Electronic detonator system

• US 8,468,944 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2011
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Givens, Richard W., Loeser, Ronald L., Backhus, Roger F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Troy, Daniel J
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORGAN, DERRICK R
• Application Number:
  US13/091,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20120227608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 102/202.1, 102/202.5, 102/202.7, 102/204, 102/206, 102/207, 102/217, 102/219, 102/275.11, 102/301, 102/311, 102/322
• US Class Current: 102/275.11
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/10 Initiators therefor percussion fuzes F42C7/00; percussion caps F42C19/10; electric primers F42C19/12
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/12 Bridge initiators F42B3/103, F42B3/11, F42B3/195 take precedence; electric ignitors in propellant charges F42C19/12
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/121 Initiators with incorporated integrated circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/13 with semiconductive bridge
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/18 Safety initiators resistant to premature firing by static electricity or stray currents
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 1/055 specially adapted for firing multiple charges with a time delay
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 3/00 Particular applications of blasting techniques explosive welding B23K20/08; explosive bolts or actuators F42B3/006; explosive valves F16K13/06; cutting devices actuated by explosion B23D15/145; pyrotechnical actuators F15B15/19; switching devices actuated by explosion H01H39/00
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 3/02 for demolition of tall structures, e.g. chimney stacks
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 3/04 for rock blasting

Abstract

A detonator includes a high voltage switch, an initiator and an initiating pellet. The detonator also includes a low voltage to high voltage firing set coupled to the switch and initiator such that the detonator includes a high voltage power source and initiator in an integrated package. The detonator may also include inductive powering and communications, a microprocessor, tracking and/or locating technologies, such as RFID, GPS, etc., and either a single or combination explosive output pellet. The combination explosive pellet has a first explosive having a first shock energy and a high brisance secondary explosive in the output pellet having a second shock energy greater than the shock energy of the first explosive. Systems are also provided for facilitating fast and easy deployment of one or more detonators in the field.

Claims

1. An electronic detonator comprising:

a detonator housing that integrally packages;

a chip having;

a high voltage switch having a first contact, a second contact and a trigger element, the trigger element having a first contact and a second contact, the high voltage switch configured in a normally open state such that the first contact is electrically isolated from the second contact, wherein the high voltage switch is operable to transition to a closed state such that the first contact is electrically coupled to the second contact by applying a predetermined signal across the first and second contacts of the trigger element; and

an initiator configured as at least one exploding foil initiator electrically connected in series to the first contact of the high voltage switch;

wherein;

the high voltage switch is formed on the chip such that the trigger element is positioned between the first and second switch contacts and is shaped to have a repeating pattern of faceted sections that narrow in width and funnel out in width between the first and second switch contacts;

an initiating pellet that is void of a primary explosive material and that comprises an insensitive secondary explosive material, the initiating pellet positioned relative to the initiator such that functioning of the initiator causes detonation of the initiating pellet;

a primary energy source;

a secondary energy source;

a low voltage to high voltage converter that is controlled to convert a low voltage to a high voltage sufficient to charge the primary energy source;

a primary circuit that electrically couples the primary energy source to a series circuit that couples the high voltage switch in series with the initiator;

a secondary circuit that selectively electrically isolates the secondary energy source from the trigger element of the high voltage switch in a first state and electrically couples the secondary energy source across the first and second contacts of the trigger element of the high voltage switch in a second state; and

a controller that performs a detonation action by;

receiving a request to arm the detonator;

controlling the low voltage to high voltage converter to charge the primary energy source to a desired primary charge potential, wherein the high voltage switch holds off the primary charge potential from functioning the initiator while the detonator is armed;

charging the secondary energy source to a desired secondary charge potential, and

functioning the initiator to detonate the initiating pellet by selecting the second state of the secondary circuit so as to close the high voltage switch after charging the secondary energy source, thus allowing the primary charge potential to function the initiator to detonate the initiating pellet.

