A power generation assembly for a weapon system converts waste energy from a firing event to electric power. The power generation assembly directs expanding burning propellant gasses within the weapon system into a turbine array to generate electric current. The electric current is rectified to trickle charge a battery bank which then powers the weapon system.

A cooling device for a gun barrel has a muzzle assembly. The muzzle assembly has a shaft, a baffle, a turbine assembly, a compressor assembly, and a rotary drive tube. The rotary drive tube connects the turbine assembly to the compressor assembly. A heat exchanger may be releasably connected to the cooling device. A diffuser or muzzle device may be arranged downstream of the turbine assembly.

A cooling device for a gun barrel has a muzzle assembly. The muzzle assembly has a shaft, a baffle, a turbine assembly, a compressor assembly, and a rotary drive tube. The rotary drive tube connects the turbine assembly to the compressor assembly. A heat exchanger may be releasably connected to the cooling device. A diffuser or muzzle device may be arranged downstream of the turbine assembly.

Described herein is a thermal management system and methodology for a directed energy weapon on an aircraft. The thermal management system includes an evaporator in thermal communication with the directed energy weapon and operatively configured to cool the directed energy weapon by evaporating a refrigerant therein. The thermal management system also includes a refrigerant storage tank in fluid communication with the evaporator and a pump in fluid communication with the refrigerant storage tank and the evaporator configured to pump substantially liquid refrigerant to the evaporator.

Described herein is a thermal management system and methodology for a directed energy weapon on an aircraft. The thermal management system includes an evaporator in thermal communication with the directed energy weapon and operatively configured to cool the directed energy weapon by evaporating a refrigerant therein. The thermal management system also includes a refrigerant storage tank in fluid communication with the evaporator and a pump in fluid communication with the refrigerant storage tank and the evaporator configured to pump substantially liquid refrigerant to the evaporator.

A gun barrel cooler for cooling a firearm, such as an automatic, semi-automatic, bolt action or lever action rifle that includes a centrifugal fan blower with an intake to which ambient barrel coolant air is discharged from the blower where the air flows through a conduit that preferably is a flexible hose, through a coupling used to couple the hose to a barrel coolant discharge nozzle, and out the nozzle into the barrel of the gun desired to be cooled. The nozzle is three dimensionally shaped to substantially conform to the firing chamber of the gun to provide better sealing during cooling. A preferred nozzle is an empty cartridge case of substantially the same caliber as the gun to be cooled that is removably attached to the coupler thereby enabling cartridge cases of different calibers to be used to cool guns of different calibers.

A gun barrel cooler for cooling a firearm, such as an automatic, semi-automatic, bolt action or lever action rifle that includes a centrifugal fan blower with an intake to which ambient barrel coolant air is discharged from the blower where the air flows through a conduit that preferably is a flexible hose, through a coupling used to couple the hose to a barrel coolant discharge nozzle, and out the nozzle into the barrel of the gun desired to be cooled. The nozzle is three dimensionally shaped to substantially conform to the firing chamber of the gun to provide better sealing during cooling. A preferred nozzle is an empty cartridge case of substantially the same caliber as the gun to be cooled that is removably attached to the coupler thereby enabling cartridge cases of different calibers to be used to cool guns of different calibers.

An improved barrel clamp assembly for a multi-barreled minigun includes a barrel clamp tube having a front end, a rear end, and a plurality of longitudinal openings extending along a portion the length of the tube between the front end and the rear end. An impeller is mounted in the barrel clamp tube between the tube front end and the tube rear end. The impeller includes a plurality of impeller blades that are spaced around a periphery of the impeller and that project forward from a rear flange portion of the impeller and the impeller blades define a plurality of air channels. A barrel assembly includes the barrel clamp tube, a flash suppressor mounted to the front end of the barrel clamp tube, and a barrel clamp collar mounted to the rear end of the barrel clamp tube. The impeller is mounted to the barrel clamp tube between the flash suppressor and the barrel clamp collar.

An improved barrel clamp assembly for a multi-barreled minigun includes a barrel clamp tube having a front end, a rear end, and a plurality of longitudinal openings extending along a portion the length of the tube between the front end and the rear end. An impeller is mounted in the barrel clamp tube between the tube front end and the tube rear end. The impeller includes a plurality of impeller blades that are spaced around a periphery of the impeller and that project forward from a rear flange portion of the impeller and the impeller blades define a plurality of air channels. A barrel assembly includes the barrel clamp tube, a flash suppressor mounted to the front end of the barrel clamp tube, and a barrel clamp collar mounted to the rear end of the barrel clamp tube. The impeller is mounted to the barrel clamp tube between the flash suppressor and the barrel clamp collar.

An enclosure holds an air mover, a switch, and a power source such as one or more electric storage batteries. A hollow outflow tube receives air drawn into the enclosure by the air mover. An end of the outflow tube has an outer diameter selected to pass through the action of a firearm and into the firing chamber. When the end of the outflow tube is inserted into the chamber and the air mover is turned on, ambient air is drawn into the enclosure, through the air mover, through the outflow tube, into the chamber, through the bore of the barrel, and out the muzzle, thereby cooling the firearm's barrel. When the end of the outflow tube is inserted into a chamber, an embodiment provides a visual indication that the chamber does not contain a cartridge.