Projectile system with environmental hazard sensing
In one aspect, a modular air sampling system includes a sensor module defining a nose, the sensor module including a sensor for sampling contaminants in the atmosphere. A processing and sending module includes processing electronics in communication with the sensor for receiving a signal from the sensor representative of sampled contaminants in the atmosphere. The processing and sending module further includes a radio frequency transmitter operably coupled to the processing electronics for transmitting a radio frequency signal representative of one or more contaminants sensed by the sensor. In another aspect, a modular air sampling system includes a sensor module containing the sensor, processing electronics, and radio frequency transmitter within the sensor module housing.
1. A modular air sampling system, comprising:
a sensor module defining a nose, said sensor module including a sensor for sampling contaminants in the atmosphere;
a processing and sending module including processing electronics in communication with the sensor for receiving a signal from the sensor representative of sampled contaminants in the atmosphere, said processing and sending module further including a radio frequency transmitter operably coupled to the processing electronics for transmitting a radio frequency signal representative of one or more contaminants sensed by the sensor; and
a shell casing and a propelling charge contained within the shell casing for firing the modular air sampling system.
2. The modular air sampling system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor module includes a housing, said housing including one or more inlets allowing ambient air to pass into the interior of the housing.
3. The modular air sampling system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more air directing surfaces for directing ambient air into each of the one or more inlets.
4. The modular air sampling system of claim 1 , further comprising a flight control module attached to the sensor module and containing a flight control system for guiding said air sampling system toward a target.
5. The modular air sampling system of claim 4 , further comprising:
said flight control module removably attachable to the sensor module; and
said flight control module including a plurality of airfoils, said airfoils being moveable between a retracted state and an extended state.
6. The modular air sampling system of claim 4 , further comprising a rocket module attached to the processing and sending module, said rocket module including a rocket motor configured to propel the modular air sampling system.
7. The modular air sampling system of claim 4 , further comprising:
one or both of a position sensor and a time-of-flight sensor received within the flight control module and operatively coupled to the processing electronics, said processing electronics configured to correlate one or both of a time and a geographic location with the signal from the sensor representative of sampled contaminants in the atmosphere.
8. The modular air sampling system of claim 4 further comprising a data bus received within the flight control module for communicating sensor data to the processing electronics.
9. The modular air sampling system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or both of a position sensor and a time-of-flight sensor operatively coupled to the processing electronics, said processing electronics configured to correlate one or both of a time and a geographic location with the signal from the sensor representative of sampled contaminants in the atmosphere.
10. The modular air sampling system of claim 1 , further comprising a rocket module attached to the processing and sending module, said rocket module including a rocket motor configured to propel the air sampling system.
11. The modular air sampling system of claim 10 , wherein the rocket module includes a plurality of vanes for providing stability during flight.
12. The modular air sampling system of claim 10 , wherein said rocket motor is powered by a rocket fuel material in a form selected from the group consisting of a solid, a liquid, a gel, or any combination thereof.
13. The modular air sampling system of claim 10 , wherein the rocket module is removably attached to the processing and sending module.
14. The modular air sampling system of claim 10 , further comprising:
said shell casing attached to a rearward end of the rocket module, said shell casing including a charge of explosive material configured to propel the modular air sampling system a distance prior to said rocket motor being fired.
15. The modular air sampling system of claim 14 , wherein said shell casing is a 40 mm shell casing.
16. The modular air sampling system of claim 1 , wherein the modular air sampling system is configured to fit into a conventional launch platform from which the modular air sampling system can be launched.
17. The modular air sampling system of claim 16 , wherein the launch platform is a grenade launcher.
18. The modular air sampling system of claim 1 , further comprising a launch platform for firing the modular air sampling system.
19. The modular air sampling system of claim 18 , wherein the launch platform is a grenade launcher.
20. The modular air sampling system of claim 1 , wherein the signal representative of sampled contaminants in the atmosphere is further representative of a concentration of the sampled contaminants in the atmosphere.
21. The modular air sampling system of claim 1 , wherein the contaminants are selected from chemical contaminants and biological contaminants.
22. A modular air sampling system, comprising:
a sensor module having a housing, said sensor module including a sensor for sampling contaminants in the atmosphere;
processing electronics received within the housing in communication with the sensor for receiving a signal from the sensor representative of sampled contaminants in the atmosphere;
a radio frequency transmitter received within the housing and operably coupled to the processing electronics for transmitting a radio frequency signal representative of one or more contaminants sensed by the sensor; and
a shell casing and a propelling charge contained within the shell casing for firing the modular air sampling system.
23. The modular air sampling system of claim 22 , wherein the housing includes one or more inlets allowing ambient air to pass into the interior of the housing.
24. The modular air sampling system of claim 23 , further comprising one or more air directing surfaces for directing ambient air into each of the one or more inlets.
25. The modular air sampling system of claim 22 , further comprising:
one or both of a position sensor and a time-of-flight sensor received within the housing and operatively coupled to the processing electronics, said processing electronics configured to correlate one or both of a time and a geographic location with the signal from the sensor representative of sampled contaminants in the atmosphere.
26. The modular air sampling system of claim 22 , wherein the rocket module is removably attached to the processing and sending module.
27. The modular air sampling system of claim 22 , further comprising:
said shell casing attached to a rearward end of the sensor module, said shell casing including a charge of explosive material configured to propel the modular air sampling system a distance to a remote location to be sampled.
28. The modular air sampling system of claim 27 , wherein said shell casing is a 40 mm shell casing.
29. The modular air sampling system of claim 22 , wherein the modular air sampling system is configured to fit into a conventional launch platform from which the modular air sampling system can be launched.
30. The modular air sampling system of claim 29 , wherein the launch platform is a grenade launcher.
31. The modular air sampling system of claim 22 , further comprising a launch platform for firing the modular air sampling system.
32. The modular air sampling system of claim 31 , wherein the launch platform is a grenade launcher.
33. The modular air sampling system of claim 22 , wherein the signal representative of sampled contaminants in the atmosphere is further representative of a concentration of the sampled contaminants in the atmosphere.
34. The modular air sampling system of claim 22 , wherein the contaminants are selected from chemical contaminants and biological contaminants.
35. A modular air sampling system, comprising:
a sensor module defining a nose, said sensor module including a sensor for sampling contaminants in the atmosphere;
a flight control module removably attached to the sensor module and containing a flight control system for guiding said air sampling system toward a target; and
a processing and sending module removably attached to the flight control module, the processing and sending module including processing electronics in communication with the sensor for receiving a signal from the sensor representative of sampled contaminants in the atmosphere, said processing and sending module further including a radio frequency transmitter operably coupled to the processing electronics for transmitting a radio frequency signal representative of one or more contaminants sensed by the sensor.
36. The modular air sampling system of claim 35 , wherein said flight control module includes a plurality of airfoils, said airfoils being moveable between a retracted state and an extended state.