Gas powered fluid gun with recoil mitigation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9534879-B1
Application number	US-201615004666-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 22, 2016
Priority date	Jul 12, 2006
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A gas powered fluid gun for propelling a stream or slug of a fluid at high velocity toward a target. Recoil mitigation is provided by a cavitating venturi that reduces or eliminates the associated recoil forces, with minimal or no backwash. By launching a quantity of water in the opposite direction, net momentum forces are reduced or eliminated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid gun system for propelling a stream or slug of a fluid at a high velocity towards a target, the system comprising:
a gun barrel having a central bore, an open front end, an open rear end, a side, and an opening through the side for conveying fluid into the central bore;
a fluid storage tank for containing a pressurized fluid;
a fluid supply line for supplying pressurized fluid from the fluid storage tank to the opening in the side of the gun barrel;
a fluid ejection valve disposed in the fluid supply line, for controlling flow of the pressurized fluid from the fluid storage tank to the opening in the side of the gun barrel; and
a device attached to the open rear end that changes the pressure of fluid exiting the open rear end;
wherein the device comprises a cavitating venturi nozzle for flash vaporizing the rearward-moving stream.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device reduces or eliminates backwash from the rearward-moving stream.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device reduces or eliminates recoil forces acting on the gun barrel generated by a forward-moving stream of the fluid exiting from the front end of the gun barrel.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the venturi forms a mist or cloud of vapor from the rearward-moving stream.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the opening in the side of the gun barrel is located midway between both ends of the gun barrel.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a gas storage tank;
a compressor fluidically connected via a first gas supply line to the gas storage tank for pressurizing the gas storage tank with a gas at a pressure greater than ambient pressure;
a second gas supply line connecting the gas storage tank with the fluid storage tank;
a pressurization valve disposed in the second gas supply line;
a first pressure regulator disposed in the first gas supply line between the compressor and the gas storage tank; and
a second pressure regulator disposed in the second gas supply line between the pressurization valve and the fluid storage tank.

7. The system of claim 1 , additionally comprising a pressurized gas disposed inside the fluid storage tank, the gas selected from the group consisting of air, nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, steam, and combinations thereof.

8. The system of claim 1 , additionally comprising a pressurized fluid disposed inside the fluid storage tank, the fluid comprising one or more items selected from the group consisting of water, seawater, lubricants, foaming agents, thickening agents, gelling agents, tagants, chemical agents, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, malodorants, hydrocarbons, fire suppressing agents, and combinations thereof.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the pressurized fluid additionally comprises one or more items selected from the group consisting of polysaccharides, glycols, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, acrylates, acrylim ides, polyethylene oxide, colloidal silica, and combinations thereof.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an adjustable nozzle attached to the front end of the gun barrel.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the central bore of the gun barrel has an inside diameter that is different at the barrel's front end than at the barrel's rear end.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid ejection valve comprises a rapidly acting valve selected from the group consisting of an in-line plug valve, an electromagneticaly-controlled valve, and a pneumatically operated valve.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gun barrel is attached to a swivably and pilotable mount on a post.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the swivable and pivotable mount comprises a universal-joint (U-joint).

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the post is mounted to a truck; and further wherein the fluid storage tank, gas storage tank, compressor, and associated equipment are also mounted on the flat bed of the truck.

Assignees

• Sandia Corp

Inventors

• Grubelich Mark C
• Yonas Gerold

Classifications

• F41B9/0021

  the gas being compressed by non-manual pumping means, e.g. an electric pump · CPC title

• F42B33/062 Primary

  by high-pressure water jet means · CPC title

• F41B9/0015

  the liquid being pressurised by compressed gas, e.g. air (pressurisation by explosion gases F41B9/0043) · CPC title

• F23D11/24

  by pressurisation of the fuel before a nozzle through which it is sprayed by a substantial pressure reduction into a space · CPC title

• F23D14/28

  in association with a gaseous fuel source, e.g. acetylene generator, or a container for liquefied gas · CPC title