DEVICE AND METHOD FOR COUNTERING A TARGET WITH CUMULATIVE HIGH-POWER PULSES

Abstract

A control device which has an input and/or a memory for known pulse properties of a high-power pulse, influx properties and dissipation properties of a target to be assumed, determines a pulse train of the high-power pulses that renders a cumulative influx into the target from the incident high-power pulses greater than a cumulative dissipation due to the dissipation properties, such that an excess accumulation would occurs in the target for disrupting or destroying the target. A control signal representing the pulse train is delivered at the output. An irradiation device contains the control device and the pulse source arrangement for generating the pulse train with the high-power pulses. The control signal is generated with the aid of the control device or the irradiation device and the target is irradiated with the pulse train by the irradiation device.

Claims

1. A control device for generating a control signal to drive a pulse source arrangement for generating a pulse train of high-power pulses for irradiating a target, wherein the pulse source arrangement contains at least one pulse source and is configured to generate the pulse train under control by the control signal; wherein each of the pulse sources of the at least one pulse source is configured to generate the high-power pulses, and each of the high-power pulses has respectively known pulse properties; wherein the pulse train of the high-power pulses is established by the control signal; wherein the pulse properties of a respective one of the high-power pulses potentially radiated into the target cause an influx into the target likely to be expected according to an assumed influx property of the target; wherein each of the influxes is assigned a dissipation likely to be expected in the target due to an assumed dissipation property of the target; the control device comprising: at least one of an input or a memory for the known pulse properties, for the assumed influx properties, and for the assumed dissipation properties; an output for outputting the control signal; the control device being configured to determine the pulse train of the high-power pulses in such a way that, based on the pulse properties and the influx properties, a cumulative influx into the target due to the incident high-power pulses is to be expected, with the cumulative influx being greater than a cumulative dissipation in the target that is to be expected based on the dissipation properties, and to cause an excess accumulation in the target according to which a desired disruption or destruction of the target is to be expected; and the control device being configured to generate the control signal with the pulse train so determined and to deliver the pulse train at the output.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to determine the pulse train according to at least one matching rule for the high-power pulses.

3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein said at least one matching rule includes a specification of at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a pulse repetition rate, a pulse number, a pulse length, and a maximum time interval between two of the high-power pulses.

4. The control device according to claim 2, wherein said at least one matching rule includes a specification of at least one of a pulse shape or a pulse sequence of high-power pulses.

5. The control device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the dissipation properties contains a property to be assumed concerning a behavior of at least one of current or voltage impulses that are brought about in the target by the high-power pulses.

6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the dissipation properties contains a property concerning at least one of a behavior in the target to be assumed or a decay of latency effects in the target.

7. The control device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the dissipation properties relates to a presumed electronic component of the target.

8. An irradiation device for irradiating a target with a pulse train of high-power pulses, the irradiation device comprising: a control device according to claim 1; a pulse source arrangement having the at least one pulse source and being configured to be driven by the control signal delivered at the output of the control device; said pulse source arrangement being configured to generate the high-power pulses in a form of the pulse train defined by the control signal and to radiate the high-power pulses onto the target.

9. The irradiation device according to claim 8, wherein said at least one pulse source is a high power microwave or high-power electromagnetics source with a bandwidth of selected from the group consisting of narrow band, wide band, and ultra-wide band.

10. The irradiation device according to claim 8, wherein said pulse source arrangement comprises at least two different pulse sources.

11. The irradiation device according to claim 8, wherein said pulse source arrangement contains at least two pulse sources in a distributed source system.

12. A method of generating a control signal for driving a pulse source configured to generate a pulse train of high-power pulses for irradiating a target, the method comprising: providing a control device configured to control a pulse source arrangement containing at least one pulse source and being configured to generate the pulse train under control by the control signal; wherein each of the pulse sources is capable of generating the high-power pulses and each of the high-power pulses has respectively known pulse properties, wherein a respective one of the high-power pulses potentially radiated into the target causes in the target an influx likely to be expected from an assumed influx property of the target; wherein each of the influxes has an assigned dissipation likely to be expected in the target based on an assumed dissipation property of the target; receiving the known pulse properties, the assumed influx properties, and the assumed dissipation properties from at least one of the input or the memory; ascertaining the pulse train of the high-power pulses by the control device in such a way that, based on the pulse properties and the influx properties, a given cumulative influx into the target is to be expected from the incident high-power pulses, with the given cumulative influx into the target being greater than a cumulative dissipation in the target to be expected based on the dissipation properties, wherein an excess accumulation would occur in the target according to which a desired disruption or destruction of the target is to be expected; and generating the control signal representing the pulse train ascertained by the control device and providing the control signal at the output.

