FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is in the field of flying vehicles with attitude control systems having thrusters.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Kinetic energy vehicles are used to engage and destroy certain targets, such as long-range ballistic missiles. Such vehicles travel at high speeds and use their impact with the target to destroy the target or divert the target off course. Kinetic energy vehicles generally have course correction mechanisms to allow adjustments in flight to track and collide with the target. Improvements in such course correction mechanisms, such as thruster systems, are desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A kinetic energy vehicle has a divert thruster system with three thrusters circumferentially evenly spaced around a perimeter of the vehicle. The three thrusters are configured to translationally divert the vehicle in any direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, by firing one or a combination of the thrusters, depending on the desired direction of the translation.

A kinetic energy vehicle has attitude control thrusters in a bowtie configuration, with two pairs of thrusters diametrically opposed to one another. Various combinations of the thrusters may be actuated to achieve attitude change in desired roll, pitch, and/or yaw directions.

According to an aspect of the invention, a kinetic energy vehicle includes: a solid rocket motor; a divert thruster system; and an attitude control system; wherein the divert thruster system and the attitude control system are operatively coupled to the solid rocket motor to receive pressurized gasses output by the solid rocket motor; and wherein the attitude control system includes two pairs of attitude control thrusters, with one pair diametrically opposed to the other pair, and with the attitude control thrusters of each pair having radial thrust components in an outward radial direction and circumferential thrust components in opposite circumferential directions.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, each of the attitude control thrusters have a nonzero radial component of thrust and a nonzero circumferential component of thrust.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, for each of the attitude control thrusters the circumferential component of thrust is greater than the radial component of thrust.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the divert thruster system includes three divert thrusters circumferentially substantially evenly spaced about a perimeter of the vehicle.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the divert thruster system includes divert thrusters located longitudinally substantially at a center of gravity of the vehicle.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the vehicle further includes an axially-aligned thruster operatively coupled to the solid rocket motor to receive pressurized gasses output by the solid rocket motor.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the axially-aligned nozzle is coincident with a central longitudinal axis of the kinetic energy vehicle.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the vehicle further includes a control loop operatively coupled to the divert thruster system and the attitude control system.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the control loop provides commands regarding the thrust needed at the attitude control thrusters and at divert thrusters of the divert thruster system.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the control loop includes a mixing/limiting logic block that receives input from an autopilot, from a guidance system, and from an attitude control block.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, a first flow passage provides pressurized gas from the solid rocket motor to the attitude control thrusters of one of the pairs of attitude control thrusters.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, a second flow passage provides pressurized gas from the solid rocket motor to the attitude control thrusters of another of the pairs of attitude control thrusters.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the first flow passage provides pressurized gas to a first manifold that is mechanically coupled to the attitude control thrusters of the one of the pairs of attitude control thrusters.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the second flow passage provides pressurized gas to a second manifold that is mechanically coupled to the attitude control thrusters of the another of the pairs of attitude control thrusters.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the vehicle further includes a sensor operatively coupled to the divert thruster system and the attitude control system.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the sensor is an electro-optical/infra-red (EO/IR) sensor.

According to another aspect of the invention a kinetic energy vehicle includes: a solid rocket motor; a divert thruster system; and an attitude control system; wherein the divert thruster system is operatively coupled to the solid rocket motor to receive pressurized gasses output by the solid rocket motor; and wherein the divert thruster system includes three divert thrusters circumferentially substantially evenly spaced about a perimeter of the vehicle.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the vehicle further includes an attitude control system operatively coupled to the solid rocket motor to receive pressurized gasses output by the solid rocket motor.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the attitude control system includes two pairs attitude of control thrusters, with one pair diametrically opposed to the other pair, and with the attitude control thrusters each pair having substantially similar radial thrust components and opposite circumferential components.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a method of controlling course and orientation of a kinetic energy vehicle includes: during flight of the kinetic energy vehicle: burning a solid rocket motor to produce pressurized gasses; providing axial propulsive thrust using some of the pressurized gasses; selectively translationally moving the kinetic energy vehicle using a divert thruster system of the kinetic energy vehicle that receives some of the pressurized gasses from the solid rocket motor; and selectively adjusting orientation of the kinetic energy vehicle using an attitude control system of the kinetic energy vehicle that receives some of the pressurized gasses from the solid rocket motor.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the providing axial propulsive thrust includes selectively providing the axial propulsive thrust as desired.

According to a still further aspect of the invention, a method of flying a kinetic energy vehicle includes the steps of: launching the kinetic energy vehicle; and adjusting orientation by selectively actuating attitude control thrusters of kinetic energy vehicle to produce pitch, yaw, and roll moments; wherein the attitude control thrusters are in two pairs of attitude control thrusters, with one pair diametrically opposed to the other pair, and with the attitude control thrusters each pair having radial thrust components in an outward radial direction and circumferential thrust components in opposite circumferential directions.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the adjusting orientation includes providing pressurized gasses from a solid rocket motor of the vehicle to one of the pairs of attitude control thrusters through a first flow passage, and providing pressurized gasses from the solid rocket motor to another of the pairs of attitude control thrusters through a second flow passage.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the method further includes translating the vehicle during flight using divert thrusters of a divert thruster system of the vehicle.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the divert thruster system includes three divert thrusters circumferentially substantially evenly spaced about a perimeter of the vehicle; and the translating includes rolling the vehicle to position one of the divert thrusters to a desired translation direction.

According to another aspect of the invention, a kinetic energy vehicle includes: a solid rocket motor; and a divert thruster system; wherein the divert thruster system is operatively coupled to the solid rocket motor to receive pressurized gasses output by the solid rocket motor; and wherein the divert thruster system includes three divert thrusters circumferentially substantially evenly spaced about a perimeter of the vehicle.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the vehicle further includes a controller operatively coupled to both the attitude control system and the divert thrusters.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the operatively configured to roll the vehicle to a desired configuration for firing one or more of the divert thrusters, for achieving desired translation of the vehicle.

According to an embodiment of any paragraph(s) of this summary, the controller is operatively configured to roll the vehicle to a desired configuration for firing one or more of the divert thrusters, for achieving desired translation of the vehicle.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method of flying a kinetic energy vehicle includes the steps of: launching the kinetic energy vehicle; and translating the vehicle using three divert thrusters of a divert thruster system of the kinetic energy vehicle, where the three divert thrusters are circumferentially substantially evenly spaced about a perimeter of the vehicle.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention. These embodiments are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

