Optically-energized, emp-resistant, fast-acting, explosion initiating device

• US 4,700,629 A
• Filed: 05/02/1986
• Issued: 10/20/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Original Assignee: United States Department of Energy
• Inventors: Benson, David A., Kuswa, Glenn W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Application Number:
  US06/859,165
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 102/201, 102/206, 102/207
• US Class Current: 102/201
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/113 activated by optical means, e.g. laser, flashlight

Abstract

Optical energy, provided from a remote user-operated source, is utilized to initially electrically charge a capacitor in a circuit that also contains an explosion initiating transducer in contact with a small explosive train contained in an attachable housing. Additional optical energy is subsequently supplied in a preferred embodiment to an optically responsive phototransistor acting in conjunction with a silicon controlled rectifer to release the stored electrical energy through the explosion initiating transducer to set off the explosive train. All energy transfers between the user and the explosive apparatus, either for charging it up or for setting it off, are conveyed optically and may be accomplished in a single optical fiber with coding to distinguish between specific optical energy transfers and between these and any extraneous signals.

Claims

1. An EMP-resistant, fast-acting device, energized and controlled by an external source of optical energy for exploding a quantity of explosive material for providing explosive force to an external object, comprising:

a housing, provided with a containment space extending to an outer surface of said housing for containing a quantity of explosive material adjacent said outer surface;

an optically energizable circuit contained in said housing,in communication with said explosive material, said circuit comprising;

first energy transducer means for converting a first quantity of optical energy into stored electrical energy; and

optically-responsive energy release means for converting said stored electrical energy into an energy pulse to actuate said explosive material in response to a second quantity of optical energy; and

optical coupling means, optically coupling said circuit to said external source of optical energy, for transmission of said first and second quantities of optical energy from said external source to said first energy transducer means and said energy release means, respectively.

2. An explosion initiating device according to claim 1, wherein:

said first energy transducer means comprises a photovoltaic cell and a capacitor.

3. An explosion initiating device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a high electrical resistance resistor, connected in parallel across said energy storage means, for discharging said stored electrical energy therefrom at a predetermined slow rate.

4. An explosion initiating device of claim 2 wherein said optically energizable circuit further comprises a step-up transformer having an input set of windings connected to said photovoltaic cell and an output set of windings connected to said capacitor.

5. An explosion initiating device according to claim 2 wherein said containment space is a round hole extending from said outer surface into said housing, said capacitor is an annular cylinder positioned within said containment space, and said explosive material is positioned within said annular cylinder.

6. An explosion initiating device according to claim 1, further comprising:

charge verification means coupled to said first transducer means for verifying that at least a predetermined minimum amount of electrical energy is stored by said first transducer means.

7. An explosion initiating device according to claim 1, wherein:

said optical coupling means comprises at least one optical fiber linking said external source of optical energy to said housing.

8. An explosion initiating device according to claim 1, further comprising:

coded logic function means, coupled to said optically-responsive energy release means, for passing only that transmission of said second quantity of optical energy to said optically-responsive energy release means which satisfies a predetermined coded criterion.

9. An explosion initiating device according to claim 1, wherein said optically-responsive energy release means comprises:

second energy transducer means, adjacent said explosive, for converting the released stored electrical energy into the energy pulse; and

light controlled electrical switch means for controlling the transmission of said stored electrical energy to said second transducer means in response to said second quantity of optical energy.

10. An explosion initiating device according to claim 9, wherein:

said first energy transducer means comprises;

a photovoltaic cell for converting received optical energy into electrical energy , and

an energy storage means connected to said photovoltaic cell to store the electrical energy.

11. An explosion initiating device according to claim 10, wherein:

said optically-energizable circuit is formed with a dielectric substrate, said photovoltaic cell and said switch means being located on a first side of said substrate adjacent a portion of said optical coupling means, and said second energy transducer means being located on a second side of said substrate adjacent a portion of said explosive train.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein:

said second energy transducer means comprises a semiconductor bridge igniter device.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein:

said second energy transducer means includes means for transducing said release of said stored electrical energy into thermal energy to generate a locally high temperature to explode said explosive train by deflagration.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein:

said second energy transducer means includes means for transducing said release of said stored electrical energy into mechanical energy to generate a local shock wave to explode said explosive train by detonation.

15. An explosion initiating device according to claim 9, wherein said light controlled electrical switch means comprises a phototransistor coupled to trigger a silicon controlled rectifier, said rectifier being series connected with said second energy transducer means and said first energy transducer means.