Projectile system with environmental hazard sensing

Inventors

Teetzel, James W.

Assignees

Wilcox Industries Corp

Abstract

In one aspect, a modular air sampling system includes a sensor module defining a nose, the sensor module including a sensor for sampling contaminants in the atmosphere. A processing and sending module includes processing electronics in communication with the sensor for receiving a signal from the sensor representative of sampled contaminants in the atmosphere. The processing and sending module further includes a radio frequency transmitter operably coupled to the processing electronics for transmitting a radio frequency signal representative of one or more contaminants sensed by the sensor. In another aspect, a modular air sampling system includes a sensor module containing the sensor, processing electronics, and radio frequency transmitter within the sensor module housing.

Core Innovation

The invention provides a modular air sampling system that includes a sensor module defining a nose and including a sensor for sampling contaminants in the atmosphere. The system further includes processing electronics in communication with the sensor to receive a signal representative of sampled contaminants, and a radio frequency transmitter operably coupled to the processing electronics for transmitting a radio frequency signal representative of one or more contaminants sensed by the sensor.

The modular air sampling system is fired using a shell casing and a propelling charge contained within the shell casing. In an alternative configuration, a unitary combined sensor and processing module is housed in a cartridge casing, including a larger explosive charge for remote sampling. The document also describes housing structures that define a sensor module housing with inlets and air intake ducts to support sampling of ambient air into the housing interior.

To support associating sensed results with context, the system includes a flight control module for guiding the air sampling system toward a target, and optional positioning and motion-related sensing. A positioning system including GPS/GLONASS and/or inertial components, together with time of flight and axial rotations, can be used to compute distance and geolocation. The processing can transmit hazard presence and, optionally, concentration correlated with time and/or geolocation to a user receiver/display via radio frequency.

Claims Coverage

The consolidated independent claims define three inventive features centered on a modular air sampling system with a sensor module, processing electronics, and a radio frequency transmitter, and on firing using a shell casing and a propelling charge. The claims also allocate functions across modules, including optional removably attached flight control and processing/sending modules, and cover a housing-based arrangement for the sensor and transmitter as well as flight control toward a target.

Across the independent claims, the core claimed coverage is the combination of a sensor module for sampling atmospheric contaminants, processing electronics that receive a sensor signal, and an RF transmitter that transmits a radio frequency signal representative of one or more sensed contaminants, together with firing using a shell casing and a propelling charge. The independent claims further differ in how the system is arranged: one claim emphasizes a sensor module and processing/sending module fired by a shell casing, another emphasizes processing and RF transmission received within the sensor module housing, and another includes a removably attached flight control module guiding the system toward a target with a removably attached processing/sending module.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications