SBIR-STTR Award

The study is formulated around use of system level trade studies for the Booster Penetrator subsystem requirements.  The Mission Analysis is defined by the weapon requirements and weapon use scenario.  Performance requirements are identified so that the explosive, penetrator, target vulnerability, and guidance candidates can establish a viable set of subsystems that can be consolidated for use in the SBIR. To identify the requirements and subsystems, FSTI has several tools that have been successfully used on penetrator programs involving the BLU-109, Small Diameter Bomb and others. These programs will be used to aid in the requirements and subsystem definitions.  FSTI developed the Weapon Analysis Model, Rocket Motor Basic Sizing programs and the Mission Analysis Diagram.  These programs enable us to efficiently reduce the times of conducting the work. The weapon optimization can also be included in the weapon design requirements. Additionally, the experience FSTI has in developing unique designs for meeting insensitive munitions requirements will be an asset in developing a sound approach for this weapon.The goal is to be ready to demonstrate the design for confidence in the Boosted Penetrator Technologies.     

Benefit:
The Boosted Penetrator Insensitive Munition study could be applied to the use of a rocket motors in space studies where rocket motors are used to launch space hardware. The release mechanisms that are temperature sensitive have application to safety systems in buildings where fire may be a potential concern.  These release rings work in the opposite direction to the conventional release rings.  Snap rings normally release by expanding where the ones used in the rocket motors and warheads contract and release the device for protection. Buildings that are built on very hard surfaces depend on oil well drilling techniques to make holes in the hard surface.  It is a process which takes time.  The boosted penetrator would allow for a penetration into the hard surface to be done in a fraction of the time for drilling.  Anchors into these same surfaces are difficult and the penetration techniques may offer a faster way to anchor a building to the hard surface.

Keywords:
Boosted Penetrator, Hard And Deeply Buried Targets,Insensitive Propellants, Survivable High Speed Warheads

FSTI proposes a 6 month research and development study to assess the feasibility of near-term application of Distributed Penetrator Case Venting techniques for control of Burn-to-Violent Reactions (BVR) in Insensitive Munitions (IM) threat hazard environments for Hard Target Rocket Boosted Penetrator weapons. The key technical issue is definition of the response of candidate main charge explosives (like AFX-757 and PBXN-109) to high pressure extrusion of the main charge explosive through these vents. These extrusion effects will occur during the intense deceleration environments experienced by high speed penetrators as they fly through very hard, high strength targets. We will assess the status of analytical and experimental methods applicable to this problem, recommend potential solutions, and apply these methods to develop preliminary designs for experimental procedures which can be applied to resolve this problem. We will also address the closely related issues associated with prediction of the total quantity of explosive which can be lost during this transient penetration loading process to assess the potential impact on warhead fuzing reliability issues. Finally, we will provide an assessment of the potential case wall thickness and weight penalties associated with application of distributed IM venting for hard target penetrators

Benefit:
Buildings and other structures that are built on very hard surfaces depend on oil well drilling techniques to make holes in the hard surface. This is a time consuming and expensive process. The boosted penetrator would allow for penetration into the hard surface to be accomplished in the fraction of the time required for conventional drilling. Installation of anchors into these same surfaces is difficult and expensive. Again, the utilization of hard target penetrator techniques may offer a faster and less expensive way to anchor structures to very hard surface. The use of distributed venting techniques for burn-to-violent reaction control in these devices would greatly improve the safety of handling and storage for these devices during their life cycle including exposure to industrial, transportation, and storage accidents.