Patent · US Expired

Fuel-air line-charge ordnance neutralizer

US4967636A · kind A · utility

15Cited by
9References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 4, 1989
Grant dateNov 6, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 4, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF41H11/14
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

The invention provides a system for breaching a lane in a minefield containing pressure sensitive mines. A mobile carrier mounts fuel, nitrogen and water tanks, a hose magazine and a launch rail. A flexible hose is folded into the magazine for rapid deployment therefrom and carries a detonating cord therein. A tow vehicle, such as a rocket, is connected to the free end of the hose so that when it is launched it will pull the hose across the minefield. Thereafter, pressurized nitrogen is used to drive liquid fuel into the hose, followed by a slug of water between the fuel-containing section and the carrier. Detonation of the cord creates a fuel droplets-in-air-cloud above the hose, which cloud is subsequently detonated to create a pressure wave which, in turn, detonates or neutralizes the mines along the desired lane, allowing vehicles and personnel to travel therealong. Means are provided to space the detonating cord from the inner wall of the hose so as to prevent the formation of hot spots as the cord detonates, which hot spots could result in premature local deflagration of the fuel droplet-air cloud.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.