NON-INITIATING TANDEM WARHEAD WITH PRECURSOR FORMING POWDER JET AGAINST EXPLOSIVE REACTIVE ARMOR

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tandem warhead including a precursor neutralizing an explosive reactive armor, which is an additional armor of tanks, without detonating it and a main warhead configured to destroy a main armor, and more particularly to a non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming powder jet against the explosive reactive armor, the powder jet leaving behind no residue of the precursor jet to maximize the penetration capability of the main warhead jet.

Claims

1. A non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet against an explosive reactive armor, comprising: a projectile body (100) equipped with warheads inside; a precursor (200) disposed at the front inside the projectile body (100) to form a powder jet; and a main warhead (300) disposed behind the precursor (200) inside the projectile body (100) to penetrate a main armor through a penetration hole created by the precursor (200).

2. The non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet against an explosive reactive armor of claim 1, wherein the precursor (200) penetrates the main armor without detonating the explosive reactive armor (20).

3. The non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet against an explosive reactive armor of claim 1, wherein penetration holes are created in both the explosive reactive armor and the main armor, the penetration hole in the explosive reactive armor being larger than the penetration hole in the main armor.

4. The non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet against an explosive reactive armor of claim 3, wherein the penetration hole in the explosive reactive armor (20) is created by the precursor, and the precursor may include a powder jet formation liner (210) made of metal powder and a first charge (220) applying explosive pressure towards the powder jet formation liner (210)

5. The non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor against an explosive reactive armor of claim 4, wherein the powder jet formation liner (210) is concave towards the front of the projectile body (100).

6. The non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor against an explosive reactive armor of claim 4, wherein the powder jet formation liner (210) is deformed into a powder jet protruding towards the explosive reactive armor (20) by the pressure of the first charge (220).

7. The non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor of claim against an explosive reactive armor of claim 4, wherein the powder jet formation liner (210) is made by mixing metal powder and a binder, molding the mixture into a liner shape using powder injection molding, removing the binding using solvent and thermal degreasing technique, pre-sintering the binder-free structure to make a skeleton, and then impregnating the skeleton with a polymer-based material.

8. The non-initiating tandem warhead with a main warhead against an explosive reactive armor of claim 1, wherein the main warhead (300) may include a main warhead liner (310) and a second charge (320).

9. The non-initiating tandem warhead with a main warhead against an explosive reactive armor of claim 8, wherein a certain cavity is formed between the main warhead and the precursor (200).

10. The non-initiating tandem warhead with a main warhead against an explosive reactive armor of claim 8, wherein the main warhead liner (310) is concave towards the front of the projectile body (100).

11. The non-initiating tandem warhead with a main warhead against an explosive reactive armor of claim 10, wherein the main warhead liner (310) is deformed into a jet shape protruding towards the explosive reactive armor (20) by explosive pressure of the second charge (320).

12. The non-initiating tandem warhead with a main warhead against an explosive reactive armor of claim 8, wherein the main warhead (300) further may include an explosive wave modulator (330) provided inside the second charge (320) to change a path of explosive pressure.

13. The non-initiating tandem warhead with a main warhead against an explosive reactive armor of claim 12, wherein the explosive wave modulator (330) is made of either plastics or metals.

14. A non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet against an explosive reactive armor, comprising: a projectile body (100) equipped with warheads inside; a precursor (200) disposed at the front inside the projectile body (100); and a main warhead (300) disposed in the rear inside the projectile body (100), wherein both a powder jet formation liner (210) of the precursor and a main warhead liner (310) of the main warhead have a tapering shape that widens towards the front.

