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Abstract

A muzzle velocity chronograph method and apparatus for providing an accurate and precise measurement of the muzzle velocity of a projectile ejected from a gun. A conventional radar Doppler signal is sampled and digitized and arranged in a succession of groups, each group representing a separate time period. A fast-Fourier transform is then computed for each group of samples, and peak frequency measurements in the transformed data are tracked from one time period to the next. These peaks indicate the velocities of the projectile of interest and any other nearby moving objects. Finally, a least mean square error curve fit and standard regression algorithm are used to deduce the projectile's initial, muzzle velocity. The invention provides accurate muzzle velocity determinations even in circumstances where the Doppler signal contains substantial interference caused, for example, by random noise and the presence of moving fragments in the direction of the projectile.

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First Claim