13. A method for irradiating a target with a pulse train of high-power pulses, the method comprising: providing a control device according to claim 1 and an irradiation device with a pulse source arrangement configured for generating the pulse train of high-power pulses for irradiating the target; generating with the control device a control signal and providing the control signal at an output thereof; driving the pulse source arrangement, which contains at least one pulse source by the control signal delivered at the output of the control device; generating with the pulse source arrangement the high-power pulses in the form of the pulse train driven by the control signal, and radiating the high-power pulses onto the target.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0083] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an irradiation arrangement according to the invention for irradiating a target;

[0084] FIG. 2 is a graph showing the emission of successive high-power pulses without excess accumulation;

[0085] FIG. 3 is a graph showing successive high-power pulses with excess accumulation in order to disrupt the target; and

[0086] FIG. 4 is a graph showing successive high-power pulses with excess accumulation in order to destroy the target.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0087] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, in particular, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown an irradiation device 2. The device is used to irradiate a target 4 with a pulse train 6 of, in this case, three high-power pulses 8a, 8b, 8c. This is used for exemplary representation. In practice, dozens or hundreds of high-power pulses are involved. The irradiation device 2 contains a control device, or controller 10, and a pulse source arrangement 12. The pulse source arrangement 12 contains in the example (likewise by way of example) three pulse sources 14a, 14b, 14c. The pulse source arrangement 12 is driven by a control signal 16, which is generated by the controller 10 and delivered, or provided, at an output 18 of the controller 10. The pulse source arrangement 12 generates the high-power pulses 8a-c in the form of the pulse train 6. The pulse train 6 is represented, or defined, or determined by the control signal 16. The pulse source arrangement 12 radiates the high-power pulses 8a-c in the form of the pulse train 6 onto the target 4, that is to say it irradiates the target 4 with the pulse train 6.

[0088] The pulse source 14a is an HPEM-UWB source. The pulse source 14b is an HPM source, and the pulse source 14c is an HPEM-NB source. The high-power pulses 8a and 8c are therefore electromagnetic HPEM pulses with UWB and NB characteristics. The high-power pulse 8b is a high-power microwave pulse. The pulse source arrangement 12 thus here contains three different pulse sources 14a-c. The pulse sources 14a-c are designed here as a distributed source system 20, i.e., each pulse source 14a-c is respectively mounted by itself on a respective drone (not represented in the figure). The drones act as a swarm in order to counter the target 4 in coordinated fashion.

[0089] According to the pulse train 6, the high-power pulses 8a-c are emitted in a chronological train successively at the instants t1, t2 and t3 and correspondingly arrive at the target 4 with the respective time interval T in between.

[0090] The controller 10 is used to generate the control signal 16 in order to drive the pulse source arrangement 12 as explained above to generate the pulse train 6, so that the pulse source arrangement 12 can irradiate, or irradiates, the target 4 with the pulse train 6. The pulse source arrangement 12 thus generates the pulse train 6 with the aid of the control signal 16. The pulse sources 14a-c are used to generate the high-power pulses 8a-c.

[0091] In the controller 10, a respective pulse property 22a-c of each of the high-power pulses 8a-c is known beforehand or is correspondingly presumed or assumed. In the example, this is related to the respective pulse type (HPEM-UWB, HPEM-NB, HPM). The pulse property 22a-c thus does not characterize each single individual pulse, but rather the general pulse characteristic of the high-power pulses 8a-c, which are always generated in the same way here. The pulse train 6 is established, or determined, by the control signal 16.

