Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1337~64
1 70263
Missile Storage Apparatus
This invention relates to missile storage appartus
and more particularly to apparatus for storing missiles on
naval ships.
Missile propellants and warheads comprise
combustible and/or explosive materials which are not
particularly hazardous when handled and stored normally but
which may be ignited by a substantial and/or sustained rise
in temperature. The storage of missiles on ships is a long
standing problem; the storage apparatus is clearly liable to
"attack" either deliberately by an aimed projectile or
incidentally by a fragment from, for example, a nearby
explosion. Propellants and/or warheads may ignite when
struck by such a projectile or fragment resulting in an
explosion or fire.
Accordingly, it has hitherto been customary to store
ships' missiles below the waterline, thereby providing some
degree of protection, the missiles being moved up to the
firing deck as and when desired. Typically, the firing deck
supports a number of launch tubes into each of which a
missile is loaded prior to firing whereupon vulnerability to
"attack" by projectiles or fragments is immediately and
substantially increased. In addition, the launch tubes
confine the missiles which confinement could actually
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exacerbate the effects of ignition caused by a projectile or
fragment attack.
An object of the present invention is to provide
protective apparatus for storing missiles or the like on
ships from which apparatus the missiles may be directly
launched vertically as and when desired.
According to the present invention there is provided
apparatus comprising a plurality of mutually adjacent,
elongate protective containers mounted with their respective
longitudinal axes vertical and each adapted to support
vertically therein a missile or the like in a launch
disposition, the upper end of each container having an
opening through which the missile can pass during launch,
said opening normally being closed by an openable closure
and the lower end of each container opening, via exhaust gas
valve means, into a common plenum chamber having exhaust gas
vent means to atmosphere, said containers having respective
quenching fluid inlets and quenching fluid valve means
associated therewith, said quenching fluid valve means
normally being closed but each being automatically and
substantially instantaneously openable in response to
penetration, by an externally originating projectile or
fragment, of a wall of its associated container thereby
enabling quenching fluid to flow into that container through
its quenching fluid inlet.
Preferred features and a preferred apparatus of the
invention will now be described, by way of example only,
with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a
schematic cut-away perspective view of the apparatus loaded
with vertical launch missiles.
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Referring to the drawing, the apparatus of the
invention, designated generally by reference numeral 1, is
shown rigidly mounted substantially between the upper deck 2
and a lower deck 3 of a warship. The apparatus 1 comprises
two sets 4 and 5 of four elongate, vertically disposed
containers, the six containers visible in the drawing being
designated by reference numerals 6 to 11 respectively.
Each container 6 to 11 is in the form of an
enclosure comprising four elongate wall sections that are
arcuate in plan view and which may be strengthened by one or
more external metal members. These sections, in the case of
container 9, are designated 9~, gn~ 91~l and 9"" and are
preferably formed of a fibre reinforced resin/ceramic/fibre
reinforced resin laminate, adjacent sections being bonded
together. A container made of such a laminate is generally
able to contain fragments resulting from explosion of the
motor(s) of the missile stored therein thereby minimising
the chance of such a fragment reaching, and initiating
ignition of, the motor(s) of a missile stored in an adjacent
container of the apparatus. A preferred laminate comprises
a loosely needled blanket of ceramic fibres (for example
that available under the trade mark "FIBREFRAX~) sandwiched
between layers of glass fibre mat embedded in an epoxy
resin. Preferably, each section 9' etc is produced by
longitudinally cutting a tube formed of said laminate. The
four vertices of the hollow space formed by the sections
accommodate the wings of the missile, three of which are
designated by reference numerals 12, 13 and 14, mounted in
each container in a vertical launch disposition. Integral
with the laminate sections 9~, gn~ 9ll1 and 9nl' is a fragment
or projectile penetrating detector means the nature and
purpose of which are described more fully below.
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The respective lower ends of the containers 6 etc
communicate , via respective one-way flap or other valves
(not shown) with a plenum chamber 15 that is provided with
an exhaust duct 16 having an open upper end 17. Each of the
valves is normally closed but immediately (eg about 0.1
second) prior to firing of a missile, the valve associated
with the container 6 etc containing the missile to be fired
is opened and automatically closes preferably immediately
after the missile has left its container. Closure may be
effected by, for example, the action of a return spring, the
rate of closure depending upon the rate of exhaust gas
pressure decay within the container. Thus, each valve
permits, during firing of a missile, exhaust gas from the
missile to pass into the plenum chamber 15 whence it passes
to atmosphere through the duct 16. On the other hand, such
valve in its normal, closed, position serves to prevent
exhaust gas from one missile entering, via the plenum
chamber 15, a container housing another missile which could
otherwise result in damage to or even accidental ignition of
that other missile.
