Vibration reduction and firing accuracy improvement by natural frequency optimization of a machine gun system

Abstract

Structure vibration is known to influence the firing accuracy of a machine gun system. Studying the dynamic characteristics of the machine gun system and reducing its vibration response are crucial. Eigenfrequency optimization based on topology is an emerging vibration suppression technique that reduces structural vibration and stabilizes a machine gun system. This paper presents an effective and efficient method that accomplishes these tasks. The objective function is the frequency of the main vibration mode confirmed by modal and transient dynamic analyses. The frequency is maximized by subjecting topology optimization to mass constraints. Based on topology optimization results, the revised model addresses all structural and manufacturability concerns. Dynamic analysis, exterior ballistics calculation, and experimental test are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Results show that muzzle vibration and structure deformation are reduced and firing accuracy is remarkably improved.