USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Gerald R Laib

David Olson

Daniel Louis Jean

Michael Beggans

John E Hendershot

Ezra Chen

Lawrence C Fan

Carl Gotzmer

Steven S Kim

Michael A Deeds

Troy Caruso

Kevin Genson

William H Reams

Louis J Montesi

Douglas M Hinely

Brian T Amato

Anthony Mansfield

Brian L Will

Veronica Valeriano

Veronica Badescu

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for explosive systems such as grenades with novel micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) fuze and novel placement of the MEMS fuze providing increased performance, reliability, and safety. The MEMS fuze is disposed towards a rear portion of the explosive system providing superior performance and design flexibility. Further, the explosive system includes electronics configured to implement a launch timer and to sense impact or when the system stops spinning. The present invention includes an operational method improving safety and reliability by preventing detonation until after the launch timer expires, upon impact, or when the explosive system stops spinning.

Advanced grenade concept with novel placement of MEMS fuzing technology

An apparatus for compressing powders and the like including a head assembly with a distensible elastic platen mounted in a chambered header plate containing a pressurizing fluid. The elastic platen distends in response to the pressurizing fluid. Further, a base assembly includes a rigid platen mounted in a base plate. The rigid platen includes a face with at least one cavity, into which is added powder to be compressed. The elastic platen is aligned with the rigid platen, and during compression, the two platens may be held firmly in contact. The pressurizing fluid pumped into the head assembly causes the elastic platen to deform forming a single distention per cavity. The distensions compress the powder to an optimal density. The apparatus safely and easily compact multiple small samples of explosives and the like into miniature charges.

Apparatus for making miniature explosive powder charges

A method for making miniature explosive powder charges or other compressible materials, including providing a material to be compressed into multiple cavities of a rigid platen, and positioning an elastic platen in contact with the rigid platen. The elastic platen is mounted in a head assembly having a pressurizing fluid. Evacuating the cavities and the material contained therein, and trapping fractious particles and vapors out-gassed from the material. Pressurizing fluid, which causes deformation of the elastic platen to form distensions that project into the cavities and compress the material into compacts. The pressurizing fluid is depressurized enabling the distensions to retract and the elastic platen to return to a non-deformed state. Finally, separating the elastic and rigid platens and collecting the compacts, which may be miniature explosive charges having an optimized density.

Method for making miniature explosive powder charges

A projectile for safe standoff destruction of explosive devices. The projectile's casing encloses a chamber containing combustible material located opposite a roughened surface on the chamber. The combustible material is mounted so upon the projectile impacting the explosive device, the combustible material flies onto the roughened surface, heating the material by shear forces and igniting the material. This creates pressure bursting the chamber, injecting combustion gases into the explosive fill within the device, thereby igniting the fill locally at the impact, and along cracks in the fill. This arrangement prevents a coherent detonation wavefront from forming within the fill, and a slower burn of the fill, whereby a rifleman has little chance of receiving a concussive shock, or shrapnel, from the device.

Projectile for standoff destruction of explosive devices

The present disclosure provides a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) igniter which is an ignition safety device (ISD) in a small, low-cost, low-power, and highly reliable design. The MEMS igniter provides both out-of-line safety and an ignition mechanism for a rocket motor. The igniter is initially held in a safe, out-of-line position with respect to a propellant. Upon receiving appropriate arm and fire commands and sensing the correct environment, MEMS mechanisms move an ignition component into alignment and the device can function.

Microelectromechanical systems ignition safety device

A MEMS fuze having a moveable slider with a microdetonator at an end for positioning adjacent an initiator. A setback activated lock and a spin activated lock prevent movement of the slider until respective axial and centrifugal acceleration levels have been achieved. Once these acceleration levels are achieved, the slider is moved by a V-beam shaped actuator arrangement to position the microdetonator relative to a secondary lead to start an explosive train in a munitions round.

MEMS fuze assembly

An electrical generator includes a fluid-flow driven impeller including at least one impact arm; and at least one cantilevered beam disposed such that the impact arm strikes the cantilevered beam as the impeller rotates. The cantilevered beam at least partially includes a piezoelectric film.

Flow driven piezoelectric energy harvesting device

A MEMS mechanical initiator having a striker arm extending from a striker body. The tip of the striker arm is adjacent to, but does not touch, the side of a microdetonator. A cocking and release mechanism moves the striker body such that the striker arm pulls away from the side of the microdetonator against the action of a set of springs connected to the striker body. Thereafter the cocking and release mechanism releases the striker body such that the tip of the striker arm swipes the side of the microdetonator causing initiation thereof.

MEMS mechanical initiator for a microdetonator

A method of making a thin film explosive detonator includes forming a substrate layer; depositing a metal layer in situ on the substrate layer; and reacting the metal layer to form a primary explosive layer. The method and apparatus formed thereby integrates fabrication of a micro-detonator in a monolithic MEMS structure using 'in-situ' production of the explosive material within the apparatus, in sizes with linear dimensions below about 1 mm. The method is applicable to high-volume low-cost manufacturing of MEMS safety-and-arming devices. The apparatus can be initiated either electrically or mechanically at either a single point or multiple points, using energies of less than about 1 mJ.

Integrated thin film explosive micro-detonator

A MEMS apparatus having a substrate layer, a device layer and an intermediate oxide layer joining them. A slider is formed in the device layer and includes an enlarged end portion. A walled chamber having a hollow interior in which is positioned a microdetonator is formed in the substrate layer beneath the enlarged end portion and is secured to it by the oxide layer. A drive is operable to move the slider, and with it, the walled chamber, from an initial position to a final position. When in the final position an initiator is operable to initiate the microdetonator.

MEMS microdetonator/initiator apparatus for a MEMS fuze

A safety and arming device interconnecting a bomb with a target detector ures safe mine laying deployment thereof through a detonation explosive train that is armed in delayed response to payout of a lanyard under enablement control exercised by a hydrodynamic piston in response to water impact during such deployment.

Growing community of inventors

Olney, MD, United States of America

Gerald R Laib