Novel TVC Mini DAC System

Thrust Vector Control (TVC) systems offer advantages such as reduced complexity and fewer thrusters relative to many other divert and attitude control (DAC) systems. Proposed is the development of a novel TVC system to provide miniature DAC capabilities for a wide range of mono-prop and bi-prop missile propulsion systems. A primary benefit that the proposed TVC concept offers relative to systems with multiple DAC and attitude control system (ACS) thrusters is that potentially fewer thrusters are required and the overall complexity of the system can be reduced. The proposed research will leverage previous work that has been conducted into TVC systems by incorporating a new piezoelectric motor actuation technology. The proposed system will provide significant improvements in valve proportionality, reduction of system complexity, increased reliability, reduced power consumption, and weight and cost savings relative to systems dependent upon electro-magnetic actuation technologies. The piezoelectric-controlled TVC will also impart a vectoring proportionality that can be valuable to the overall system response. The resulting technology will be scaleable to a wide range of applications.