[0092] The controller 10 now presumes, or makes the assumption, that a respective one of the high-power pulses 8a-c radiated into the target brings about in the target 4 an influx 24a-c likely to be expected in the form of coupling in power or energy, which is described by a corresponding influx property 26a-c. In other words, energy or power is injected into the target 4, for example an electronic component 28 thereof, by each of the high-power pulses 8a-c, which depends on their respective pulse property 22a-c and the respective influx property 26a-c of the target 4. The corresponding influx property 26a-c is assumed in the controller 10 and thus represents an assumption (in general not exactly known) inside the controller 10.

[0093] The controller 10 furthermore presumes that a corresponding influx 24a-c in the target 4 undergoes, or is subjected to, a dissipation 30a-c likely to be expected, which is characterized by corresponding dissipation properties 32a-c of the target 4. In other words, power/temperature/energy that is potentially harmful to the target 4 is introduced by a high-power pulse 8a-c into the target 4 as an influx 24a-c, although this is subjected in the target 4 to a dissipation 30a-c, which opposes the harmful effect.

[0094] These described (partial) assumptions (pulse, influx and dissipation properties) are symbolically indicated in FIG. 1 as a (summary) assumption A for the controller 10. This assumption A thus exists in the controller 10, or is used by the latter. The corresponding conditions at the target 4 are therefore symbolically represented once more in FIG. 1 below the controller 10.

[0095] The controller 10 therefore contains an input 34 and a memory 36, with which the assumption A is input into the controller 10, specifically in the form of the pulse properties 22a-c, influx properties 26a-c, and dissipation properties 32a-c. The controller 10 is therefore in possession of the corresponding assumption A. These are now used in the controller 10 in the following way:

[0096] The controller 10 ascertains the pulse train 6 of the high-power pulses 8a-c iteratively/successively/according to specifications etc. (customary according to the state of the art, not explained in detail here) in such a way that, with knowledge of the pulse properties 22a-c and on the basis of the influx properties 26a-c, a likely cumulative influx 38 into the target 4 can be assumed. The control device in this case takes into account the respective dissipation 30a-c which is likely associated with the influxes 24a-c and is added to a cumulative dissipation 40, which is therefore likewise assumed. The pulse train 6 is now designed/configured, ascertained, optimized so that the cumulative influx 38 exceeds the cumulative dissipation 40, so that an excess accumulation 42 of introduced energy/power/temperature/current/voltage etc. results in the target 4, which leads to a desired disruption or destruction of the target 4 being expected or presumed.

[0097] The ascertaining of the pulse train 6 is in particular iteratively adapted, e.g. by varying the number/nature/succession/time interval etc. of the individual pulses, until the desired excess accumulation 42 is obtained. In other words, suitable high-power pulses 8a-c are sought in a suitable chronological succession and combination so that the influxes 24a-c brought about cannot be discharged again fast enough from the target 4 by the corresponding dissipations 30a-c in order to prevent the excess accumulation 42.

[0098] As soon as the pulse train 6 has been ascertained, the controller 10 delivers the control signal 16 which represents the corresponding pulse train 6, so that the pulse source arrangement 12 is informed with the aid of the control signal 16 to generate precisely that pulse train 6 according to the relevant rule in the control signal 16 and emit it onto the target 4.

[0099] FIG. 2 symbolically shows assumptions A concerning the radiation of the respectively individual high-power pulses 8a-c into the target 4 as a function of time t according to a tried-out pulse train 6. A respective current profile 44 and a temperature profile 46, which is assumed in the electronic component 28 of the target 4, are represented. Time intervals Ta and Tb between the high-power pulses 8a-c are assumed here. This leads to peak values to be assumed for the current amplitude SI and the temperature amplitude ST for the current profile 44 and temperature profile 46, as well as corresponding rise times and fall times dI/dt and dT/dt. It may be seen in FIG. 2 that no cumulative effects are achievable here. Each of the influxes 24a-c is compensated for by a corresponding respective dissipation 30a-c.

[0100] The pulse train 6 is therefore adapted by the controller 10.

[0101] FIG. 3 shows a pulse train 6 adapted in this way, in which a temporally more compact pulse train 6, that is to say with shorter time intervals T, is considered under the same assumptions A. Moreover, a fourth pulse 8d is also appended here. In this case, the dissipation 30a-d is not sufficient to compensate fully for the influxes 24a-d, and an excess accumulation 42 that increases with time, indicated here by a dashed line, remains in the target 4, or the electronic component 28, which ultimately leads to disruption thereof, specifically since the temperature profile 46 exceeds a disruption threshold SS of the target 4 at the instant t4. In the real application of this pulse train 6 onto the target 4, it is thus to be expected that the excess accumulation 42 presumed by the control unit 10 actually occurs in the target 4 and the target 4 is therefore actually disrupted (in FIG. 1, the excess accumulation 42 in the target 4 is therefore indicated once more).

