Thermoacoustic heat exchanger suppressor
A silencer core for suppressing and dissipating at least one of a sound, a flame, or a quantity of heat of a projectile fired from a firearm includes a thermoacoustic organic structure (TOS) extending along a central axis from a first end to a second end. The TOS defines a central bore extending along the central axis from the first end to the second end. The central bore enabling the projectile to pass through the TOS when fired from the firearm. The TOS also defines a network of interconnected passages or a mesh configured to move at least one of combustion gases, heat, or sound from the central bore to an outside diameter of the TOS. The TOS has a density between 1.5 g/cm 3 to 4 g/cm 3 .
1 . A silencer core for suppressing and dissipating at least one of a sound, a flame, and a quantity of heat of a projectile fired from a firearm, the silencer core comprising:
a thermoacoustic organic structure (TOS) extending along a central axis from a first end to a second end, the TOS defines:
a central bore extending along the central axis from the first end to the second end, the central bore enabling the projectile to pass through the TOS when fired from the firearm, and
a network of interconnected passages configured to move at least one of combustion gases, heat, and sound from the central bore to an outside surface of the TOS, wherein a material forming the TOS has a density between 1.5 g/cm 3 and 4 g/cm 3 .
2 . The silencer core of claim 1 , wherein the interconnected passages include an axial component and a radial component to move the at least one of combustion gases, heat, and sound in an axial direction and a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction.
3 . The silencer core of claim 1 , wherein the material forming the TOS has a coefficient of thermal effusivity between 6,000 W·s 0.5 /(m 2 ·K) and 100,000 W·s 0.5 /(m 2 ·K).
4 . The silencer core of claim 1 , wherein the material forming the TOS is at least one of aluminum-magnesium-scandium alloy, TiAl4822, TiAl3, zirconium beryllide, Al68-Ti15-Zr12, silicon carbide, beryllium oxide, a ceramic compound, a metal matrix, and a ceramic matrix composite (CMC).
5 . The silencer core of claim 1 , wherein the TOS defines a cylindrical volume, the TOS defining an amount of open space within the cylindrical volume between 55% and 85% of a total volume defined by the cylindrical volume.
6 . The silencer core of claim 1 , wherein each radial interconnected passage of the network of interconnected passages is defined by a tortuous path from the central bore to the outside surface.
7 . The silencer core of claim 1 , wherein the silencer core is manufactured with an additive manufacturing process.
8 . The silencer core of claim 1 , wherein the material forming the TOS has physical properties to produce thermoacoustic effects to suppress and dissipate at least one of the sound and the quantity of heat.
9 . A silencer apparatus for suppressing and dissipating at least one of a sound, a flame, and a quantity of heat of a projectile fired from a firearm, the silencer apparatus comprising:
a cylindrical thermoacoustic organic structure (TOS) extending along a central axis from a first end to a second end, the cylindrical TOS defines:
a central bore extending along the central axis from the first end to the second end, and
a network of passages configured to move at least one of combustion gases, heat, and sound from the central bore to an outside surface of the cylindrical TOS, wherein a material forming the cylindrical TOS has a density between 1.5 g/cm 3 and 4 g/cm 3 ; and
a shell extending from a barrel end to a muzzle end, the shell configured to at least partially surround and interact with the cylindrical TOS to facilitate heat transfer between the cylindrical TOS and the shell, the cylindrical TOS being selectively removable from the shell.
10 . The silencer apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the network of passages of the cylindrical TOS includes a network of curvilinear passages having components in an axial direction and a radial direction enabling movement of the at least one of combustion gases, heat, and sound from the central bore of the cylindrical TOS in the axial direction and the radial direction.
11 . The silencer apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the cylindrical TOS has a variable density along an axial direction.
12 . The silencer apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the shell further comprises:
a first cylindrical member configured to interact with the cylindrical TOS, and
a second cylindrical member spaced a distance from the first cylindrical member, the second cylindrical member concentric to the first cylindrical member and attached to the first cylindrical member through a plurality of spokes extending from the first cylindrical member to the second cylindrical member, wherein:
the first cylindrical member and the second cylindrical member together define an open space between the first cylindrical member and the second cylindrical member.
13 . The silencer apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the shell includes an axial baffle extending away from the first cylindrical member and toward the central axis, the axial baffle configured to provide an axial channel in fluid communication with a space outside the barrel end and a space outside the muzzle end of the shell.
14 . The silencer apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the axial channel is in fluid communication with a plurality of channels of the network of channels of the cylindrical TOS.
15 . The silencer apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the shell includes a heat exchange channel extending from the barrel end to the muzzle end, the heat exchange channel configured to provide fluid communication between a space outside the barrel end and a space outside the muzzle end of the shell to enable an amount of air flow through the heat exchange channel from the barrel end to the muzzle end.
16 . The silencer apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the shell includes a threaded member configured to cooperate with a threaded structure located on a barrel of the firearm.
17 . The silencer apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a cap configured to be attached to the muzzle end of the shell.
18 . A silencer apparatus for suppressing and dissipating at least one of a sound, a flame, and a quantity of heat of a projectile fired from a firearm, the silencer apparatus comprising:
a cylindrical thermoacoustic organic structure (TOS) extending along a central axis from a first end to a second end, the cylindrical TOS defines:
a central bore extending along the central axis from the first end to the second end; and
a network of passages configured to move combustion gases from the central bore to an outside surface of the cylindrical TOS, wherein:
a material forming the cylindrical TOS has a density between 1.5 g/cm 3 and 4 g/cm 3 , and
the cylindrical TOS is formed by an additive manufacturing process; and
a shell extending from a barrel end to a muzzle end, the shell configured to at least partially surround and interact with the cylindrical TOS to facilitate heat transfer between the cylindrical TOS and the shell, wherein:
the cylindrical TOS and the shell behave as a thermoacoustic-responsive structure to suppress and dissipate at least one of the sound and the quantity of heat.
19 . The silencer apparatus of claim 18 , the shell comprising:
a first cylindrical member configured to interact with the cylindrical TOS; and
a second cylindrical member spaced a distance from the first cylindrical member, the second cylindrical member concentric to the first cylindrical member and attached to the first cylindrical member through a plurality of spokes extending from the first cylindrical member to the second cylindrical member, wherein:
the first cylindrical member and the second cylindrical member together define an open space between the first cylindrical member and the second cylindrical member, and
the cylindrical TOS is selectively removable from the shell.
20 . The silencer apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the cylindrical TOS defines a cylindrical volume, the cylindrical TOS defining an amount of open space within the cylindrical volume between 55% and 85% of a total volume defined by the cylindrical volume.