System and method for generating and directing very loud sounds

• US 7,882,926 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SoundBlast Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: SoundBlast Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Fullerton, Larry W.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELDRED, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US11/785,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20110000389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 181/117, 181/118, 89/7, 102/355, 102/363, 102/403
• US Class Current: 181/117
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 33/04 Acoustical simulation of gun fire, e.g. by pyrotechnic means
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/12 Means for clearing land minefields; Systems specially adapted for detection of landmines
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/16 Self-propelled mine-clearing vehicles; Mine-clearing devices attachable to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0081 the high-energy beam being acoustic, e.g. sonic, infrasonic or ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 5/04 Rendering explosive charges harmless, e.g. destroying ammunition F42B39/14 and F42B39/20 take precedence ; extracting primers, dismantling ammunition F42B33/04, F42B33/06 ; chemical deactivating of explosives C06B21/0091; Rendering detonation of explosive charges harmless

Abstract

An improved system and method for controlling and directing sound waves is provided. A fuel-oxidant mixture is supplied to at least one detonator having at least one spark initiator. The fuel-oxidant mixture flows through the at least one detonator and into the closed end of at least one detonation tube also having an open end. The timing at least one spark initiator is controlled to initiate at least one spark within the at least one detonator while the fuel-oxidant mixture is flowing through the at least one detonator thereby initiating a detonation wave at the closed end of the at least one detonation tube. The detonation wave propagates the length of the at least one detonation tube and exits the open end of the at least one detonation tube as a sound wave. When multiple detonation tubes are detonated with controlled timing, the resulting sound waves are directed to a desired location. Sound waves can be directed from groups of detonation tubes and from a sparse array of detonation tubes.

Claims

1. A system for producing a sound wave, comprising:

at least one detonation tube apparatus, comprising;

at least one detonation tube having a closed end and an open end;

at least one detonator having at least one spark initiator and an ignition point substantially located at the at least one spark initiator; and

a fuel mixture supply subsystem for supplying a fuel-oxidant mixture to said at least one detonator, said fuel-oxidant mixture comprising a fuel and an oxidant, said fuel mixture supply subsystem maintaining a predetermined mass ratio of said fuel versus said oxidant and maintaining a predetermined flow rate of said fuel-oxidant mixture to achieve detonation characteristics, said detonation characteristics depending on length and diameter characteristics of said at least one detonator, said ignition point being positioned within said at least one detonator such that said fuel-oxidant mixture flows through said ignition point into said at least one detonation tube via the closed end; and

at least one timing control mechanism for controlling the timing of said at least one spark initiator, said at least one spark initiator initiating at least one spark within said at least one detonator at said ignition point while said fuel-oxidant mixture is flowing at said predetermined flow rate through said ignition point of said at least one detonator thereby producing a detonation impulse at said ignition point that propagates into said closed end of said at least one detonation tube thereby initiating a detonation wave at the closed end of said at least one detonation tube, said detonation wave propagating the length of said at least one detonation tube and exiting the open end of said at least one detonation tube as a sound wave.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said spark initiator is one of a high voltage pulse source, a triggered spark gap source, a laser, or an exploding wire.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said timing control mechanism is one of a trigger mechanism, fixed logic, or a control processor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a control processor is used to control variable parameters of said fuel mixture supply subsystem.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said fuel-oxidant mixture comprises one of gaseous or dispersed fuel.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said fuel-oxidant mixture comprises at least one of ethane, methane, propane, hydrogen, butane, alcohol, acetylene, MAPP gas, gasoline, or aviation fuel.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said fuel mixture supply subsystem also supplies a fuel-oxidant mixture directly to said at least one detonation tube.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one detonation tube comprises a plurality of detonation tubes and said at least one timing control mechanism controls timing of the detonation waves initiated in said plurality of detonation tubes to direct sound waves to a predetermined location.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said directed sound waves are used for at least one of incapacitating a person, detonating a mine, or neutralizing an improvised explosives device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one detonation tube apparatus comprises as plurality of detonation tube apparatuses arranged in a sparse array and said at least one timing control mechanism controls timing of the detonation waves initiated in said at least one detonation tube of each of said plurality of detonation tube apparatuses to direct sound waves to a predetermined location.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said directed sound waves are used for at least one of incapacitating a person, detonating a mine, neutralizing an improvised explosives device, defending a perimeter, or crowd control.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said sound wave is used for at least one of incapacitating a person, detonating a mine, or neutralizing an improvised explosives device.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one coupling component corresponding to said at least one detonation tube apparatus, said at least one coupling components coupling a recoil force of said sound wave to water to produce a conducted acoustic wave.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said at least one detonation tube apparatus comprises as plurality of detonation tube apparatuses arranged in a sparse array and said at least one timing control mechanism controls timing of the detonation waves initiated in said at least one detonation tube of each of said plurality of detonation tube apparatuses to direct conducted acoustic waves to a predetermined location in the water.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one weapons platform.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said at least one weapons platform is one of a tripod, a robot, an unmanned ground vehicle, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a HMMV, an armored personnel carrier, a boat, a ship, a helicopter, a tank, an artillery platform, an airplane, a soldier.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one detonation tube comprises one of a plurality of graduating detonation tubes, a plurality of detonation tubes, a detonation tube configured to compress said fuel-oxidant mixture, or a detonation tube configured to expand said fuel-oxidant mixture.

18. A method for producing a sound wave by a detonation tube having a closed end and an open end, comprising the steps of:

supplying a fuel-oxidant mixture to at least one detonator having at least one spark initiator and an ignition point substantially located at the at least one spark initiator, said fuel-oxidant mixture comprising a fuel and an oxidant, a predetermined mass ratio of said fuel versus said oxidant and a predetermined flow rate of said fuel-oxidant mixture being maintained to achieve detonation characteristics, said detonation characteristics depending on length and diameter characteristics of said at least one detonator, said ignition point being positioned within a flow of said fuel-oxidant mixture into said at least one detonation tube via the closed end; and

controlling the timing of said at least one spark initiator to initiate at least one spark at said ignition point within said at least one detonator while said fuel-oxidant mixture is flowing at said predetermined flow rate through said ignition point of said at least one detonator thereby producing a detonation impulse substantially at said ignition point that propagates into said closed end of said at least one detonation tube thereby initiating a detonation wave at the closed end of said at least one detonation tube, said detonation wave propagating the length of said at least one detonation tube and exiting said open end of said at least one detonation tube as a sound wave.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said at least one detonation tube comprises a plurality of detonation tubes and said controlling of said timing of said at least one spark initiator causes a plurality of sound waves to be directed to a predetermined location.