SBIR-STTR Award

Controlled guidance of small-caliber gun-fired munitions is currently limited by the severity of inertial loads from the launch event, which can be 60,000g in small-caliber munitions. There is a need for more robust mechanical guidance-control systems in small-caliber munitions that can provide substantial control authority while being able to survive extreme launch loads.Compliant mechanisms, activated by piezoelectric actuators, can be integrated into a fin-stabilized .50 caliber bullet without the vulnerabilities of conventional actuators. Through the elimination of moving parts, pins, and joints, these piezo-actuated compliant control surfaces (PACCS) are equipped to survive high launch loads. These same characteristics also produce a zero-backlash system that can be precisely driven at very high rates to give the munitions excellent controllability. The proposed Phase I program will produce a structurally-optimized PACCS design for use in a notional .50-caliber bullet. This design could significantly augment the state of the art in guided munitions technologies and is scalable for munitions of different sizes.

The proposed effort aims to design a G-hardened actuators and morphing surfaces for gun-fired munitions. The first objective is to design, build and test a piezoelectric actuator with embedded solid-state motion amplification compliant mechanism to drive the control surfaces of gun-fired guided munitions. Besides the severe launch loads, the Size Weight and Power (SWaP) constraints and the harsh environment of gun-fired munitions make it difficult to use conventional actuation and controls. Smaller munitions are particularly impacted by the SWaP requirements of conventional systems. Therefore, we propose a fully scalable piezo-electric actuation system with an integrated FlexSys-proprietary solid-state g-hardened motion amplifier for munition guidance. The second objective is to develop a morphing capability for ARL-identified control surface of the munition by leveraging the principles and proprietary designs of FlexFoil control surfaces. FlexSys has been recognized as a leader in design of compliant systems since its founding in 2000; this proposal represents FlexSys’ first Phase II effort in guided munitions. As such, the field of guided munitions stands to gain by having a fresh perspective, with two decades of experience and proven track record in high performance actuators and morphing control surfaces, challenging the state of the art.