Aeronautics and astronautics – Missile stabilization or trajectory control – Automatic guidance
Patent
1982-07-02
1986-01-07
Jordan, Charles T.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Missile stabilization or trajectory control
Automatic guidance
60230, F41G 700, F02K 100
Patent
active
045629803
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a flight vehicle capable of controlled movement in the earth's atmosphere. This vehicle uses a single solid or liquid propellant rocket motor fitted to an airframe to product stable motion in both vertical and horizontal planes. No appendages such as wings or fins are required and the only control elements are control surfaces within the nozzle efflux, and hereinafter referred to as the "efflux".
Many rockets are fitted with gimballing nozzles, spoiler tabs and vane tabs of varying geometry to achieve the thrust vectoring and spin control needed to follow a desired flight path. Mostly they are used on high speed vehicles and often only during the boost phase. The prime direction of motion of these vehicles is along the rocket nozzle axis.
The object of the invention is to achieve low velocity horizontal flight with the main vehicle axis vertical or near vertical, the vertical component of thrust providing the vertical movement and supporting the vehicle mass at a desired height. A typical flight path would be ascent to a desired height followed by a controlled flight path within a horizontal plane and terminating, if needed, in a controlled descent.
The object of the invention is achieved only if the attitude of the vehicle is controlled very accurately to balance the flight loads. The method of achieving the control is to provide an excess in thrust over that nominally required for the desired flight and to use a combination of tabs and vanes inserted into the efflux to modulate the effective thrust under the control of an auto-pilot.
The controlled operation of the tabs and vanes provides a four component control system, namely, moments about three axes of the vehicle and thrust magnitude. The desired flight profile can be achieved by using a minimum of three ramp tabs to be described later, arranged generally symmetrically around the nozzle exit. The heading of the vehicle is controlled by a pair of vane tabs.
The method of controlling a rocket vehicle according to this invention comprises projecting generally symmetrically spaced spoiler ramp tabs both collectively and, yet differentially as required into the efflux to control lift and direction, and alternatively projecting oppositely directed rotation producing tab vanes into the efflux to control a rotation about the vehicle longitudinal axis.
A rocket vehicle with controlled lift heading and bearing correction comprises a series of generally symmetrically spaced spoiler ramp tabs mounted on the vehicle to be projectable into the efflux from the discharge nozzle and inclined rearwardly to the efflux to achieve spoiler and attitude effects, and rotation producing tab vanes which are angled so that when one or other is projected into the efflux, rotation of the vehicle in one or other direction about the vehicle longitudinal axis results.
To enable the nature of the invention to be fully appreciated, an embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but it is understood that the invention need not necessarily be limited to the form shown.
In the drawings
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing how a balance of flight loads is achieved when generally horizontal movement is required,
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the vehicle showing a preferred arrangement of tabs relative to the vehicle axes.
FIG. 3 is a rear view of the rocket showing the ramp tab and vane tab arrangement arranged about the nozzle,
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal central section of the rear end of the rocket to illustrate particularly the ramp tab mounting and actuating means,
FIG. 5 is a rear view similar to FIG. 3 but showing only the vane tabs and their mounting and actuating means,
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to FIG. 4 but showing only one ramp tab of a modified shape, and
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing how the various tabs are controlled.
FIG. 1 shows that the flight loads are: of gravity CG. through the centre of pressure. This force is the resistance to generally horizontal movement of the body in the air. line
REFERENCES:
patent: 3096049 (1963-07-01), Karasinski
patent: 3369772 (1968-02-01), Eberlein
patent: 3786993 (1974-01-01), Burgess et al.
patent: 3926390 (1975-12-01), Teuber et al.
patent: 3986683 (1976-10-01), Ellison
patent: 4023749 (1977-05-01), McCorkle, Jr.
patent: 4131246 (1978-12-01), Rotmans
patent: 4143837 (1979-03-01), Thunholm
patent: 4274610 (1981-06-01), Bastian
patent: 4432512 (1984-02-01), Young
Annual Report of the Weapons System Research Laboratory, Salisbury, South Australia, 1978-79, pp. 6, 7 and 27-29.
Crozier Malcolm J.
Deans Arnold L.
Smith Alan J.
Jordan Charles T.
The Commonwealth of Australia
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