Rotating and oscillating breaching device with reactive material

Abstract

A breaching device for cutting through a substrate. There are several embodiments of the breaching device. In one embodiment, the device includes a hub assembly with a rotatable ring and a plurality of RM feed assemblies attached to the ring. In another embodiment, the device includes a disc, wherein the disc is rotatable and includes a plurality of slots, a shaft joined to the disc about which the disc rotates and a plurality of RM feed assemblies attached to the disc and arranged in the slots thereof. In another embodiment, the device includes a plurality of carts linked together, wherein each of the carts includes a cart body to which is coupled to an idler wheel, a wheel with an in-wheel motor and a platform and for each cart, a RM feed assembly retained on the platform. The RM feed assemblies include ejected nozzles that may be positioned at selectable angles.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part and claims the priority benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 444,655, filed Jul. 28, 2014, entitled ROTATING AND OSCILLATING BREACHING DEVICE WITH REACTIVE MATERIAL, which is a continuation-in-part and claims the priority benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 747,596 filed Jan. 23, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,789,468 issued Jul. 29, 2014, entitled REACTIVE MATERIAL BREACHING DEVICE, which is a continuation-in-part and claims the priority benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 495,058, filed Jun. 13, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,679,399 issued Mar. 25, 2014, entitled “APPARATUS FOR METAL CUTTING AND WELDING” having a common inventor thereof, which pending application is a nonprovisional and claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61 / 520,593, filed Jun. 13, 2011, entitled “METAL CUTTING / TRACK WELDING KIT FOR SERVICE SIDEARM OR OTHER GUN.” The...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015]The present invention is also a breaching device that may be used to create a linear and, if desired, continuous, cut or breach in a metal structure. The cut or breach created may be non-linear in shape and not deviate from the functionality of the device. The device includes a plurality of containers joined together, such as by a metal wire or the like to form a series of cutting charges. One or more of the containers includes Reactive Material (RM) that may be ignited electronically or by some other activation mechanism. The containers that do contain RM are sealed with the RM therein and preferably fabricated to be sufficiently heat resistant so that the RM is only ignited intentionally. The RM that is contained in the containers may be fired simultaneously, sequentially or in a programmed pattern, depending on the requirements of the application. The breaching device may be used to control the breaching of a structure under a wide range of conditions. For example, conventional explosive “linear shaped charges” that exist for underwater and above water breaching can be used to open a substrate, these existing devices must be activated remotely so as to prevent harm to any person operating it. They can also be unwieldy and difficult to apply on other than flat surfaces. The present invention, on the other hand, is manageable under different conditions and the operator can be close at hand to activate it as the energy generated with the device is substantially completely directed to the substrate to be breached and the possibility of an adverse condition resulting from a shock wave, for example, is minimized.

[0016]The embodiment of the invention described above for breaching generally contemplates that the breaching device remains in a fixed location on the substrate to be breached. In an embodiment of the invention suitable for use in the removal of underwater structures, such as required under the IDLE IRON program, the breaching device is configured to rotate and / or oscillate. Specifically, the rotating / oscillating reactive material breaching device of the present invention is configured to cleanly cut the thick-walled, large diameter legs of an oilrig non-explosively using (RM). It will cut from the inside to the outside, which is necessary when cutting below the mud line, as required by law. Because this device is non-explosive, barges and boats can be tied alongside the platform and exposed workmen and equipment are not at risk.

[0017]The device incorporates RM feed assemblies that contain RM and that are radially mounted on an inner and outer ring that are incorporated into a hub assembly. Each RM feed assembly containing the RM is spring mounted or otherwise configured for extension and refraction so that each RM feed assembly is held in a retracted position to reduce the overall diameter of the device during the initial insertion into the substrate to be cut, such as the leg of an oil platform, for example. Centrifugal force generated during spin up of the device will cause the RM feed assemblies to extend outward to reduce the gap between the RM feed assemblies' nozzles and the substrate to be cut. A step may be included as part of the RM feed assembly body, which step prevents the RM feed assembly from sliding out too far.

[0019]Breaching a thick substrate will require the use of a large amount of RM relative to that which is required to breach a thinner substrate. Typically, the RM burn is initiated close to the interior side of the nozzle, and the burning of the RM propagates away from the nozzle in a planar front. The further away the planar front moves from the nozzle, the less effective the cutting action of the RM becomes. It may therefore be necessary to provide a means to feed the RM within the RM feed assemblies toward the nozzle during the burn. This means may be accomplished via centrifugal force acting on the RM as a result of spinning of the ring or via a cartridge actuated gas-generating device to provide pressure to the rear of the RM to move it outward, or by adding a mass, such as lead shot, to the rear of the RM to generate additional radial force on the RM.

[0023]The breaching devices of the present invention include nozzles for delivering RM. One or more of those nozzles may be configured with an exit port that includes as an option a rectangular configuration, rather than a round configuration. It is understood that the rectangular shape will produce a more efficient cut compared to a round exit port shape. Further, in order to increase the Mach number of the burning RM ejecta to a supersonic condition, a converging-diverging (C-D) nozzle geometry may be used and includes a converging interior and a diverging nozzle. By using a C-D nozzle, a substantial increase in momentum of the burning RM ejecta is produced, thus vastly increasing the cutting efficiency of the nozzle. Besides cutting efficiency, the C-D nozzle also has the advantage of having a very small throat area compared to the RM cavity cross-sectional area. This geometry aids in holding the RM in place during rotation, while providing for the geometrical transition from a round cross-section of the interior of the cartridge cavity to the two-dimensional rectangular exit that provides high cutting efficiency.

Problems solved by technology

They can also be unwieldy and difficult to apply on other than flat surfaces.

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