2. The detonator according to claim 1, wherein the high voltage switch is configured to hold off a voltage applied to the initiator until the trigger element is operated to close the switch.

3. The detonator according to claim 1, wherein the high voltage switch is covered by an insulating material that is configured to enable the high voltage switch to hold off a voltage in excess of 800 volts applied to the initiator.

4. The detonator according to claim 1, wherein:

the initiator is configured as an exploding foil initiator that requires at least 800 volts to function.

5. The detonator according to claim 1, wherein the detonator further comprises an inductive interface that facilitates inductive coupling of communication to an external source to communicate with the detonator to arm and detonate the detonator.

6. The detonator according to claim 1, wherein power to the detonator is inductively supplied by an external source.

7. The detonator according to claim 1, wherein the initiator comprises a plurality of exploding foil initiators arranged in a plurality of branches, each branch being independently programmable for detonation.

8. The detonator according to claim 1, wherein:

the initiator comprises an exploding foil initiator that projects a flyer through a barrel into the initiating pellet in response to being functioned; and

the initiating pellet comprises a combination pellet configured such that the insensitive secondary explosive material is positioned in an area where the flyer will impact the initiating pellet, the initiating pellet further comprising a high brisance insensitive secondary explosive material as the remainder of explosive material of the initiating pellet.

9. The detonator according to claim 8, wherein the insensitive secondary explosive material is Hexanitrostilbene (HNS-IV) and the high brisance insensitive secondary explosive material is PBXN-5.

10. The detonator according to claim 1, wherein:

the initiator comprises an exploding foil initiator chip comprising;

an alumina substrate base layer;

a bridgefoil formed on the base layer having a narrow channel;

a polyimide film layer formed over the bridgefoil;

a barrel having an aperture there through that is deposited onto the chip such that the aperture aligns over the narrow channel of the bridgefoil, wherein the bridgefoil, polyimide film layer and barrel are formed as an integral structure; and

the high voltage switch is formed on the base layer so as to be electrically wired in series with the initiator by a conductive trace.

11. A system for performing blasting operations comprising:

a plurality of hole controllers, each hole controller for positioning at a corresponding blast hole in a corresponding blast site;

at least one detonator for each blast hole that is in communication with the corresponding hole controller associated with that blast hole, each detonator having a detonator housing that contains therein;

a chip having;

a high voltage switch having a first contact, a second contact and a trigger element, the trigger element having a first contact and a second contact, the high voltage switch configured in a normally open state such that the first contact is electrically isolated from the second contact, wherein the high voltage switch is operable to transition to a closed state such that the first contact is electrically coupled to the second contact by applying a predetermined signal across the first and second contacts of the trigger element; and

an initiator configured as at least one exploding foil initiator electrically connected in series to the first contact of the high voltage switch;

wherein;

the high voltage switch is formed on the chip such that the trigger element is positioned between the first and second switch contacts and is shaped to have a repeating pattern of faceted sections that narrow in width and funnel out in width between the first and second switch contacts;

an initiating pellet that is void of a primary explosive material and that comprises an insensitive secondary explosive material, the initiating pellet positioned relative to the initiator such that functioning of the initiator causes detonation of the initiating pellet;

a primary energy source;

a secondary energy source;

a low voltage to high voltage converter that is controlled to convert a low voltage to a high voltage sufficient to charge the primary energy source;

a primary circuit that electrically couples the primary energy source to a series circuit that couples the high voltage switch in series with the initiator;

a secondary circuit that selectively electrically isolates the secondary energy source from the trigger element of the high voltage switch in a first state and electrically couples the secondary energy source across the first and second contacts of the trigger element of the high voltage switch in a second state; and

communications circuitry for communicating with the associated hole controller; and

a controller that controls operation of the high voltage switch and the initiator to initiate the initiating pellet;

a shot controller for wireless communication with each of the hole controllers; and

a blasting computer that communicates with the shot controller for coordinating a blast event by;

