Layered energetic material having multiple ignition points

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816792-B1
Application number	US-201615242962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 22, 2016
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

An energetic material having thin, alternating layers of metal oxide and reducing metal is provided. The energetic material may be provided in the form of a sheet, foil, cylinder, or other convenient structure. A method of making the energetic material resists the formation of oxide on the surface of the reducing metal, allowing the use of multiple thin layers of metal oxide and reducing metal for maximum contact between the reactants, without significant lost volume due to oxide formation. An ignition system for the energetic material includes multiple ignition points, as well as a means for controlling the timing and sequence of activation of the individual ignition points. The combination of the energetic material and ignition system provides a means of charge and blast shaping, ignition timing, pressure curve control and maximization, and safe neutralization of the energetic material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A detonation system for a munition, comprising:
a first group of first fuses, each first fuse defining an initiation end, a terminal end, and a length defined therebetween, each first fuse having a different length than the other first fuses, the initiation end of each first fuse being directly connected to a single, common detonation signal initiator;
a second group of second fuses, each second fuse defining an initiation end, a terminal end, and a length defined therebetween, each second fuse having a different length than the other second fuses, the initiation end of each second fuse being directly connected to the terminal end of one of the first fuses, each terminal end of the second fuses being connected to a single, common detonator;
the length of each first fuse and each second fuse being structured to cause detonation signals originating at an initiation structure to reach the common detonator at essentially the same time.

2. The detonation system according to claim 1 , wherein one of the fuses surrounds the detonation signal initiator.

3. The detonation system according to claim 1 , wherein the detonation signal initiator is a primer.

4. The detonation system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the detonator further comprises alternating layers of energetic material and gaps; and
each of the termination ends of different second fuses is disposed within different layers of energetic material.

5. The detonation system according to claim 4 , wherein the layers of alternating energetic material and gaps form nested cylinders.

6. The detonation system according to claim 4 , wherein each second fuse includes a plurality of termination ends, the termination ends of each second fuse being disposed within the same layer of energetic material as the other termination ends of that second fuse, the termination ends associated with different second fuses being disposed within different layers of energetic material.

7. The detonation system according to claim 6 , wherein each of the termination ends disposed within each layer of energetic material are substantially equally spaced throughout the layer of energetic material within which they are disposed.

8. The detonation system according to claim 4 , wherein the energetic material comprises:
a metal oxide layer having a first thickness;
a reducing metal layer having a second thickness; and
an interface between the metal oxide layer and reducing metal layer, the interface being either substantially free of reducing metal oxide, or the interface being a reducing metal oxide layer having an average thickness of less than 2 nm.

9. The detonation system according to claim 8 , wherein:
each layer of metal oxide has a thickness between about 5 nm and about 1,000 nm; and
each layer of reducing metal has a thickness between about 5 nm and about 1,000 nm.

Assignees

• Mohler Timothy
• Mohler Jonathan
• Univ Central Florida Res Found Inc
• Spectre Mat Sciences Inc
• Univ Central Florida Res Found Inc

Inventors

• Mohler Timothy
• Mohler Jonathan
• Coffey Kevin R

Classifications

• F42C11/06 Primary

  with time delay by electric circuitry · CPC title

• C06B45/14

  a layer or zone containing an inorganic explosive or an inorganic explosive or an inorganic thermic component · CPC title

• F42C19/0846

  Arrangements of a multiplicity of primers or detonators, dispersed within a warhead, for increased efficiency · CPC title

• F42C19/0834

  Arrangements of a multiplicity of primers or detonators dispersed within a propellant charge for increased efficiency · CPC title

• C06B33/00

  Compositions containing particulate metal, alloy, boron, silicon, selenium or tellurium with at least one oxygen supplying material which is either a metal oxide or a salt, organic or inorganic, capable of yielding a metal oxide · CPC title