Flexible Dilute Explosive Device with Adjustable Detonation Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing explosive devices are rigid and require complex fabrication methods, making them inflexible and costly, with unadjustable detonation pressures, which limits their application in field-demolition and simulation scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A flexible dilute explosive device combining an explosive material with a non-reactive matrix in a bendable housing, using a fabric bag with an antistatic and evacuated housing, and a detonator, allowing for adjustable detonation pressure through varying the explosive and matrix ratio and packaging configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional explosive devices are used, then detonation pressure is high, but flexibility and adaptability are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the density parameter of the explosive device by introducing a non-reactive matrix material to dilute the explosive material. This creates a range of detonation pressures while maintaining flexibility, as the device can be configured with different explosive concentrations depending on the application requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure combining explosive material with non-reactive matrix material (such as foam or granular material). This composite approach allows the device to maintain structural flexibility while reducing overall density and detonation pressure, enabling both adaptability and controlled performance.
2Reliability
If complex fabrication methods are used, then explosive device performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the explosive device into modular components: explosive material, non-reactive matrix material, and flexible housing. These components can be separately prepared and then assembled, greatly simplifying fabrication while maintaining performance reliability. The modular approach allows for easier quality control and reduced manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs inexpensive materials such as flexible packaging, foam matrices, and standard explosive compositions that can be readily obtained. This approach reduces manufacturing costs and complexity while achieving sufficient performance for field applications, eliminating the need for complex specialized components.
3Stress or pressure
If explosive concentration is increased, then detonation pressure increases, but device weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the non-reactive matrix material to adjust the explosive concentration parameter, enabling detonation pressures to be tuned without proportionally increasing device weight. The matrix provides structural support and volume while adding minimal weight, allowing optimization of the pressure-to-weight ratio.
4Strength
If rigid housing is used, then structural strength is improved, but flexibility and field adaptability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces rigid housing with flexible packaging materials that can conform to various shapes and surfaces in the field. The flexible housing maintains sufficient structural strength to contain the explosive materials while enabling field adaptability for different application geometries and deployment scenarios.
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 a flexible packaging system with reduced fabrication time and costs, lower overall weight, and field-tailorable explosive density, producing lower peak pressure with longer duration loading characteristics compared to conventional explosives.
Implementation Method 1
The antistatic housing is enclosed in an evacuated housing
Implementation Method 2
a detonator is attached to the evacuated housing
Implementation Method 3
The detonator has a detonation strength equal to or greater than a Cap 8 detonator
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible dilute explosive device is provided that includes an explosive material, such as pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), combined with a non-reactive matrix material, such as light-weight polymer beads, and the combination is held in flexible packaging. The flexible packaging includes fabric, antistatic, evacuated and plastic housings. The flexible dilute explosive device can be applied to any contoured shape in the field. It has a total density that is typically between 5 to 10% greater than its explosive density and can be reliably detonated at lower explosive densities. By using different packaging methods, the flexible dilute explosive device can be made to have a fixed explosive density, or a field tailored explosive density using a variable volume housing. It can have a reduced explosive density by adding inert foam blocks to the combination, having an overall volumetric explosive density reduced to 2.5 lb/ft3 (0.04 g/cm3).