Energy harvesting power sources for assisting in the recovery/detonation of unexploded munitions

• US 8,205,555 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2011
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omnitek Partners LLC
• Original Assignee: Omnitek Partners LLC
• Inventors: Rastegar, Jahangir S., Pereira, Carlos M., Dratler, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abdosh, Samir
• Application Number:
  US13/183,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20120144983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 102/210, 102/216, 102/207, 89/271.1, 89/280.5, 89/281, 89/6, 89/65
• US Class Current: 102/210
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 1/0027 Screen-cloths
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 7/083 Multi-layer felts
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 7/086 Substantially impermeable for transferring fibrous webs
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 33/06 Dismantling fuzes, cartridges, projectiles, missiles, rockets or bombs F42B33/004 and F42B33/04 take precedence; elimination of undesirable components of explosives C06B21/0091
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 11/02 with piezo-crystal
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 15/40 wherein the safety or arming action is effected electrically
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 15/44 Arrangements for disarming, or for rendering harmless, fuzes after arming, e.g. after launch
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 9/00 Time fuzes; Combined time and percussion or pressure-actuated fuzes; Fuzes for timed self-destruction of ammunition
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 9/02 the timing being caused by mechanical means

Abstract

A method is provided for recovering and/or exploded an unexploded munition. The method including: providing the munition with a power supply having a piezoelectric material for generating power from an induced vibration; inducing a vibration; monitoring an output from the power supply after the power supply has stopped generating power from a firing of the munition; and generating a beacon signal or detonation signal upon the detection of the output.

Claims

1. A method for recovering an unexploded munition, the method comprising:

providing the munition with a power supply having a piezoelectric material for generating power from an induced vibration;

inducing a vibration in the power supply to generate power;

generating a beacon signal from the generated power; and

subsequent to the generating, transmitting the beacon signal to an outside of the munition.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising coding the beacon signal with additional information.