Enhanced radial damaging projectile and method of use

Abstract

A projectile including a body having a longitudinal axis, a front end and a rear end at respective ends along the longitudinal axis, and a surface profile extending from the front end to the rear end, wherein the surface profile is radially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis, the body having a caliber size defining a largest diameter of the body along the longitudinal axis. The projectile also includes two or more radially-protruding stress-concentrating protrusions arranged proximate the front end of the body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A projectile, comprising:
 a body having a longitudinal axis, a front end and a rear end at respective ends along the longitudinal axis, and a surface profile extending from the front end to the rear end, wherein the surface profile is radially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis, the body having a caliber size defining a largest diameter of the body along the longitudinal axis;   two or more radially-protruding stress-concentrating protrusions arranged proximate the front end of the body.   
     
     
         2 . The projectile of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are symmetrically spaced about the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The projectile of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusions extend along the surface profile of the body such that the protrusions each have a fore end and an aft end. 
     
     
         4 . The projectile of  claim 3 , wherein the fore end of each protrusion is arranged at or near the front end of the body. 
     
     
         5 . The projectile of  claim 3 , wherein the aft end of each protrusion is arranged along the surface profile spaced from the front end at a position such that each protrusion is entirely radially within the largest diameter of the body. 
     
     
         6 . The projectile of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body. 
     
     
         7 . The projectile of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are canted at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the body. 
     
     
         8 . The projectile of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusions each have a tapering width. 
     
     
         9 . The projectile of  claim 8 , wherein the tapering width includes a narrow fore end width, a narrow aft end width, and a middle region having a width larger than the fore end width and larger than the aft end width. 
     
     
         10 . The projectile of  claim 8 , wherein the tapering width includes a narrower fore end width, and a wider aft end width. 
     
     
         11 . The projectile of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusions each have a tapering radial height along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         12 . The projectile of  claim 11 , wherein the tapering radial height includes a shorter fore end radial height, a shorter aft end radial height, and a middle region having a radial height larger than the fore end radial height and larger than the aft end radial height. 
     
     
         13 . The projectile of  claim 4 , wherein the fore end of each protrusion is arranged a spaced distance from the front end of the body. 
     
     
         14 . The projectile of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusions comprise a first group of protrusions and a second group of protrusions, wherein a fore end of each protrusion of the first group of protrusions is arranged a first distance from the front end of the body, and the fore end of each protrusion of the second group of protrusions is arranged a second distance from the front end of the body. 
     
     
         15 . The projectile of  claim 14 , wherein the first group of protrusions are radially offset from the second group of protrusions. 
     
     
         16 . The projectile of  claim 14 , wherein the first group of protrusions are radially aligned with the second group of protrusions. 
     
     
         17 . The projectile of  claim 3 , wherein the fore end tapers to a point. 
     
     
         18 . The projectile of  claim 3 , wherein the aft end of each protrusion is arranged along the surface profile spaced from the front end at a position, such that at least a portion of each protrusion is radially beyond the largest diameter of the body. 
     
     
         19 . A projectile, comprising:
 a body having a longitudinal axis, a front end and a rear end at respective ends along the longitudinal axis, and a surface profile extending from the front end to the rear end, wherein the surface profile is radially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis, the body having a caliber size defining a largest diameter of the body along the longitudinal axis;   two or more stress concentrating petals arranged proximate the front end of the body,   wherein the petals are symmetrically spaced about the longitudinal axis and extend along the surface profile of the body such that the petals each have a fore end and an aft end,   wherein the fore end of each petal is arranged at or near the front end of the body and the aft end of each petal is arranged along the surface profile spaced from the front end at a position such that each petal is entirely radially within the largest diameter of the body.   
     
     
         20 . A projectile, comprising:
 a body having a longitudinal axis, a front end and a rear end at respective ends along the longitudinal axis, and a surface profile extending from the front end to the rear end, wherein the surface profile is radially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis, the body having a caliber size defining a largest diameter of the body along the longitudinal axis;   two or more radially-recessed regions forming stress-concentrating edges arranged proximate the front end of the body.   
     
     
         21 . A method of determining a projectile protrusion configuration for a projectile for a target material, the method comprising:
 impacting the target material with an un-modified projectile at an impact bore;   quantifying radial crack damage in the target material to determine a number radial cracks in the target material circumferentially-spaced around the impact bore; and   determining the projectile protrusion configuration as a number of protrusions circumferentially-spaced on the projectile, the number radial cracks informing the number of protrusions.