Low cost rapid mine clearance system
US6766745B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 8, 2002 |
| Grant date | Jul 27, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 8, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S15/74
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus to clear mines uses tag particles dropped into ambient water across a wide area by an aircraft to sink and stick to submerged mines. The tag particles each contain a gas volume dimensioned to resonate with impinging acoustic energy and reflect portions of the impinging acoustic energy from a targeted mine. An unmanned underwater vehicle platform having a sonar system provided with at least one transducer projects the acoustic energy through the ambient water. At least one hydrophone transducer in the sonar system receives the reflected portions of the projected acoustic energy to locate a targeted mine to enable its destruction by high-energy supercavitating projectiles fired from the platform. Tag particles dissolve after a period of time to provide virtually no discernable traces of a mine hunting operation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.