The upper end of each of the containers 6 etc is
normally closed by an inner "fly through" membrane and an
outer protective lid. In the drawing, outer lid members 18,
19 serve to close off the two sets of containers 4 and 5
respectively. Each lid member 18, 19 is pivotably mounted
and is movable between a closed and an open n launch~
position. In the drawing, the lid member 18 is shown in its
closed position whilst the lid member 19 is shown in its
open, "launch" position. Regarding the open lid member 19,
it will be seen that its upper surface 20 abuts part of the
open end 17 of the exhaust duct 16 and serves to deflect
exhaust gas from missile 13 (shown as being launched) away
from the initial flight path of the missile. This ensures
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that the exhaust gas, which issues from the duct 16 at a
very high velocity, will not in any way affect the direction
of flight of the missile as it is being launched. However,
a separate deflecting member may be provided to fulfil this
function. Each lid 18, 19 is provided with four blow out
panels, one of which is designated 21, one positioned above
the upper end of each container. These panels serve to
relieve excess gas pressure within the container in the
event of accidental ignition of a missile during storage
when the lid member 18 or 19 is shut.
Each "fly through" membrane, one of which is
designated 19', comprises expanded polystyrene sheet
material having lines of weakness and which, during launch,
will merely be penetrated by the missile. The membranes
serve to prevent sea water, for example, entering the
containers when the lid members 18 or 19 are open. Further,
as it is intended that the missiles will be loaded into
their respective containers in a factory and then be
transported to the ship in question, it is desirable for the
containers to be sealed against the ingress of moisture and
other matter during transport and storage. The membranes
19' etc also serve that purpose and, for the same reason,
the base of each container 6 etc, between the one way valve
and the bottom of the missile, is provided with a membrane
(not shown), for example of an aluminium/chlorosulphonated
polyethylene/aluminium laminate, which membrane, during
launch, will be destroyed by the exhaust gas. During
transport and storage, the containers 6 etc may be slightly
pressurised, for example by nitrogen, to help prevent
ingress of moisture. Further, during transport and storage,
the ends of each container 6 etc may be provided with
protective end caps made, for example, of the afore-
mentioned laminate, the caps being removed prior to loading
of the containers, for example by crane, into position on
the ship.
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6 7026
As already indicated, the walls of each missile
container incorporate over substantially their entire area a
detector (not shown) that is capable of detecting
penetration thereof by a fragment or projectile. The
detector associated with each container may be such as to
detect penetration immediately after it has occurred but
detection preferably occurs actually during the course of
penetration. Any suitable type of detector may be employed
but preferably it is in the form of a number of closely
spaced (eg 2mm) electrically conductive wires, for example
of copper, embedded in a sheet matrix of, for example,
polypropylene. The sheet matrix may conveniently be
laminated to either of the resin layers of the wall sections
9' etc of the containers. The wires are incorporated in an
electrical circuit and, when a wire is broken or,
alternatively, when two adjacent wires are shorted together
by a fragment or projectile during passage thereof through
the detector, the circuit provides an electrical signal that
opens, via control circuitry, a fluid flow control valve
(reference numeral 22 in the case of container 9) located in
a quenching liquid pipe line (reference numeral 23 in the
case of container 9) to which quenching liquid is supplied
under pump pressure from a reservoir. The valve normally is
closed and prevents the pressurised quenching liquid from
entering its associated container. However, when the valve
opens in response to said signal, quenching liquid,
typically water, flows rapidly into the affected container
and serves to prevent or quench an ensuing fire or
explosion.
Each container is provided with a quenching liquid
inlet at its upper end. The inlet associated with container
9 is designated by reference numeral 24 and is positioned
such that quenching liquid entering the container will first
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douse the most dangerous part of the missile, namely the
war-head. One or more further inlets may, however, be
provided at any desired location.
In the event of penetration of one or more of the
containers occurring, the quenching liquid pumped into the
container(s) will, of course, descend to the bottom of the
container(s) and may, if the aluminium laminate membrane
referred to earlier becomes damaged, flow via the flap or
like valve(s) into the plenum chamber 15. Since, in the
particular embodiment shown in the drawing, it is intended
that penetration and quenching of, say, a single container
should nevertheless leave the remaining containers and their
missiles serviceable, quenching liquid that accumulates in
the plenum chamber 15 is pumped out via conduit 25 so as to
leave the exhaust gas flow passageways free for the purpose
of further launchings. Preferably, an additional, normally
open, valve, such as a solenoid valve, may be associated
with each inlet/quenching fluid valve and that, during
quenching, will automatically stop the flow of liquid
through the inlet after, say, a period of three minutes but
that will re-open if there is a further rise of temperature
within the container, and so on. This will prevent the
supply of unnecessarily excessive amounts of quenching
liquid to the container(s) in question.
The lower part, designated 26, of the apparatus
represents a control and monitoring panel from which, inter
alia, opening and closing of the lid members 18, 19, missile
launching and manual override of the quenching liquid
con-trol valves may be effected In this respect, items 27
and 28 represent interfaces between the missile computer
equipment and the ships computer equipment and item 29
represents an aerial for sending/receiving signals to and
from the missile during launch.
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Trials have demonstrated that apparatus of the
invention provides greatly improved safety in the event of a
projectile or fragment attack compared with hitherto
proposed vertical launch missile magazines.
