ELECTRO-DISCHARGE SYSTEM FOR NEUTRALIZING LANDMINES
First Claim
1. A landmine-neutralization system comprising:
- a vehicle including a water supply tank and an electrical power supply;
an electro-discharge apparatus supported by the vehicle, the electro-discharge apparatus comprising;
one or more electro-discharge nozzles, each nozzle having a discharge chamber that has an inlet for receiving water from the water supply tank and an outlet;
a first electrode extending into the discharge chamber and being electrically connected to one or more high-voltage capacitors that are connected to, and chargeable by, the electrical power supply;
a second electrode proximate to the first electrode to define a gap between the first and second electrodes;
a switch to cause the one or more capacitors to discharge across the gap between the electrodes to create a plasma bubble which expands to form a shockwave that escapes through an exit orifice of the discharge chamber ahead of the plasma bubble to thereby neutralize a landmine; and
a drone carrying a landmine detector configured to relay mine-detection data to a controller of the vehicle.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A landmine-neutralization system has a vehicle including a water supply tank and an electrical power supply and an electro-discharge apparatus. The electro-discharge apparatus includes one or more electro-discharge nozzles each having a discharge chamber that has an inlet for receiving water from the water supply tank and an outlet, a first electrode extending into the discharge chamber and being electrically connected to one or more high-voltage capacitors that are connected to, and chargeable by, the electrical power supply, a second electrode proximate to the first electrode to define a gap between the first and second electrodes and a switch to cause the one or more capacitors to discharge across the gap between the electrodes to create a plasma bubble which expands to form a shockwave that escapes through one or more exit orifices of the one or more nozzles ahead of the plasma bubble to thereby neutralize a landmine.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A landmine-neutralization system comprising:
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a vehicle including a water supply tank and an electrical power supply; an electro-discharge apparatus supported by the vehicle, the electro-discharge apparatus comprising; one or more electro-discharge nozzles, each nozzle having a discharge chamber that has an inlet for receiving water from the water supply tank and an outlet; a first electrode extending into the discharge chamber and being electrically connected to one or more high-voltage capacitors that are connected to, and chargeable by, the electrical power supply; a second electrode proximate to the first electrode to define a gap between the first and second electrodes; a switch to cause the one or more capacitors to discharge across the gap between the electrodes to create a plasma bubble which expands to form a shockwave that escapes through an exit orifice of the discharge chamber ahead of the plasma bubble to thereby neutralize a landmine; and a drone carrying a landmine detector configured to relay mine-detection data to a controller of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of neutralizing a landmine, the method comprising:
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moving a vehicle having a water supply tank, an electrical power supply and an electro-discharge apparatus in proximity to the landmine, wherein the electro-discharge apparatus comprises one or more electro-discharge nozzles each including a discharge chamber that has an inlet for receiving water from the water supply tank and an outlet and a first electrode extending into the discharge chamber and being electrically connected to one or more high-voltage capacitors that are connected to, and chargeable by, the electrical power supply and a second electrode proximate to the first electrode to define a gap between the first and second electrodes; causing the one or more capacitors to discharge across the gap between the electrodes to create a plasma bubble which expands to form a shockwave that escapes through one or more exit orifices of the one or more nozzles ahead of the plasma bubble to thereby neutralize a landmine; controlling a drone carrying a landmine detector; and relaying mine-detection data to a controller of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification