Firearm suppression using thermofluidic metamaterials

Abstract

A firearm suppressor having a core, a first end, a second end, a hollow bore extending along a longitudinal axis from the first to the second end, and an energy management structure. The first end of the suppressor includes a set of threads for connecting the suppressor to a firearm, and the bore includes a plurality of openings into the energy manager. The energy manager includes a plurality of chambers extending from the bore. A method of designing a firearm suppressor including setting a pressure range to be contained by the suppressor, establishing certain manufacturing parameters, choosing a structure for the core, modeling performance values for the core, selecting a geometry of the structure, and selecting a sleeve for the core.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A suppressor device, comprising:
 a core having a first end, a second end, a hollow bore extending from the first end to the second end and located along a longitudinal axis of the core, and an energy manager, wherein the first end includes a set of threads for removably attaching the suppressor to a firearm, wherein the bore includes a plurality of openings to the energy manager, and wherein the energy manager includes a plurality of chambers extending from the bore to an outer surface; and   a sleeve for containing the core, the sleeve having an entry at the first end and an exit at the second end.   
     
     
         2 . The suppressor device of  claim 1 , the energy manager further comprising a shape that evolves between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         3 . The suppressor device of  claim 2 , wherein the shape is one of a triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structure, or a lattice structure. 
     
     
         4 . The suppressor device of  claim 2 , wherein the shape evolves according to one of the following: along the longitudinal axis; along the longitudinal axis and along a radial axis extending out from the longitudinal axis to the outer surface of the core; or along a radius extending from a point located at an intersection of the longitudinal axis and a plane that intersects the core orthogonal to the longitudinal axis between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         5 . The suppressor device of  claim 1 , wherein the energy manager optimizes management of thermofluidic energy between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         6 . The suppressor device of  claim 1 , wherein the energy manager contains a pressure level corresponding to a cartridge fired by the firearm, and optimizes a heat value, a sound value, and a pressure value at the second end. 
     
     
         7 . The suppressor device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of openings allows gas, sound, heat, and light to enter the energy manager. 
     
     
         8 . The suppressor device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of chambers allows a flow of fluid, wherein the flow is three-dimensional and continuous, and wherein the flow travels from the first end to the second end. 
     
     
         9 . The suppressor device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of chambers includes a cross section and a wall thickness, and wherein the cross section and wall thickness evolve from the first end to the second end. 
     
     
         10 . The suppressor device of  claim 1 , wherein a flow of gases is controlled so that a majority of combustible products within the flow burn before leaving the suppressor. 
     
     
         11 . The suppressor device of  claim 1 , wherein heat is absorbed and dissipated to minimize an infrared signature. 
     
     
         12 . A method of designing a firearm suppressor, comprising:
 setting a range of pressures to be contained by the suppressor;   setting manufacturing parameters that include one or more of the following: a construction material, a maximum cost, and a maximum weight;   choosing a shape for a core, wherein the shape is one of the following: a triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structure, or a lattice structure;   modeling a performance of the core, wherein the performance is one or more of the following: a thermofluidic flow velocity for gases at an exit of the suppressor; a heat dissipation speed; or a pressure value at the exit;   selecting a geometry of the shape using the performance; and   selecting a sleeve for containing the core.   
     
     
         13 . The method of designing a firearm suppressor of  claim 12 , wherein the range corresponds to one or more cartridge types usable with a firearm. 
     
     
         14 . The method of designing a firearm suppressor of  claim 12 , the choosing step further comprising:
 accessing a library of structures, wherein each structure in the library has been evaluated for use in a suppressor using an artificial intelligence or machine learning (AI/ML) model.   
     
     
         15 . The method of designing a firearm suppressor of  claim 12 , the modeling step further comprising using an AI/ML application to model the thermofluidic flow velocity, the heat dissipation speed, and the pressure value. 
     
     
         16 . The method of designing a firearm suppressor of  claim 15 , further comprising adjusting an attribute of the shape, the attribute including one of: a channel cross-section, a wall thickness, or a wall intercept angle. 
     
     
         17 . The method of designing a firearm suppressor of  claim 15 , further comprising evolving an attribute of the shape according to one of the following: along a longitudinal axis of the core; along the longitudinal axis and along a radial axis of the core, wherein the radial axis extends orthogonally from the longitudinal axis to an outer surface of the core; and along a radius extending from a point located at an intersection of the longitudinal axis and a plane that intersects the core orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         18 . The method of designing a firearm suppressor of  claim 15 , the selecting step further comprising selecting the geometry that has an optimal combination of the thermofluidic flow velocity, the heat dissipation speed, and the pressure value. 
     
     
         19 . The method of designing a firearm suppressor of  claim 15 , the selecting step further comprising selecting the geometry that minimizes a sound value at the exit. 
     
     
         20 . The method of designing a firearm suppressor of  claim 12 , the selecting step further comprising selecting the geometry that minimizes an infrared signature. 
     
     
         21 . The method of designing a firearm suppressor of  claim 12 , the selecting step further comprising selecting the geometry that creates a backpressure value.