Multi‐spectral flare designs using both red‐ and green‐light emitters: Progress towards wavelength selectable signals

Abstract

AbstractPyrotechnic flares are used extensively, with each color relating to specific information such as landing zone, enemy location, medical evacuation, or submarine location. While all current military flares are restricted to a single illumination color, progress towards a wavelength selectable signal and/or multispectral signal is of interest. In this effort, we use additive manufacturing, via direct ink write approach, to print three unique configurations with green/red light emitter compositions (GLE/RLE). Varying the infill design provides the opportunity to fire either of the base colors individually (red‐ and/or green‐light illuminant) or to fire them simultaneously to achieve a multispectral result. In this work, architecture is shown to play a critical role, and when the GLE composition is approx. 70 wt% of the overall, then a reasonable multi‐spectral result is achieved. While early, this work demonstrates that there is significant promise to optimize wavelength selectable signals via architecture achievable with additive manufacturing.