15. A non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet against an explosive reactive armor, comprising: a projectile body (100) equipped with warheads inside; a precursor (200) disposed at the front inside the projectile body (100); and a main warhead (300) disposed in the rear inside the projectile body (100), wherein the precursor creates a penetration hole in the explosive reactive armor by the powder jet.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] FIG. 1 is a conceptual view of a non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet against an explosive reactive armor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 2A illustrates a powder jet of a non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet in an explosive reactive armor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 2B illustrates a typical shaped charge with a precursor forming a powder jet in an explosive reactive armor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 2C illustrates a penetrator by a non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet in an explosive reactive armor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 3A illustrates an X-ray of a powder jet of a non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet against an explosive reactive armor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 3B illustrates an X-ray of a typical shaped charge jet of a non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet against an explosive reactive armor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a flowchart for manufacturing a powder jet formation liner in a non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet against an explosive reactive armor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a conceptual view of the operation of a tandem-shaped charge warhead.

[0026] FIG. 6 is a conceptual view of the operation of a non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet against an explosive reactive armor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 7 is a photograph showing the test results of a precursor forming a powder jet according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] The present invention relates to a tandem warhead including a precursor neutralizing an explosive reactive armor, which is an additional armor for tanks, without detonating it and a main warhead configured to destroy a main armor. In particular, the precursor forms a powder jet and leaves behind no residue to maximize the penetration capability of the main warhead.

[0029] Hereinafter, a non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet against an explosive reactive armor according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a conceptual longitudinal view of a non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet against an explosive reactive armor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows that the tandem warhead of the present invention may include a projectile body 100 equipped with warheads inside, a precursor 200 disposed at the front inside the projectile body 100 to create a penetration hole without detonating a steel plate and an explosive of an explosive reactive armor 20, and a main warhead 300 disposed behind the precursor 200 inside the projectile body 100 to penetrate a main armor through the penetration hole created by the precursor 200.

[0032] Here, the precursor 200 is configured to penetrate the explosive reactive armor 20 of tanks without detonating it and may include a powder jet formation liner 210 made of metal powder and a first charge 220 applying explosive pressure towards the powder jet formation liner 210.

[0033] At this time, the powder jet formation liner 210 is concave towards the front of the projectile body 100 and may have various forms such as a cone, a trumpet, a dish employed in the explosively formed penetrator technology, and the like.

[0034] An explosive wave modulator may be mounted in the first charge (220) as needed.

[0035] The material for the powder jet formation liner 210 may include metal powder materials such as aluminum, tungsten, copper, and the like.

[0036] The powder jet formation liner 210, when put to use, may be deformed into a powder jet shape protruding towards the explosive reactive armor 20 and main armor 10 by the explosive pressure of the first charge 220 to effectively create a path for the main warhead 300 to pass through.

[0037] Compared to conventional liners manufactured by forging, the powder jet formation liner 210 has a lower density, and thus weight reduction of the warhead is made possible.

[0038] The first charge 220 may use high-explosive explosives with RDS, HMX, and the like as the main components.

[0039] On the other hand, as can be seen in the following mathematical equation regarding the detonation criterion of the explosive, the density of the jet is one of the key factors in detonating the explosive. [Mathematical Equation]

[00001]$I_{\mathrm{Cr}}=\frac{v^{{}_{}2}}{{\left(1+\sqrt{\frac{{}_t}{{}_p}}\right)}^2}.Math.d,$

where [0040] ICr: detonation threshold of the explosive in the explosive reactive armor [0041] v: velocity of the penetrator (jet), [0042] p: density of the perpetrator (jet), [0043] t: density of the explosive in the explosive reactive armor, and [0044] d: diameter of the perpetrator.

[0045] Accordingly, the powder jet formation liner 210 configured to form a jet in a low-density powder form is employed in order not to detonate the explosive of the explosive reactive armor 20.

[0046] In other words, it is important to design the precursor such that a powder jet dense and fast enough to penetrate a reinforced steel plate without exceeding the threshold value ICr in order not to detonate the explosive used in the latest explosive reactive armor can be formed.

[0047] Compared to the jet of a typical shaped charge warhead, the powder jet formed in the precursor 200 by the powder jet formation liner 210, manufactured in the manner described above, may create a relatively larger penetration hole to create a path for the main warhead jet to pass through. In other words, the penetration hole in the explosive reactive armor created by the powder jet is larger than the penetration hole in the main armor. This is because the powder jet diffuses as it is ejected in powder form while the liner deforms the jet formed by the main warhead into a thin and sharp jet shape.

