Countermeasures radiation source for missile decoys

Abstract

A missile decoy countermeasures radiation source that provides a controlled radiation source that emulates jet aircraft engines, wherein the radiation generating elements utilizes specific catalysts, dopings and fuel additives burned within a reticulated ceramic matrix. Further a variable speed multi-element rotating blade structure is incorporated to provide the chopping of the radiation. The reticulated ceramic burner is doped such that radiation spectral lines are highest in those bands that are of interest to anti-aircraft missile seekers. The outermost surface of the decoy body is fabricated from reticulated ceramics that are transparent to the select lines of radiant energy, is breathable and a smooth, providing an aerodynamic surface for fast moving aircraft. Further the injection of specific catalysts, dopings and fuel additives provide for real-time spectral management and the injection of oxidizers allows for high altitude operations.

Description

STATEMENT OF FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

There is NO Federal Sponsorship.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to Decoys more specifically Missile Decoys and a Radiating Device being applied integral to the missile decoy body increasing the infrared [IR] and Ultraviolet [UV] signatures of the decoy.

BENEFITS OF INVENTION

This radiation source provides a much more attractive set of IR and UV signatures to a Missile Seeker. The device uses of a reticulated ceramic burner doped with the correct rare earth oxides to provide a spectrally matched set of specific signatures to an aircraft type. Active chopping of radiation further deceives the incoming missiles guidance by causing the radiation to appear as if turbine blades are chopping the radiation. The decoy can last from seconds to hours depending on the mission and the availability of fuel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently most known missile decoys use pyrotechnics to create their IR signatures. These pyrotechnics include pyrophoric foils and flares. Other decoy methods include Laser Dazzlers and IR Beacons.

Soviet SA-14 or subsequent, and current Soviet and Chinese SA-7 upgrades or equivalent MANPADS [Man Portable Air Defense Systems] have defeated all of these countermeasures. The same holds true for United States Stinger block 2 or later MANPADS including NATO derivatives.

In doing our research we have developed a multi doped ceramic burner that is mechanically chopped to provide a much more believable IR and UV radiation source.

One available countermeasure system is available from Northrop Aircraft's Rolling Meadow's Division uses a missile launch detector, detecting the missile exhaust plume, and directional IR Sources or Lasers. Such a counter measures system may range in price between approximately two million dollars and three million dollars and is still subject to defeat. Rafael, an Israeli-owned company, is offering a similar priced system, which takes 3 months to install.

Another system employs an onboard transmitter in conjunction with the threat detection and identification system to send a command signal directly to the incoming missile to redirect it, this laser system is subject to defeat and simple to countermeasure.

BAE Information and Electronic Warfare Division, formerly Sanders Associates, offers an “electric brick” and “hot brick” type systems AN/ALQ-204 “Matador”, which modulate an electrical or fuel heated IR source to spoil the aim of the IR Missile.

For a more comprehensive understanding of the art, readers may find useful Vol. 7. Countermeasure Systems, of The Infrared and Electro-Optical Systems Handbook, co-published by Environmental Research Institute of Michigan and the SPIE Optical Engineering Press, copyright 2000, revised printing 2000.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a countermeasures missile decoy radiation source designed to replaces the usual pyrotechnic foil and flare dispensers, the burner is located in the back half of a towed decoy see FIG. 1. The burner is conformal to the aerodynamics of the decoy providing compatibility with “Fast Movers”, [Super Sonic Air Craft] the burner is made from reticulated ceramics with Silicon Carbide being the preferred material. The ceramics are doped with select Lanthanide series elements and their oxides. Other dopants include but are not limited to Platinum, Zirconium, Palladium and Cesium. The burner uses JP4-JP8 or other Jet fuels. The fuels may contain select additives including but not limited to nano-energetic slurries, fumed Aluminum, Magnesium and Boron particles. The oxidative burning of the JP and its additives radiate within and though the ceramics causing the combined dopants to reradiate with UV and IR peaks specifically aligned to missile seekers. A rotating chopper cylinder turns at such a controlled rate as to appear as turbine blades of a jet engine.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

