Fluid Blade Disablement Tool for IED Disruption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tools for disabling explosive devices like IEDs often cause unintended detonation due to high-speed plastic or fluid fragments impacting the target before the main water projectile, leading to localized high pressure areas.
Innovation Solution
A fluid blade disablement tool that forms a focused fluid projectile resembling a blade for precision penetration and a broad fluid projectile for disruption, using a container with a concavity and explosive assembly to generate a coherent fluid blade capable of penetrating barriers, followed by a secondary fluid impact for further disruption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If high explosive is used to accelerate water contained in a plastic container, then the water projectile can impact and disrupt the IED over a broad area, but high-speed plastic fragments are generated that impact the target prior to the main water projectile, creating localized areas of high pressure that can produce unintended detonation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the harmful plastic container material from the system by using a rigid hollow charge instead. The charge is formed by injecting liquid explosive into a rigid mold, eliminating the plastic container that generates harmful fragments. This extraction of the harmful element (plastic container) resolves the contradiction by maintaining broad area disruption capability while eliminating fragment-induced localized high pressure areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state and containment parameters of the explosive material. Instead of using liquid explosive in a flexible plastic container, the explosive is injected into a rigid mold to form a structured hollow charge. This parameter change from flexible liquid containment to rigid structured containment eliminates fragment generation while maintaining the water acceleration function.
2Manufacturing precision
If high explosive in the shape of a chevron is used to accelerate a focused blade of water, then precision penetration is achieved, but high-speed plastic or fluid fragments are generated that impact the target before the main water projectile, creating localized areas of high pressure that can produce unintended detonation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful plastic container and replaces it with a rigid hollow charge structure. The rigid structure maintains the focused blade geometry for precision penetration while eliminating the plastic material that generates harmful fragments. This resolves the contradiction by preserving penetration precision through the rigid charge structure while removing the source of fragment-induced localized high pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite approach combining liquid explosive material with a rigid mold structure to form the hollow charge. The rigid structure provides the necessary geometric precision for focused water blade formation, while the liquid explosive fills the hollow structure to provide the propellant function without generating harmful fragments upon detonation.
3Reliability
If a rigid hollow charge is used to form a coherent fluid blade, then unintended detonation risks are minimized by eliminating plastic fragments, but the device complexity increases compared to simple plastic container designs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the simple mechanical plastic container system with a rigid hollow charge structure formed by injecting liquid explosive into a rigid mold. This substitution eliminates the flexible plastic containment that generates fragments, providing improved reliability by preventing fragment-induced localized high pressure areas, while the injection molding process manages the structural complexity.
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 tool effectively penetrates steel walls with a small explosive quantity and disrupts structures behind the barrier, minimizing unintended detonation risks by concentrating energy into a sharp fluid blade and subsequent fluid hammer-like impact.
Implementation Method 1
an explosive assembly which is positioned within the container and which comprises an explosive holder and explosive, and a detonator
Implementation Method 2
detonation of the explosive will generate a fluid blade
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid blade disablement (FBD) tool that forms both a focused fluid projectile that resembles a blade, which can provide precision penetration of a barrier wall, and a broad fluid projectile that functions substantially like a hammer, which can produce general disruption of structures behind the barrier wall. Embodiments of the FBD tool comprise a container capable of holding fluid, an explosive assembly which is positioned within the container and which comprises an explosive holder and explosive, and a means for detonating. The container has a concavity on the side adjacent to the exposed surface of the explosive. The position of the concavity relative to the explosive and its construction of materials with thicknesses that facilitate inversion and/or rupture of the concavity wall enable the formation of a sharp and coherent blade of fluid advancing ahead of the detonation gases.