Quasi-Planar Shock Wave Explosive Device Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional explosive devices are inefficient in coupling explosive energy towards specific target regions due to their spherical or hemispherical energy distribution, leading to excessive energy loss and environmental concerns in drilling and seismic exploration, and existing plane wave generators have limitations in planarity and manufacturing complexity.
Innovation Solution
An explosive device with a donor explosive charge mass, a non-explosive wave shaper, and a customizable acceptor explosive charge mass, configured to produce a quasi-planar wave front, enhancing energy coupling towards target regions while allowing for flexible and environmentally friendly deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional explosive devices with uniform cylindrical or spherical charges are used, then the device structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the explosive energy distributes spherically or hemispherically causing excessive energy loss and poor coupling towards target regions
Solution Approach 1:
The explosive charge is divided into multiple segments with different geometries (cylindrical donor charge, conical wave shaper, cylindrical acceptor charge) arranged in sequence. Each segment performs a specific function: the donor charge generates the initial shock wave, the conical wave shaper transforms it into a planar front, and the acceptor charge delivers focused energy to the target. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by achieving directional energy coupling through structured arrangement rather than a single complex charge design.
Solution Approach 2:
The conical wave shaper acts as an intermediary component between the donor explosive charge and the acceptor explosive charge. It receives the spherical shock wave from the donor charge and transforms it into a planar shock wave that efficiently couples energy toward the target region. This intermediary element resolves the contradiction by providing the mechanism for energy transformation without requiring the explosive charges themselves to be complex in shape.
2Ease of operation
If conventional drilling equipment is used to position explosive charges at depth, then the blasting operation can be performed, but the equipment is large, consumes excessive energy, and has high environmental impact in remote areas
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the conventional mechanical drilling system with a surface-deployable explosive device that uses the earth's surface as the launch point. Instead of mechanically drilling deep holes to position charges, the device is placed on the surface and generates a planar shock wave that propagates downward into the target region. This substitution eliminates the need for large drilling equipment, reducing energy consumption and environmental impact in remote areas while maintaining blasting effectiveness.
3Reliability
If conventional centrally initiated explosive charges are used, then the initiation mechanism is simple, but the shock wave propagates spherically outward failing to efficiently couple energy toward the target region
Solution Approach 1:
The initiation system is segmented into a donor charge positioned at one end of the device and an acceptor charge at the other end, with the conical wave shaper between them. The donor charge is initiated centrally but generates a shock wave that is transformed by the conical wave shaper into a planar front that propagates toward the acceptor charge. This segmentation achieves reliable energy coupling by separating the initiation function from the energy delivery function, allowing the shock wave to be shaped for efficient target coupling.
Solution Approach 2:
The conical wave shaper serves as an intermediary that transforms the spherical shock wave from the centrally initiated donor charge into a planar shock wave that efficiently couples energy toward the target region and initiates the acceptor charge. This intermediary component resolves the contradiction by maintaining the simplicity of central initiation while achieving the reliability of directional energy coupling through wave transformation.
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 device achieves significant energy coupling towards target regions with increased planarity of the shock wave, reducing energy loss and environmental impact, and enabling more efficient seismic exploration and mining applications.
Implementation Method 1
an explosive charge is initiated by an initiating device or initiator that is placed in the shell which carries the explosive charge. The initiating device has integral transmission wires/leads attached, or alternatively wireless communication circuitry, to allow remote initiation of the explosive charge from the surface. The initiating device is typically placed in a central cavity of the shell in which the explosive charge resides. This placement results in central initiation of the explosive charge, and the generation of a shock wave that propagates in a substantially outward direction from the central initiation site.
Implementation Method 2
a non-explosive wave shaper; and a predetermined, selectable, or customizable/changeable second, receptor, or acceptor explosive charge mass. An explosive device in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure is specifically or intentionally configured for producing or outputting explosive energy having a quasi-planar wave front across at least portions of a primary output end or distal end thereof
Data Source
AI summary
An explosive device configured for outputting a quasi-planar shock wave includes: a body structure having a proximal end and an opposing distal end, and within which (a) an initiation device chamber; (b) a donor charge having a geometric shape correlated with first cone having an internal void exhibiting a geometric shape correlated with a second cone, wherein a first base of the first cone and a second base of the second cone reside in a common plane and have a common center point; (c) a non-explosive wave shaper filling the void; and (d) an acceptor charge are sequentially disposed adjacent to each other in a direction toward the distal end. Perpendicular to the central axis, a maximum lateral span of each of the wave shaper, the donor charge, and the acceptor charge coincide. The acceptor explosive charge mass does not laterally extend to a set of body structure outer walls.