U.S. Pat. No. 6,825,791 Sanders, et al. “Deceptive signature broadcast system for aircraft”. Sanders places several mechanically chopped IR beacons strategically on the aircraft surfaces. This approach keeps the beacons onboard.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,031 Barbaccia. “Radiative countermeasures method”. Barbaccia uses a towed decoy and expels discreet clouds of gelled fuel and igniting the cloud. This differs in that in the decoy methodology being presented the radiation is continuous with the chopping frequency being created by the chopping cylinder[40] this presents more believable signatures.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,662,700 O'Neill “Method for protecting an aircraft against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor”. This decoy emits discreet quanta of pyrotechnics programmatically via one or more extrusion devices to basically custom build flares, but there is no attempt to chop the radiation and the radiation is delivered in bursts rather than steady state.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,909 Sweeny “Electronically configurable towed decoy for dispensing infrared emitting flares” This is the basis of O'Neill's patent and is in essence a towed flare dispenser to deploy pyrophoric flares.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,921 Schmidt, et al. “High heat flux catalytic radiant burner” Schmidt utilized noble metals is selected from the group consisting of platinum and palladium in the weights of approximately 0.1% to 10% of the eight of said catalyst layer.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,629 Lannutti “Radiant burner surfaces and method of making same” Lannutti provides a process for doping a ceramic fabric with Zirconium to create a catalytic surface for a radiant IR source. Catalyzed burning takes place on the surface and is of limited value as a decoy. Further doping are done within the decoy burner, also dopings within the decoy are done within discrete zones within the reticulated ceramic.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1. This figure depicts an Aircraft[100] towing a Decoy[120] via a tow cable[110] The decoy is deployed from an pod located preferably in the tail cone in larger aircraft or wing pods on fast movers. Further each pod may contain a plurality of decoys.

FIG. 2. A schematic view of the decoy [120] where the front nosecone[130] contains the cable attachments, decoy management computers for flight surfaces fore canards[135] and aft winglets[164]. The decoy body[140] contains fuel and fuel/dopants management pluming; Further the air inlet ducts[145] are located in this section. The burner assembly [150] of the decoy contains the reticulated ceramic burner[50] the chopper cylinder[40] and the outer reticulated ceramic surface[155]

FIG. 3. This depicts a section view thru the burner assembly [150] of the decoy. The outermost surface is a breathable reticulated ceramics[155] that are transparent to the IR and UV bands specifically of interest to missile seekers. The chopper cylinder[40] rotates around the burner[50] that is a doped reticulated ceramic made of silicon carbide. Within the burner are a radial series of holes[60] that end partway thru the burner, these holes encase the fuel injectors and act as a mixing chamber for fuel and air that is ducted in via air inlets[145]. Item [70] is the igniter port that receives fuel and air and has a sparking device or preferably may serve as a mixing chamber for hypergolic igniting materials.

FIG. 4. This shows the reticulated ceramic burner[50] and the radial fuel injector holes[60] and the Igniter port[70] which contains the igniter assembly or in alternative designs may be doped with one of the reactants such that a second reactant will cause an auto ignition.

FIG. 5. This depicts the reticulated ceramic burner[50] sectioned as BB. The relative depth of the radial fuel injector holes[60] and the Igniter port[70] are shown. [80] Is the outermost area of doping of the ceramic [90] is the center area of doping of the ceramic burner [95] is the innermost area of doping of the ceramic matrix.

The process of creating the doping area is to block the outermost area[80] with a high Solvent dissolvable wax. The center area[90] is blocked with a water soluble wax with a lower melting point than the wax used in area 80. The innermost area[95] is first doped then filled with kurksite or seraben. Next the water soluble wax in area[90] is washed out and the center area[90] doped. The next step is to fill the center area[90] with a water soluble salt.

FIG. 6. This shows the reticulated ceramic burner[50] and the radial fuel injector holes[60] and the Igniter port[70] [80] is the outermost area of doping of the ceramic [90] is the center area of doping of the ceramic burner [95] is the innermost area of doping of the ceramic matrix.

FIG. 7. This drawing depicts the supporting pluming for the decoy's burner to function. The Central Processor Unit[210] manages the sequencing and flow control of fuel from a pressurized fuel tank or bladder [170] via the Fuel Control[200] The Fuel Control further adds dopants [180 and 185] to the fuel prior to its injection[220] into the burner injection ports[60]. The Igniter[210] fits into the igniter port[70] of the burner[50] the igniter may inject a hypergolic[190], spark as a spark plug, glow as a glow plug or any combination of the above.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

When a decoy is deployed the control surfaces processor deploys the fore and aft control surfaces and maneuvers the decoy though a programmed set of maneuvers. At the same time the burner control microcomputer deploys the air inlet ducts, spins up the chopper assembly, pressurizes the fuel, opens the fuel control and ignites the fuel. The burning fuel vents through the reticulated ceramic walls causing the ceramic and it's embedded catalysts to heat up to the working temperature where the catalysts radiate specific bands of energy primarily in the UV and IR bands. The spinning chopper assembly chops the radiation to make it appear as a jet aircraft turbine.

