Transfer Matrix Method for Multibody Systems

14Dynamics of Shipboard Launch Systems

14.1 Introduction

Shipboard launch systems are essential ship‐borne weapons because of their rapid reaction, high firing rate, large allowance of ammunition, strong continuous fighting ability, difficult‐to‐intercept projectiles and high economic efficiency. These advantages make shipboard launch systems high‐efficiency weapons against marine and aerial targets, as well as targets on land. Shipboard launch systems are powerful in modern warfare and many destroyers are equipped with 127‐mm or 130‐mm shipboard launch systems. Any launch system can be regarded as a nonlinear, time‐variant multi‐rigid‐flexible‐body system. The nonlinear and time‐variant characteristics of shipboard launch systems include the time‐variant mass distribution and stiffness distribution caused by the large motion of the gun body and the projectile during the launching process, and collisions induced by the projectile–barrel gap.

In this chapter, we utilize discrete time transfer matrix method for multi‐rigid‐flexible‐body systems to solve some important problems in the launch dynamics of shipboard launch systems [112, 113].

14.2 Dynamics Model of Shipboard Launch Systems

Shipboard launch systems are usually fixed on the deck of the ship, as shown in Figure 14.1. The Russian AK‐176 shipboard launch system is shown in Figure 14.2. Shipboard launch systems include a gun tube, breech, anti‐recoil devices, cradle, elevating mechanism, equilibrator, casemate, traversing ...