Dynamic Characteristics of a Buffered Multiple Rocket Launcher System and Its Effect on Muzzle Disturbance: An ADAMS-Based Virtual Prototype Study

Abstract

To improve the firing accuracy of multiple rocket launchers and reduce muzzle disturbance during launch, this study investigates the dynamic characteristics of a multiple rocket launcher system equipped with a buffer device. A dynamic model of the multi-barrel launcher is established, and an ADAMS virtual prototype is developed to compare muzzle disturbance with and without the buffer under identical firing conditions. The comparison examines shock disturbance torques on the pitch and azimuth axes and reaction forces transmitted to the base, which govern the initial projectile disturbance at the muzzle and the dispersion of rocket salvoes. The prototype is built by simplifying the geometric model into a simulation-oriented physical model, programming the firing sequence, and extracting time-history responses of the muzzle and base. Representative published data indicate that a unidirectional buffer reduced the five-round average firing disturbance only marginally, from 2.15 mm to 2.01 mm, because impact during recoil and counter-recoil introduced additional vibration; a bidirectional vibration-damping buffer lowered it to 1.02 mm, a 52.56% reduction relative to the unidirectional case. Combining optimized ignition timing with vibration-reduction technology has also improved directional dispersion of continuous fire by 20%. These findings show that buffer effectiveness depends critically on configuration, stiffness, damping, and preload: a poorly matched buffer may amplify muzzle jump through collision effects, whereas a properly designed bidirectional or semi-active buffer can substantially suppress disturbance transmission. The ADAMS-based approach enables rapid, low-cost evaluation of design variants before physical testing. By quantifying differences in shock torque and base reaction force, this study provides a simulation-based rationale for buffer integration, reference data for structural dimensioning and firing-sequence optimization, and a new approach for improving shooting accuracy and reducing muzzle disturbance while shortening development cycles and conserving R&D expenditure.