obtaining data from each of the detonators via their corresponding hole controller and the shot controller;

calculating a firing solution;

automatically programming each detonator with a corresponding detonation time based upon the calculated firing solution;

initiating an arm sequence, wherein the controller of each detonator controls its low voltage to high voltage converter to charge the primary energy source to a desired primary charge potential, wherein the high voltage switch holds off the primary charge potential from functioning the initiator while the detonator is armed;

receiving by the blasting computer, a confirmation that each detonator is armed and ready to fire; and

initiating a blast command after acknowledging that all detonators are armed, wherein each detonator functions its initiator to detonate its initiating pellet by selecting the second state of the secondary circuit so as to close the high voltage switch, thus allowing the primary charge potential to function the initiator to detonate the initiating pellet, at the corresponding programmed detonation time.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein each hole controller communicates wirelessly with the shot controller such that there are downlines in each blast hole and no surface lines in the blast area.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the shot controller communicates with the blasting computer using a wired connection.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the detonator further includes a radio frequency identification device that identifies the detonator to the hole controller.

15. An electronic detonator comprising:

a generally puck shaped detonator housing having at least one through tunnel that extends through the puck that integrally packages;

an inductor proximate to a select one of the through tunnels that is coupled to control electronics of the detonator so as to function as an inductive pickup for wireless communication with an external source;

a chip having;

a high voltage switch having a first contact, a second contact and a trigger element, the trigger element having a first contact and a second contact, the high voltage switch configured in a normally open state such that the first contact is electrically isolated from the second contact, wherein the high voltage switch is operable to transition to a closed state such that the first contact is electrically coupled to second contact by applying a predetermined signal across the first and second contacts of the trigger element; and

an initiator configured as at least one exploding foil initiator electrically connected in series to the first contact of the high voltage switch;

wherein;

the high voltage switch is formed on the chip such that the trigger element is positioned between the first and second switch contacts and is shaped to have a repeating pattern of faceted sections that narrow in width and funnel out in width between the first and second switch contacts;

an initiating pellet that is void of a primary explosive material and that comprises an insensitive secondary explosive material, the initiating pellet positioned relative to the initiator such that functioning of the initiator causes detonation of the initiating pellet;

a primary energy source;

a secondary energy source;

a low voltage to high voltage converter that is controlled to convert a low voltage to a high voltage sufficient to charge the primary energy source;

a primary circuit that electrically couples the primary energy source to a series circuit that couples the high voltage switch in series with the initiator;

a secondary circuit that selectively electrically isolates the secondary energy source from the trigger element of the high voltage switch in a first state and electrically couples the secondary energy source across the first and second contacts of the trigger element of the high voltage switch in a second state; and

a controller that performs a detonation action by;

receiving a request to arm the detonator;

controlling the low voltage to high voltage converter to charge the primary energy source to a desired primary charge potential, wherein the high voltage switch holds off the primary charge potential from functioning the initiator while the detonator is armed;

charging the secondary energy source to a desired secondary charge potential, and

functioning the initiator to detonate the initiating pellet by selecting the second state of the secondary circuit so as to close the high voltage switch after charging the secondary energy source, thus allowing the primary charge potential to function the initiator to detonate the initiating pellet.

16. The detonator according to claim 15, wherein:

the inductor comprises a toroidal inductor that is generally coaxial with the corresponding through tunnel.

17. The detonator according to claim 15, further comprising:

communications circuitry that allows the controller to communicate information to an external source and to receive timing information to program a detonation time.

18. The detonator according to claim 15, further comprising:

a radio frequency identification device that identifies the detonator to an external source.

19. The detonator according to claim 15, wherein:

the initiator comprises an exploding foil initiator that projects a flyer through a barrel into the initiating pellet in response to being functioned; and

the initiating pellet comprises a combination pellet that includes a first insensitive secondary in an area where the flyer will impact the initiating pellet, and a high brisance insensitive secondary explosive material as the remainder of explosive material of the initiating pellet.