Technologies for analyzing and deactivating an explosive device

• US 9,915,512 B1
• Filed: 11/12/2015
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Special Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Special Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Roach, Michael W., Andreas, Travis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Andre
• Application Number:
  US14/939,680
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 21/00 Checking fuzes; Testing fuzes

Abstract

Technologies for analyzing and deactivating an explosive device include electrically connecting an analysis device to a pair of trigger wires of the explosive device, performing a number of electrical measurements, and determining a deactivation action to be performed on the explosive device based on the electrical measurements (e.g., based on the calculated resistance between the trigger wires). In a disclosed embodiment, a primary lead of the analysis device is electrically coupled to a first trigger wire of the explosive device and a pair of secondary leads are each electrically coupled to a second trigger wire of the explosive device. The analysis device measures a voltage between the primary lead and at least one of the secondary leads. The analysis device also measures a current flowing through the secondary leads after a link of trigger wire extending between the leads has been cut or broken. The analysis device determines the deactivation action by determining a resistance of the analysis device based on the measured voltage and current. The deactivation action may include applying shunt to the trigger wires or cutting one or more trigger wires.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing an explosive device, the method comprising:

measuring, by an analysis device electrically coupled to the explosive device, a voltage between a primary lead of the analysis device and at least one of a pair of secondary leads of the analysis device, wherein the primary lead is electrically connected to a first trigger wire of the explosive device and each of the secondary leads is electrically coupled to a second trigger wire of the explosive device;

measuring, by the analysis device, a current flowing through the pair of secondary leads electrically coupled to the second trigger wire of the explosive device;

determining, by the analysis device, a resistance of a trigger mechanism of the explosive device based on the measured voltage and current; and

determining, by the analysis device, a deactivation action to be applied to the explosive device based on the determined resistance of the trigger mechanism.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the voltage between the primary lead and the at least one of the pair of secondary leads comprises:

determining, by the analysis device, whether continuity between a first secondary lead and a second secondary lead of the pair of secondary leads has been established; and

measuring, by the analysis device, a voltage between the primary lead and the at least one of the first secondary lead and the second secondary lead in response to a determination that continuity between the first secondary lead and the second secondary lead of the pair of secondary leads has been established.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein measuring the current flowing through the pair of secondary leads comprises:

determining, by the analysis device, whether continuity between the first secondary lead and the second secondary lead has been broken; and

measuring, by the analysis device, the current flowing through the pair of secondary leads in response to a determination that the continuity between the secondary leads has been broken.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether continuity between the secondary leads has been broken comprises determining, by the analysis device, whether a link of the second trigger wire extending between the first secondary lead and the second secondary lead has been broken.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising instructing, by the analysis device, a user of the analysis device to cut the link of the second trigger wire extending between the first secondary lead and the second secondary lead prior to measuring the current flowing through the pair of secondary leads.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the deactivation action comprises determining, by the analysis device, that the first trigger wire and the second trigger should be shunted together.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining that the first trigger wire and the second trigger should be shunted together comprises determining that the first trigger wire and the second trigger should be shunted together in response to the determined resistance being less than a low resistance threshold value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the deactivation action comprises determining, by the analysis device, that at least one of the first trigger wire and the second trigger should be cut.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining that at least one of the first trigger wire and the second trigger should be cut comprises determining that at least one of the first trigger wire and the second trigger should be cut in response to the determined resistance being greater than a high resistance threshold value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the deactivation action comprises determining, by the analysis device, that no action should be applied to the explosive device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining that no action should be applied to the explosive device comprises determining that no action should be applied to the explosive device in response to the determined resistance being between a low resistance threshold value and a high resistance threshold value.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, by the analysis device, the measured voltage and the measured current on a display of the analysis device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, by the analysis device, the determined resistance of the trigger mechanism on a display of the analysis device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying, by the analysis device, a user of the analysis device of the deactivation action to be applied to the explosive device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the analysis device, a direction of trigger mechanism relative to at least one of the pair of trigger wires; and

notifying, by the analysis device, a user of the analysis device of the direction of the trigger mechanism relative to the at least one of the pair of trigger wires.

