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A DYNAMIC CHARGING SYSTEM FOR THE RAM ACCELERATOR FOR HYPERVELOCITY APPLICATIONS

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Air Force
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 10350
Amount: $49,998.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1989
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
Po Box 305 - 4845 Millersport
East Amherst, NY 14051
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Edward B Fisher
 (716) 689-0177
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

THE RAM ACCELERATOR IS A NEW CHEMICAL METHOD FOR ACHIEVING ULTRAHIGH PROJECTILE LAUNCH VELOCITIES. INITIAL DEVELOPMENT WORK PERFORMED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON HAS SUCCESSFULLY ACHIEVED FINAL PROJECTILE VELOCITIES IN EXCESS OF 2.0 KM/S WHEN APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR CONCEPT, BASED ON RAMJET PRINCIPLES, TO A PROJECTILE WITH AN INITIAL VELOCITY OF ABOUT 1.0 KM/S. WORK TO DATE HAS INCORPORATED AN ACCELERATOR TUBE CHARGED TO A SPECIFIED PRESSURE WITH A COMBUSTIBLE GAS MIXTURE. THE TUBE IS SEALED WITH A DIAPHRAGM AT EITHER END WHICH IS RUPTURED BY THE PROJECTILE AS IT PASSES THROUGH THE TUBE. THIS TEST CONFIGURATION IS USEFUL FOR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT TESTING UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS AND FOR EVENTUAL SINGLE-SHOT APPLICATIONS. TO SATISFY RAPID-FIRE REQUIREMENTS, A METHOD MUST BE DEVISED TO RAPIDLY FILL THE ACCELERATOR TUBE IN A WAY THAT ELIMINATES THE NEED FOR DIAPHRAGMS. THE PROPOSED CHARGING CONCEPT COMBINES GAS FLOW SYSTEMS AND UNSTEADY GASDYNAMICS TO PERMIT THE TUBE TO BE CHARGED WITH THE COMBUSTIBLE GASES AT THE DESIRED PRESSURE AND FAVORABLE FLOW CONDITIONS. THIS PROPOSAL CONTAINS A DESCRIPTION OF THE DYNAMIC CHARGING CONCEPT AND A PHASE I PLAN TO DESIGN, EVALUATE AND DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS CONCEPT.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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