SBIR-STTR Award

Tactical missiles can use pintle nozzles to control speed and wings to steer to targets, but this is inadequate for many targets. To hit a wider variety of targets, tactical missiles must be able to steer the rocket's exhaust gas. A common method of doing this is to use a separate TVC system. However, it is often heavy and requires additional power to operate. If the TVC system can be integrated into a pintle nozzle for lighter weight and lower power requirements, Army missile capability will be greatly increased above current levels. Wickman Spacecraft & Propulsion Company proposes an innovative pintle nozzle with integral TVC. It deflects the exhaust gases and provides an unsymmetric pressure distribution on the exit cone walls to provide missile steering. It does this through a unique pintle geometry that can be adjusted to provide thrust vectoring from neutral to a range of thrust angles. During Phase I, WSPC will generate a preliminary layout design of a pintle nozzle with integral TVC based on advanced CFD and engineering analysis. This design will be tested in Phase II

Tactical missiles need to control their speed and be able to steer to a wide variety of targets. They usually control their speed with thrust management via pintle nozzles and steer with movable fins. Additional steering is often provided with jet vanes that provide thrust vector control (TVC). Moveable fins and TVC systems add weight, require additional power to operate, reduce missile velocity and decrease delivered specific impulse. Wickman Spacecraft & Propulsion Company (WSPC) has demonstrated the feasibility of an innovative pintle nozzle with integral TVC for lighter weight, lower power requirements, higher missile speeds and higher delivered specific impulse. If WSPC’s innovative nozzle was incorporated in the PAM missile (NLOS) system, the missile’s range would be increased by at least 12 %, its delivered specific impulse would be increased by 2% and its velocity would be increased by 10%, while maintaining or improving the PAM’s maneuverability. Phase II will demonstrate WSPC’s pintle nozzle through cold flow testing, solid rocket motor tests and a tactical missile sized motor firing at Army facilities with a typical TVC duty cycle. The final static firing will be verification that WSPC’s innovative pintle nozzle is ready to enhance Army tactical missile capability.

Keywords:
PINTLE NOZZLE, THRUST VECTOR CONTROL, TVC, SOLID ROCKET MOTOR, TACTICAL MISSILE, THRUST MANAGEMENT, MOTOR TESTING, COLD FLOW TESTING