Patents by Inventor Ralph Woelfel

Ralph Woelfel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Projectile structure
    Patent number: 7051659
    Abstract: A scramjet has a cowl, a center structure, and a plurality of wide pylons connecting the cowl to the center structure, with scramjet engines positioned between adjacent pylons. Leading surfaces of adjacent pylons converge to one another to provide side wall compression to air entering the engines. The center structure includes a fore body, a center body and an aft body that, with the pylons, define a basic structure either formed entirely from one piece or several securely connected pieces. A method of testing the scramjet projectile comprises using a gun to accelerate the scramjet projectile to the takeover velocity of the engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Alliant Techsystems Inc.
    Inventors: Jason S. Tyll, Robert J. Bakos, Florin Girlea, Ralph Woelfel, Dean Modroukas, John I. Endos
  • Method and apparatus for testing engines
    Publication number: 20030051536
    Abstract: A scramjet has a cowl, a center structure, and a plurality of wide pylons connecting the cowl to the center structure, with scramjet engines positioned between adjacent pylons. Leading surfaces of adjacent pylons converge to one another to provide side wall compression to air entering the engines. The center structure includes a fore body, a center body and an aft body that, with the pylons, define a basic structure either formed entirely from one piece or several securely connected pieces. A method of testing the scramjet projectile comprises using a gun to accelerate the scramjet projectile to the takeover velocity of the engines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Jason S. Tyll, Robert J. Bakos, Florin Girlea, Ralph Woelfel, Dean Modroukas, John I. Endos