Defence Technology (Jun 2023)
Operational feasibility study of stagnation pressure reaction control for a mid-caliber non-spinning projectile
Abstract
Controlled, guided munitions can reduce dispersion in the shot, while providing the capability of engaging both stationary and maneuvering targets. The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research has developed a fin-less control technology called Stagnation Pressure Reaction Control (SPRC) that takes stagnation pressure air and directs it sideways to control non-spinning projectiles. In a previous study, this technology was demonstrated at Mach 2 wind-tunnel conditions to achieve up to 1.5° controllable angle of incidence for a non-spinning, aerodynamically unstable projectile-like test object. In an operational scenario, the decelerating projectile will experience a decline in control force while the simultaneous forward shift of the center of pressure increases the need for control force. Furthermore, angles of incidence exceeding 1.5° will be experienced under realistic flight conditions, especially against maneuvering targets. This work addresses these challenges and presents an operational feasibility study for a practical application of SPRC in a non-spinning mid-caliber gun-launched projectile, using experiment data on control latency and force of the earlier study. It illustrates the combined effect of the control- and stability dynamics and underlines the potential of an SPRC projectile as a precision-operation ammunition. This research revealed that SPRC technology can stabilize and control the hypothesized projectile in a direct fire scenario against stationary and maneuvering targets.
