Catenary Paraboloid Shaped Charge for IED Disruption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shaped charges used for disrupting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) face challenges in tailoring their design to minimize the risk of unwanted shock initiation while maintaining effective target disruption capabilities, particularly due to high explosive charge masses and impractical cone angles that can initiate IED propellants.
Innovation Solution
The development of shaped charges with a catenary paraboloid geometry, featuring a plastic shell with a truncated cone and smoothly-curved concave shape, which supports a shape-conforming explosive to propel a fluid toward a target with an annular cross-section jet, reducing shock impulse and allowing for twice the explosive load without initiating shock in IEDs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If conventional shaped charges use high explosive charge masses and sharp cone angles (45-80 degrees) to achieve effective target disruption, then target disruption capability is improved, but the risk of unwanted shock initiation of IED propellants increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the shaped charge from conventional sharp cone angles (45-80 degrees) to obtuse angles (90-150 degrees), and modifies the charge mass ratios. This parameter change allows achieving effective target disruption while reducing the risk of unwanted shock initiation of IED propellants, as the obtuse angle geometry produces lower peak pressures that are less likely to trigger propellants.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a catenary paraboloid geometry with smoothly curved surfaces instead of sharp conical shapes. The curved geometry distributes shock waves more evenly, reducing peak pressure concentrations that could initiate IED propellants, while still maintaining effective jet formation for target disruption.
2Length of moving object
If conventional disrupters use narrow fluid jets with high jet stretch rates for barrier penetration, then penetration capability is improved, but bulk work on media and impulse are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from producing narrow, high-velocity jets to generating annular jets with substantial cross-sectional area. The obtuse angle geometry and catenary paraboloid shape create a distributed jet structure that maintains penetration capability while significantly increasing the volume of fluid involved, thereby improving bulk work and impulse delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the jet geometry parameters from narrow circular cross-sections to annular cross-sections with larger effective area. This parameter change allows the jet to deliver both penetration depth and substantial bulk work, as the increased fluid volume and mass provide greater impulse while the focused annular structure maintains penetration effectiveness.
3Productivity
If conventional shaped charges use standard cone angles (45-80 degrees) for efficient charge mass to projectile mass ratio, then efficiency is improved, but practicality decreases due to high risk of shock initiation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the cone angle parameter from the conventional 45-80 degree range to an obtuse angle range of 90-150 degrees. This parameter change improves practicality by reducing shock initiation risk while maintaining reasonable efficiency through optimized charge mass ratios and the catenary paraboloid geometry that enhances energy transfer.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The shaped charges effectively disrupt IEDs with reduced risk of shock initiation, achieving longer penetration distances and increased explosive load capacity compared to conventional disrupters, while maintaining stability and integrity of the fluid jet.
Implementation Method 1
The explosive detonation wave shock couples at the water interface producing an approximate planar shock front that travels into the water surrounding the hollow cavity causing the water to collapse into the void and jet forward
Implementation Method 2
High pressure regions are due to a Mach-stem effect which are formed by collisions of shocks, usually along a central axis or plane
Implementation Method 3
The shaped charges provided herein address the above-discussed problems by specially designed surface shapes that support a shape-conforming explosive and that ensure a fluid is appropriately propelled from the shaped charge toward the target. This is achieved by the special geometry that can be generally described herein as a catenary paraboloid
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein are shaped charges for focusing a fluid mass and related methods of using the shaped charges for disruption of an explosive target. The shaped charge comprises a plastic shell having a special geometric shape configured to support a shape-conforming explosive. A cylindrical plastic body has an interior volume for containing a fluid and the plastic shell. The plastic body closed distal end has a geometric shape that is substantially matched to the shape of the plastic shell.