplished when the reverse data received by the fuze setter system from the fuze circuitry of the shell (by phase modulation) has the same content as the forward data sent by the fuze setter system to the fuze circuitry of the shell (by pulse-width modulation). If the reverse data contains different data than the forward data sent to the fuze circuitry of the shell, there is a probability that the fuze is not properly set, and consequently that the shell will not function properly when it is fired from the gun.
In past systems there are typically two types of problems associated with the operation of fuze setter systems to effectively send and receive data from the fuze circuit of inductively-fuzed shells. First, the data may be corrupted in some manner, whether forward data sent by the fuze data or reverse data received from the fuze of the shell.
Second, the data may be uncorrupted, but the power level induced by the fuze setter coil in the fuze circuitry of the shell is insufficient for the fuze circuit to function properly and thereby set the fuze of the shell. The strength of the magnetic field induced in the fuze setter coil by the carrier signal directly correlates to the ability of the fuze circuitry of the shell to accurately set the fuze of the shell. Therefore, monitoring the strength of the magnetic field induced in the fuze setter coil by the carrier signal is an effective way to determine if the data link is adequate for accurate forward and reverse data transmission.
A disadvantage of past fuze setter-systems is that they cannot, during operational use of the gun system, monitor the strength of the magnetic field induced in the fuze setter coil (setter coil power) by the carrier signal of the fuze setter system. In past systems, fuze setter coil power is measured only during electrical acceptance testing of the gun system or during installation of the fuze setter system, including the fuze setter coil.
In past fuze setter systems, the operability of the fuzing data link is typically verified by performing an End Around Test (EAT), which is initiated from an external control panel. However, the strength of the magnetic field induced by the fuze setter system in the setter coil, a critical parameter for reliable fuze setting, cannot be determined without a special test set. For example, measurement of fuze setter coil power has typically required special test equipment. The special test equipment has been provided separately from the gun mount and fuze setter system and is often bulky and difficult to transport and use.
Typically, either a manual test set or a computer-based test set has been used to test fuze setter coil power in past fuze setter systems. The manual test set of past fuze setter systems includes a suitcase tester, standard receiver (coil and circuitry), two digital multimeters, and interconnecting cables. The computer-based test set of past fuze setter systems includes a laptop digital microcomputer, standard receiver, interface box, and interconnecting cables.
A disadvantage of both test sets, however, is that they are bulky and require setup time and specialized skills/training to operate. Furthermore, to perform this measurement on a fuze setter system installed in an operational gun, a field service representative has to travel on-site wi
Cox Gary M.
Phillips Larry
Carone Michael J.
Chambers Troy
Lopes, Esq. Crane L.
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of
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