Illuminant Packet Development for a 40mm Projectile Designed for Temporary Human Incapacitation through Noise Impulse and Visual Stress

摘要

A packet design effort, targeting manufacturability and safety, for a 40 mm low-velocity, airburstnonlethal projectile has been completed. The packet houses the illuminant portion of a two-part payloadsystem composed of a pyrotechnic activator and the illuminant, a reactive metal powder. The packetdesign requirements were prioritized such that the resultant packet would (a) be inexpensive to produce,assemble, and load into the projectile, (b) provide protection from humidity and water leakage, (c) besufficiently robust to survive handling, transport, and launch, (d) not decrease projectile accuracy on target,and (e) readily break up upon payload activation and not decrease the payload’s performance. Decreasedperformance was represented as reduction of the system’s ability to cause temporary incapacitation ofhumans through impulse noise and visual stress. Spiral development monitored through static and ballistictesting of prototypes yielded a multi-compartment, injection molded, glass bead filled polystyrene packet thatfits in the annular volume around a flash tube. The packet must be held in place within the projectile duringspin up and launch thereof. The position of the packet’s compartment walls relative to flash tube holes doesnot affect performance. Fireball shape and intensity are different in static relative to dynamic mode.