[0048] At this time, the diameter of the penetration hole created by the precursor 200 in the explosive reactive armor is at least 0.3 times the charge diameter (CD).

[0049] A main warhead liner 310 is provided so that a certain cavity is formed between the main warhead 300 and the precursor 200 in the projectile body 100.

[0050] A second charge 320 configured to provide explosive pressure towards the main warhead liner 310 is provided behind the main warhead liner.

[0051] Here, the main warhead liner 310 is concave towards the front of the projectile body 100 may have various tapering forms that widen towards the front, such as a cone, a trumpet, and the like.

[0052] An explosive wave modulator 330 may be provided inside the second charge 320 as needed.

[0053] The material for the main warhead liner 310 may include metals such as copper, aluminum, iron, and the like.

[0054] The second charge 320, like the precursor 200, may use high-explosive explosives with RDX, HMX, and the like as the main components, and the explosive wave modulator may use plastics such as polycarbonate and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTEF) and metals such as aluminum and iron.

[0055] The jet generated by the main warhead must possess sufficiently high kinetic energy to penetrate the main armor, and this energy requirement depends on the materials used for the explosive, liner, and explosive wave modulator.

[0056] The main warhead liner 310 is deformed into a jet shape protruding towards the explosive reactive armor 20 and the main armor 10 by the explosive pressure of the second charge 320 so that the main warhead jet can smoothly pass through the penetration path created by the precursor 200.

[0057] The precursor 200, when used against tanks, creates a penetration hole without detonating the explosive of the explosive reactive armor 200 and forms a powder jet to leave behind no residue so that the main warhead may smoothly penetrate the main armor 10.

[0058] FIG. 2 compares the powder jet of a non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming the powder jet against an explosive reactive armor according to an embodiment of the present invention with a typical shaped charge jet. FIG. 2A illustrates the shape of the powder jet of a non-initiating tandem warhead according to the present invention, the powder jet diffusing forward of the projectile body in a cone shape, and FIG. 2B illustrates the shape of a typical shaped charge jet.

[0059] FIG. 2A illustrates the powder jet formed by the precursor 200 of a projectile body of a non-initiating tandem warhead against a reactive armor according to the present invention.

[0060] FIG. 2B illustrates a typical shaped charge jet.

[0061] Comparison between FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B shows that the powder jet formed in the precursor of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 2A creates a larger penetration hole compared to the shaped charge jet in FIG. 2B so that a path and a penetration hole for the main warhead jet formed by the main warhead liner 310 and the second charge 320 to pass through may be generated in the explosive reactive armor.

[0062] FIG. 2C illustrates penetrators created by the powder jet formation liner 210 in the precursor of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 2A.

[0063] FIG. 3 illustrates X-ray images for comparing the powder jet of the non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet against an explosive reactive armor according to an embodiment of the present invention with a typical shaped charge jet. FIG. 3A illustrates an image of the powder jet while FIG. 3B illustrates an image of a typical shaped charge jet.

[0064] FIGS. 2 and 3 show that the typical shaped charge jet possesses high kinetic energy due to its very high velocity, and this jet penetrates an explosive reactive armor and collides with internal explosives to cause an explosive reaction.

[0065] The jet formed by the typical shaped charge has the potential to detonate the explosive in the explosive reactive armor 20. When the explosion does not eliminate the explosive reactive armor 20, it may rather interfere with the penetration capability of the main warhead 300.

[0066] In contrast, FIGS. 2A and 3A show the powder jet formed by the precursor 200 has a relatively low density in powder form so that the powder jet may not exceed the explosive detonation threshold when the explosive in the explosive reactive armor 20 is penetrated.

[0067] In other words, the precursor 200 can create a penetration hole without detonating the explosive reactive armor 20.