Fuel flow, airflow and chopper speed are all managed by the microcomputer so as to simulate the specific aircrafts spectral signature with the overall output being higher than the target aircraft but below the deception discrimination thresholds of Stinger-2/3, Soviet and Chinese SA-14 and subsequent MANPADS counter-countermeasures.

Specific dopings of the fuel may be used to allow high altitude operations in the form of nanoenergenic particles of Potassium Pre Magnate Kmn(O.sub4) in a Ferrous Oxide shell (Fe.sub2O.sub3), or other oxygen rich nanoenergenic particles.

Details of a Burner Ceramics Doping Process:

Presented is a typical doping process of which we have devised several.

One process of creating area specific doping is to:

• • 1. Block the outermost area[80] with a high temperature solvent dissolvable wax.
  • 2. The center area[90] is blocked with a water soluble wax with a lower melting point than the wax used in area 80.
  • 3. The innermost area [95] is first doped then filled with kurksite or seraben.
  • 4. Next the water-soluble wax in area [90] is washed out and the center area [90] doped.
  • 5. The next step is to fill the center area [90] with a water-soluble salt.
  • 6. Dissolving the wax using a nonaqueous solvent exposes the outermost area.
  • 7. The doping is applied to the outermost area using any one of several methods.
  • 8. The metal “Kurksite” and the salt block outs are removed by using hot water.
  • 9. Curing is done in an oven.

Claims

1. A countermeasures missile decoy radiation source wherein:

a. A burner is created from reticulated silicon-carbide ceramics, and;

b. At least two layers of dopants are deposited within the ceramic matrix with the innermost doping zone being a mixture of Platinum and Zirconium. The second doping zone being Samarium or Thorium/Thorium-Cerium Oxides or their complexes and other catalysts, and;

c. The preferred fuel is Jet fuel [JP4-JP8], and;

d. The fuel may contain additives of finely divided Aluminum, Magnesium, Boron or nanoenergenic particles and;

e. Fuel flow can be controlled to manage radiation output, and;

f. An outer metallic cylinder with periphery slots is spun around the ceramic burner to provide programmatic chopping of the radiation, and;

g. The speed of the chopping element is controlled by electro-mechanical means.

h. A microcomputer is used to manage fuel flow, chopper speed, dopants mixing, igniter control and inlet port geometry.

2. A missile decoy countermeasures radiation source as described in claim 1; wherein the ceramics are, but not limited to; Aluminum Oxides, Zirconium Silicates, Titanium Oxides, Rhenium Boride, Oxides, Carbides or Nitrides.

3. A missile decoy countermeasures radiation source as described in claims 1 and 2; wherein one or more of the dopants are Barium HexaAluminate, Palladium, Cerium, Zirconium Oxides, Phosphates, Thorium/Thorium-Cerium Oxides or their complexes and other catalysts.

4. A missile decoy countermeasures radiation source as described in claims 1, 2 and 3; wherein an outer porous ceramic tube [155] encases the burner and chopper assembly [See FIG. 3] to provide an aerodynamic surface for high-speed use. Further the ceramic tube is transparent to the radiation bands of interest.

5. A missile decoy countermeasures radiation source as described in claims 1 through 4; wherein the microcomputer manages the injection of dopants into the fuel.

6. A missile decoy countermeasures radiation source as described in claims 1 through 5; wherein the microcomputer or Digital Signal Processor reads an Ultraviolet Sensor and an array of IR Spectral Sensors to manages the injection of dopants into the fuel.

7. A missile decoy countermeasures radiation source as described in claims 1 through 6; wherein the fuel is supplied from the aircraft or helicopter via flexible tubing within the tether, providing decoy operations for an extended period of time.

8. A missile decoy countermeasures radiation source as described in claims 1 through 7; wherein Oxidizers are programmatically added to the fuel providing decoy operations at high altitudes.