Electronic Detonator Bridge Wire Initiator Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional detonators rely on sensitive primary and secondary explosives, making them susceptible to inadvertent initiation from stray currents, radio frequency energy, and other unwanted electrical stimuli, and struggle to directly initiate high-density explosives.
Innovation Solution
An electronic detonator design that integrates a high voltage switch, an initiator, and an initiating pellet without primary explosive material, using a low voltage to high voltage converter and a controller to ensure reliable and controlled detonation of an insensitive secondary explosive, thereby eliminating the need for sensitive explosives and enhancing resistance to unwanted triggers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional hot wire igniters are used with low voltage and power requirements, then the detonator can be operated with simple electrical sources, but the detonator becomes susceptible to inadvertent initiation from stray currents and RF energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the electrical parameters required for detonator operation from low voltage (<20V) and low power (<10W) to high voltage (>500V) and high power (kilowatts range). This parameter change is achieved through the use of a bridge wire initiator that requires high voltage to vaporize and create a shockwave, thereby increasing resistance to inadvertent initiation from stray currents and RF energy while maintaining operational capability through dedicated high voltage firing circuits
2Reliability
If sensitive primary explosives are used in the initiating mechanism, then the detonator can reliably initiate secondary explosives, but the detonator becomes vulnerable to unwanted electrical stimuli and static discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the sensitive primary explosive material from the initiating mechanism. Instead of using a fuse head with primary explosive, the invention employs a bridge wire initiator that uses electrical energy to vaporize the bridge wire and create a shockwave directly in the secondary explosive, thereby removing the vulnerability to unwanted electrical stimuli while maintaining initiation reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical-mechanical initiation system (fuse head heating primary explosive) with an electrical-physical system (bridge wire vaporization creating shockwave). The bridge wire initiator uses electrical energy to vaporize the wire rapidly, creating a shockwave that directly initiates the secondary explosive, eliminating the need for sensitive primary explosives and their associated vulnerabilities
3Reliability
If a bridge wire initiator with high voltage requirements is used, then the detonator resists inadvertent initiation, but the device complexity and power requirements increase to the kilowatts range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the high voltage generation and switching functions into an integrated control circuit that manages the bridge wire initiation sequence. The controller coordinates the charging of the high voltage capacitor, the timing of the bridge wire firing, and the overall detonation sequence, thereby managing device complexity through functional integration while maintaining the reliability benefits of high voltage operation
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 solution provides increased reliability, accuracy, and resistance to transient pressure pulses, enabling direct initiation of high-density explosives and reducing the risk of inadvertent detonation, while maintaining a conventional form factor and size.
Implementation Method 1
the trigger element is vaporized such that the first contact becomes electrically coupled to the second contact, thus transitioning the high voltage switch to a closed state
Implementation Method 2
The impact of the pellet by the flyer imparts a shock wave that initiates the detonation of the pellet and any connected explosive device
Implementation Method 3
The flyer disk accelerates through the aperture in the barrel and impacts the initiating pellet
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
An electronic detonator for detonating an explosive and a system for performing blast operations in one or more blast holes are disclosed. The detonator includes a high voltage switch, an initiator and an initiating pellet, a primary circuit, a primary energy source and a secondary energy source. The detonator also includes a voltage converter for converting a low voltage to a high voltage, arranged to charge the primary energy source and a controller arranged in use to control the operation of the voltage converter. The detonator also includes a housing arranged to integrally package the high voltage switch, the initiator, the initiating pellet, the primary circuit, the primary and secondary energy sources, the voltage converter and the controller. The housing comprises a substantially puck shape having a through tunnel that extends through the puck, and a toroidal inductor arranged coaxial with the corresponding through tunnel, the inductor being coupled to the controller, and arranged to provide an inductive pickup for wireless communication with an external source in use.