[0068] In this case, a powder jet is formed and no residue is left behind when creating a path for the main warhead 300 to pass through to the main armor 10 so that deterioration of the penetration capability of the main warhead 300 by the residue may be prevented.

[0069] FIG. 4 is a flowchart for manufacturing a powder jet formation liner in a non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet against an explosive reactive armor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] FIG. 4 shows that metal powder and a binder are mixed (volume ratio: 4060%) and the mixture is molded into a liner shape using injection molding to make the powder jet formation liner 210.

[0071] Subsequently, the binder is removed using solvent and thermal degreasing technique, the binder-free structure is pre-sintered to make a skeleton, and then the skeleton is impregnated with a polymer-based material to make the powder jet formation liner 210 such that the powder particles evenly diffuse while a sufficient level of strength for handling is secured.

[0072] In addition, the powder jet formation liner 210 may also be made using only brittle metals.

[0073] As a result, the powder jet formation liner 210 creates a penetration hole without detonating the explosive reactive armor 20 and leaves behind no residue so that deterioration of penetration capability caused by the residue when the main warhead 300 penetrates the main armor 10 may be prevented.

[0074] FIG. 5 is a conceptual view of the operation of a typical tandem-shaped charge warhead.

[0075] FIG. 5 shows that the jet formed by a precursor 30 in a typical tandem shaped charge warhead eliminates the explosive reactive armor 20 by detonating it while the jet formed by a main warhead 40 inflicts damage to the main armor 10.

[0076] FIG. 6 is a conceptual view of the operation of a non-initiating tandem warhead with a precursor forming a powder jet against an explosive reactive armor according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a photograph showing the test results of a precursor forming a powder jet according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0077] FIGS. 6 and 7 show that the tandem warhead with the powder jet formation liner 210 is operated in a manner that the powder jet formation liner 210 is deformed into a powder jet by the explosive pressure of the first charge 220 in the precursor 200 to create a penetration hole in the explosive reactive armor 20 and then the main warhead liner 310 is deformed into a jet by the second charge 320 in the main warhead 300 to penetrate the main armor 10.

[0078] At this time, the diameter of the penetration hole in the explosive reactive armor 20 created by the precursor 200 is at least 0.3 times the charge diameter of the precursor 200.

[0079] Meanwhile, the powder jet formation liner 210 minimizes residue by forming the powder jet when penetrating the explosive reactive armor so that the deterioration of penetration efficiency caused by the residue when the main warhead 300 penetrates the main armor 10 may be prevented.

[0080] According to the present invention as described above, in destroying the armor of a tank, the precursor first comes into contact with the explosive reactive armor and creates a penetration hole without detonating the explosive reactive armor to create a path through which the main warhead can penetrate the main armor so that the main warhead may penetrate the main armor unimpeded by the explosive reactive armor, and at the same time, the precursor forms the powder jet using the powder jet formation liner so that no residue is left behind. As a result, the deterioration of the penetration capability of the main warhead caused by the residue of the precursor may be prevented.

[0081] In the tandem warhead with the precursor forming the powder jet against an explosive reactive armor according to an embodiment of the present invention, the precursor secures a path for the main warhead to pass through without detonating the explosive reactive armor provided in tanks in the anti-tank weapon systems, thereby having the effect of maximizing the penetration capability of the main warhead.

[0082] The liner provided in the precursor is a powder jet formation liner and leaves no residue when the precursor penetrates an explosive reactive armor to secure a path for the main warhead jet to pass through, thereby having the effect of maximizing the penetration capability of the main warhead.

[0083] In addition, the liner structured to form a powder jet has a lower density compared to the liner made using conventional forging/machining processes, thereby having the effect of reducing warhead weight.

TABLE-US-00001 DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 100: projectile body 200: precursor 210: powder jet formation liner 220: first charge 300: main warhead 310: main warhead liner 320: second charge 330: explosive wave modulator 10: main armor 20: explosive reactive armor