Linear Actuator for Missile Guidance Steering Fin Control

Airex Corporation's Missile Steering Control Actuator System (MSCAS) can be directly applied to provide the high performance missile steering capability required by the Navy's High Speed Anti-Radiation Demonstration program.In the MSCAS, each missile fin is positioned by a low volume, low cost, low weight, high performance, brushless linear motor system comprised of an opposed pair of curved electromagnetic linear actuators. They travel along the missile's axial plane,coupled through a common pinion gear.Advanced features, such as independent control of each fin, dynamic preloading to reduce vibration and increase precision, and air breaking to control velocity, can be implemented via this approach. The design provides inherent fault tolerant capabilityallowing continued system operation via graceful degradation, and is unaffected by vehicle acceleration due to the symmetrically applied forces of the dual actuator design. Integral thermal monitoring allows the control system to dynamically allocatepower for peak steering performance in critical mission segments. Inherent position feedback allows precise fin angle position accuracy during all operating situations despite applied stresses. The low inductance motors allow wide bandwidth precisioncontrol while maintaining extremely high angular slew rates.A single-fin demonstration platform, and preliminary Phase II designs, will be delivered in Phase I. This Missile Steering Control Actuator System will allow proof of concept for low cost, low volume, precision, flight qualified actuators for missile control as well as for UUV and UAV applications. Similar actuators may also be used in precisionpointing applications such as ship-borne high-energy laser systems, air-borne laser systems, or laser communications.