BAE SYSTEMS plc Group IP Department

The present invention relates to methods of producing energetic materials by flow synthesis. There is provided a method for the synthesis of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) using a flow reactor, the method comprising the steps of:a) providing an input flow of sulphuric acid comprising at least 50 wt% sulphuric acid;b) providing an input flow of nitric acid comprising at least 50 wt% nitric acid;c) providing an input flow of toluene;d) directing the input flow of sulphuric acid, the input flow of nitric acid and the input flow of toluene through a first flow path in a first zone of the flow reactor, the first zone having a temperature T¹, to provide a first output flow;e) directing the first output flow through a second flow path in a second zone of the flow reactor, the second zone having a temperature T², to provide a second output flow comprising TNT;wherein the temperature T² is greater than the temperature T¹.

A RADAR system (100) comprising a surface-based platform (102) and an airborne platform (112). The surface-based platform comprises a phased array (104) of antennas; a surface-based communications interface (106) configured to communicate with the airborne platform, and at least one processor (108) configured to generate, based on position information communicated via the surface-based communications interface, control signals for the phased array to transmit a beam of radio waves towards a reflectarray (114) of the airborne platform, and to process reflected radio waves received via the phased array. The airborne platform comprises the reflectarray for receiving and directing the beam transmitted by the phased array and/or reflected from an object; an airborne communications interface (116) configured to communicate with the surface-based platform, and at least one processor (118) configured to output, based on position information communicated via the airborne communications interface, control signals for directing the reflectarray.

A propellant support unit (100) for a weapon system (200). The propellant support unit (100) extends along a propellant support unit axis (102). The propellant support unit (100) may comprise a side wall (104) extending between a first end (106) and a second end (108) along the length L of the propellant support unit (100). The side wall (104) may define a chamber (110). The chamber (110) may be closed at the first end (106) by a first end wall (112). The propellant support unit (100) may comprise an internal wall structure (114) which extends from the side wall (104) to define a plurality of sub-chambers (116). At least one of the sub-chambers (116) is configured for containing a propellant (300).

A nuclear reactor system (100) comprising a nuclear reactor unit (200) having a reactor core (202) with a central axis (206) extending along the length of the reactor core (202). The reactor core (202) defines a radially outer perimeter (204) and extends radially outwards from the central axis (206) to the radially outer perimeter (204). There is also provided a reflector body (300) provided around the radially outer perimeter (204) of the reactor core (202), the reflector body (300) extending radially outwards from the reactor core (202) outer perimeter (204) to a reflector body wall (302). A fluid flow duct (304) is defined between by the reflector body (300) and the reflector body wall (302). A reactor pressure vessel wall (400) is provided radially outward of, and spaced apart from the reflector body wall (302), with a closed cavity (402) defined between the reactor pressure vessel wall (400) and reflector body wall (302). A shield wall (500) is provided radially outward of, and spaced apart from, the reactor pressure vessel wall (400), with a fluid reservoir (600) being defined by the reactor pressure vessel wall (400) and shield wall (500).

A mission planning method for use with a weapon is disclosed. The method comprises: obtaining a first training data set describing the performance of the weapon; using the first training data set and a Gaussian Process (GP) or Neural Network to obtain a first surrogate model giving a functional approximation of the performance of the weapon; and providing the first surrogate model to a weapons system for use in calculating a performance characteristic of the weapon during combat operations.

A material processing system (100) comprising a control system (200) and a material element identification marking system (300). The control system (200) is operable to receive a part request instruction (202). In dependence of the part request instruction (202), the control system (200) is operable to: determine a region (208) of a material element (206) which will form the part (204), and control the material element identification marking system (300) to perform a marking operation configured to apply an identifier (302) to the region which will form the part (204).

A safety element for an aircraft actuation system comprising an actuator, an inceptor, and a shear pin connecting the motor to the inceptor is described. The safety element comprises an absorber zone which is configured to deform in response to an excess force event in the aircraft actuation system, and is locatable between the shear pin and the actuator. The safety element reduces a force applied to an element such as the shear pin during the excess force event. Especially, where the excess force event is caused by the actuator, the shear pin is preventable from breaking.

A method 100 is provided for handling flowable materials 208, comprising the steps 102-112 of: aligning a first container 206 with a dispensing means 202; extending a nozzle 204 from the dispensing means 202 at least partially into the first container 206; depositing the flowable material 208 from the nozzle 204; retracting the nozzle 204 while the flowable material 208 is being deposited from the nozzle 204; stopping further deposition of the flowable material 208 and removing the nozzle 204 from the first container 206 when a measured amount of flowable material 208 has been deposited; and sealing the first container 206. Also described herein is a system 200 for handling flowable materials 208.

A computer-implemented method is disclosed, in which a Large Language Model, LLM, is used to score or rank a plurality of test cases for use in fuzz testing an autonomous system. The method comprises: receiving a definition of interestingness and a plurality of test cases; providing the definition of interestingness and the plurality of test cases to the LLM in the form of first input text and second input text, respectively; and receiving an output from the LLM. The output is indicative of a respective score or ranking assigned to each one of the plurality of test cases by the LLM in accordance with the definition of interestingness. The autonomous system may then be fuzz tested by selecting one or more of the plurality of test cases in accordance with the assigned scores or rankings, and executing the selected test case(s) by the autonomous system.

Methods, apparatus and systems are described configured to: obtain RF data at a remote node of a system, wherein the RF data is transmitted by a RF emitter; process the obtained RF data at the remote node using a trained RF emitter profiling model to perform feature extraction; determine whether the respective RF emitter is a known emitter; provide data relating to the RF emitter to a central node of the system in the event that the RF emitter is not a known emitter; and provide data relating to the RF emitter to a local database at the remote node in the event that the RF emitter is a known emitter.