US 11,906,255 B1
Weapon energy harvesting by gas turbine electric generator
Alexander Smtih, Long Valley, NJ (US); Brian Hoffman, Bloomington, IN (US); and Michael Colonnello, Mine Hill, NJ (US)
Assigned to The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Army, Washington, DC (US)
Filed by U.S. Government as Represented by the Secretary of the Army, Dover, NJ (US)
Filed on Oct. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/965,921.
Int. Cl. F41A 13/10 (2006.01); F41A 19/08 (2006.01)
CPC F41A 13/10 (2013.01) [F41A 19/08 (2013.01)] 1 Claim
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A power generation assembly for a remote weapon system comprising:
a gas distribution subassembly further comprising a gas tappet for receiving expanding propellant gases from a weapon system barrel, a right gas channel extending rearward in a right direction for directing propellant gas to a right converging nozzle and a left gas channel extending rearward in a left direction for directing propellant gas to a left converging nozzle;
a right radial inflow turbine operable via propellant gases received from the right converging nozzle and a left radial inflow turbine operable via propellant gases received from the left converging nozzle, said right radial inflow turbine and said left radial inflow turbine being diametrically opposed to each other across a driveshaft; and
an electric generator further comprising the driveshaft about which a torque is imparted by the right radial inflow turbine and the left radial inflow turbine through an epicyclical gear arrangement, said driveshaft coupled to a magnet rotor rotatably suspended within a generator stator; and
an electrical interface for transmitting an electric current produced by the magnet rotor rotating within the generator stator to trickle charge a battery.