16. An analysis device for analyzing an explosive device, the analysis device comprising:

a primary lead configured to be electrically coupled to a first trigger wire of the explosive device;

a pair of secondary leads configured to be electrically coupled to a second trigger wire of the explosive device;

an analysis circuit configured to (i) measure a voltage between the primary lead and at least one of the pair of secondary leads and (ii) measure a current established through the pair of secondary leads; and

a processor circuit configured to (i) determine a resistance of a trigger mechanism of the explosive device based on the measured voltage and current and (ii) a deactivation action to be applied to the explosive device based on the determined resistance of the trigger mechanism.

17. The analysis device of claim 16, wherein the analysis circuit is further configured to determine whether continuity between a first secondary lead of the pair of secondary leads and a second secondary lead of the pair of secondary leads has been established;

and

wherein to measure the voltage between the primary lead and the at least one of the pair of secondary leads comprises to measure a voltage between the primary lead and the at least one of the first secondary lead and the second secondary lead in response to a determination that continuity between the first secondary lead and the second secondary lead of the pair of secondary leads has been established.

18. The analysis device of claim 17, wherein the analysis circuit is further configured to determine whether continuity between the first secondary lead and the second secondary lead has been broken;

and

wherein to measure the current established through the pair of secondary leads comprises to measure a current established through the pair of secondary leads in response to a determination that the continuity between the secondary leads has been broken.

19. The analysis device of claim 18, wherein to determine whether continuity between the secondary leads has been broken comprises to determine a whether a link of the second trigger wire extending between the first secondary lead and the second secondary lead has been broken.

20. The analysis device of claim 18, further comprising an output device, and

wherein the processor circuit is further to provide an instruction, via the output device, to a user of the analysis device to cut the link of the second trigger wire extending between the first secondary lead and the second secondary lead prior to the analysis circuit performing the measurement of the current established through the pair of secondary leads.

21. The analysis device of claim 16, wherein to determine the deactivation action comprises to determine that the first trigger wire and the second trigger should be shunted together.

22. The analysis device of claim 21, wherein to determine that the first trigger wire and the second trigger wire should be shunted together comprises to determine that the first trigger wire and the second trigger wire should be shunted together in response to the determined resistance being less than a low resistance threshold value.

23. The analysis device of claim 16, wherein to determine the deactivation action comprises to determine that at least one of the first trigger wire and the second trigger should be cut.

24. The analysis device of claim 23, wherein to determine that at least one of the first trigger wire and the second trigger should be cut comprises to determine that at least one of the first trigger wire and the second trigger should be cut in response to the determined resistance being greater than a high resistance threshold value.

25. The analysis device of claim 16, wherein to determine the deactivation action comprises to determine that no action should be applied to the explosive device.

26. The analysis device of claim 25, wherein to determine that no action should be applied to the explosive device comprises to determine that no action should be applied to the explosive device in response to the determined resistance being between a low resistance threshold value and a high resistance threshold value.

27. The analysis device of claim 16, further comprising a display, and

wherein the processor circuit is further configured to display the measured voltage and the measured current on the display.

28. The analysis device of claim 16, further comprising a display, and

wherein the processor circuit is further configured to display the determined resistance of the trigger mechanism on the display.

29. The analysis device of claim 16, further comprising at least one output device, and

wherein the processor circuit is further configured to provide a notification, via the at least one output device, to a user of the analysis device of the deactivation action to be applied to the explosive device.

30. The analysis device of claim 16, wherein the processor circuit is further configured to:

determine a direction of trigger mechanism relative to at least one of the pair of trigger wires; and

notify, via at least one output device of the analysis device, a user of the analysis device of the direction of the trigger mechanism relative to the at least one of the pair of trigger wires.

31. A method for deactivating an explosive device, the method comprising:

connecting a primary lead of an analysis device to a first trigger wire of the explosive device;

connecting each of a pair of secondary leads of the analysis device to a second trigger wire of the explosive device;

controlling the analysis device to perform a measurement of a voltage between the primary lead and at least one of a pair of secondary leads;

cutting a link of the second trigger wire between the pair of secondary leads;

controlling the analysis device to perform a measurement of a current flowing through the pair of secondary leads after cutting the link of the second trigger wire; and

performing a deactivation action on the explosive device based on an instruction provided by the analysis device based on the measured voltage and current.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein performing the deactivation action comprises (i) electrically shunting the first trigger wire and the second trigger wire or (ii) cutting one of the first trigger wire or second trigger wire.