[0102] However, if destruction of the target 4 is desired, the pulse train 6 is further optimized in the controller 10.

[0103] FIG. 4 lastly shows a further pulse train 6. Here, alternative high-power pulses 8a-e (high-power pulses 8d, 8e are HPEM-WB pulses of a further pulse source in the pulse source arrangement 12) are alternatively temporally concatenated even more compactly (shorter interval T). The temperature profile 46 accumulates even more strongly here and reaches a destruction threshold SZ in the target 4 as desired at the instant t5.

[0104] The corresponding combination of the high-power pulses 8a-e in the pulse trains 6 is performed with the aid of a matching rule or combination rule 50, which is symbolically indicated in FIG. 1 and is illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4 as a corresponding concatenation of suitable high-power pulses 8a-e. This matching rule 50, as explained above, is ascertained iteratively in the controller 10 and contains the specification of a pulse repetition rate (time intervals T) of a pulse number (3 to 5 according to FIGS. 2 to 4) of a pulse length etc., here a maximum time interval T (FIG. 4) between two of the high-power pulses 8a-e etc.

[0105] A pulse shape (not represented) or a pulse sequence of the high-power pulses 8a-e may also correspondingly be varied in the iterative process (pulse shape for example by different driving of the pulse sources 14a-c, pulse sequence by different order of the driving of the different pulse sources 14a-c (mixture of electromagnetic, microwave, NB, WB or UWB pulses/source in different order)).

[0106] The current profile 44 therefore represents a (current) impulse 52 (here also as a representative of a voltage impulse) which is brought about by the high-voltage pulse 8a-e in the target 4. The dissipation properties 32a-e may therefore also be regarded as properties to be assumed concerning the behavior of the impulses 52. In particular, latency effects 54, or their behavior/decay, in the target 4 are therefore also contained, or taken into account, in the dissipation properties 32a-e.

[0107] In summary, the following method is thus carried out: in order to generate the control signal 16, it is assumed with the aid of the assumptions A that the high-power pulses 8a-e cause influxes 24a-e to be assumed in the target 4 with the aid of their influx properties 26a-e, these are subjected to a respective dissipation 30a-e according to the dissipation properties 32a-e, the pulse properties 22a-e, influx properties 26a-e and dissipation properties 32a-e are provided to the controller 10, and the controller 10 ascertains the pulse train 6 as explained above iteratively on the basis of these assumptions A, so that the cumulative influx 38 exceeds the cumulative dissipation 40 and an excess accumulation 42 takes place, which leads to disruption or destruction of the target 4 being expected.

[0108] In the method for irradiating the target 4, the above method is carried out and the pulse source arrangement 12 is driven with the ascertained control signal 16, whereupon it radiates the high-power pulses 8a-e according to the control signal 16 as a pulse train 6 onto the target 4, which leads to the expectation that the destruction of the target 4 will result.

[0109] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and symbols and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: [0110] 2 irradiation device [0111] 4 target [0112] 6 pulse train [0113] 8a-e high-power pulse [0114] 10 control device [0115] 12 pulse source arrangement [0116] 14a-c pulse source [0117] 16 control signal [0118] 18 output [0119] 20 source system (distributed) [0120] 22a-e pulse property [0121] 24a-e influx [0122] 26a-e influx property [0123] 28 electronic component [0124] 30a-e dissipation [0125] 32a-e dissipation property [0126] 34 input [0127] 36 memory [0128] 38 influx (cumulative) [0129] 40 dissipation (cumulative) [0130] 42 excess accumulation [0131] 44 current profile [0132] 46 temperature profile [0133] 50 matching rule [0134] 52 impulse [0135] 54 latency effect [0136] t1-5 instant [0137] T,Ta,b interval (time) [0138] A assumption [0139] SI current amplitude [0140] ST temperature amplitude [0141] SS disruption threshold [0142] SZ destruction threshold