MXPA99008800A - Method and apparatus for containing and suppressing explosive detonations - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and apparatus for enclosing, controlling and suppressing the explosive destruction of munitions, particularly cluster-bomb munitions in an explosion chamber. The explosions chamber (28) comprises a double-walled steel explosion chamber in which the walls and access doors are filled with granular shock damping silica sand (4). The munition is placed in an open-topped fragmentation containment unit (37) within the chamber on the chamber floor which is covered with granular shock-damping pea gravel. Plastic bags of water (26) are suspended within the chamber over the detonation area and filled with an amount of water chosen according to the type and amount of explosive in the munition. A starter charge (12) and ignition wires (13) are electrically activated to detonate the explosive. A woven steel blast mat (42) is secured to the chamber roof for the purpose of catching debris and a scrubber system (27) is in communication with the chamber for the purpose of further cooling and treatment of gaseous combustion products resulting from the detonation.

Description

^ y METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTAINING AND DELETING EXPLOSIVE DETONATIONS This application is a continuation in part of the pending application Serial No. 08 / 578,200 filed on December 29, 1995 and granted on March 25, 1997 as the Patent of the United States of North America Serial Number 5,613, 453. FIELD OF THE I NVENTION This invention relates to a method and apparatus for containing, controlling and suppressing the detonation of explosives, particularly for the work of exploding metals, and for the disposal of unwanted explosive munitions and toxic materials. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Explosives have many useful industrial applications including surface hardening of austenitic manganese alloy steels, coating by surface deposition, welding of metal components, compression molding of granular and powder media components, and disposal of unwanted toxic or explosive materials. The prior art reflects many attempts to contain the explosion process for the suppression of harmful noise, impact and explosion products. Hampel Patent Serial Number 5,419, 862 discloses a large explosion chamber in which an explosive workpiece is introduced through a container for unloading dusty solids in a vacuum chamber where it is detonated, and after detonation, the products of the explosion are allowed to escape into the atmosphere. The camera is mechanically secured by means of anchoring rods to a base. The patent of Gambarov and co-inventors Serial No. 4, 1 00, 783 discloses a cylindrical containment container, divided along its diameter for separation and that can be opened for the insertion of large workpieces such as a heart of railway needle, wear parts of stone breakers and similar. After the insertion of a work piece and the explosive charge, the camera closes and secures and the explosion is detonated by means of a detonator device contained therein. The combustion products of the explosion are allowed to enter the atmosphere through an air valve. The Patent of Deribas Serial No. 4, 085, 883 and Minin Patent Serial No. 4, 081, 982 disclose spherical containment containers with an opening in the bottom through which a workpiece is introduced that it includes an explosive through a lifting means, and continuous feed wire electrodes are used to make contact with an electrically activated detonator when the work piece is in place. The latest patent also discloses means to introduce an internal liquid spray after the explosion to neutralize toxic byproducts from the explosion. The Smirnov Patent and co-inventors Serial Number 4, 079, 612 discloses an approximately hemispherical containment vessel mounted on a concrete base with a shock-absorbing worktable to support the workpiece and explosive material, which are detonated to through electrical ignition wires that go through openings in the containment containers to the outside. In Paton Patent and co-inventors Serial Number 3, 910, 084 a different approach is disclosed in which multiple closed end tubes are placed radially around a central column at which the explosion starts, with shock waves buffered by internal shock absorbers in the tubes. Access to the camera is through a removable top cover plate. Kein's Patent and co-inventors Serial Number 3,61 1, 766 discloses a vertical explosion chamber that incorporates a cushioned work table to support the workpiece and the explosive charge, and a built-in internal impact damping means that It consists of a steel mat to absorb explosive pressure waves. The Patent of Kein and co-inventors Serial Number 3, 464,249 discloses a similar containment container, in this case spherical, with a bottom cover of loose granular material such as sand that supports the work piece and the explosive charge. The products of the explosion are discharged through a vertical tube containing a noise silencer, and the entire assembly is supported by shock absorbing means in a reinforced concrete or brick pit for additional suppression of impact and noise. All prior art devices represent improvements over the methods first used for explosion hardening of manganese steel rail components that included placing the explosion-proof workpiece in an open field or at the bottom of an open pit such as an abandoned record pit, and carry out the explosion outdoors with the resulting noise, dust, discomfort and pollution of the environment. Additionally, the uncontrolled use of explosives required large spaces, represented a substantial danger to equipment and personnel, and had the undesirable effect of demolishing the ignition lines, the supporting surface of the work piece and everything else in the vicinity. immediate of the explosion. Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for containing, controlling and suppressing the effects of explosive detonations used for industrial purposes. The purpose of the invention is to provide a containment device that can contain and suppress each explosion in a manner that does not represent a danger to the surrounding plant and equipment or the environment. A further object is to provide a method and apparatus that allows rapid and convenient loading and removal of work pieces, thus achieving production speeds much greater than those that have been possible using prior art techniques and devices. A related object is to provide an explosive containment container that can be inexpensively constructed of common materials using conventional welding techniques but that is strong enough to undergo months and years of continuous use without deterioration. A related object is to provide such a device in which consumable materials, such as silica sand and gravel, are used as shock absorbers and impact absorbers, instead of internal springs, metal grids and the like that are complete and expensive. . Another object is to provide an explosion containment chamber that opens easily from one end to allow loading and removal of work pieces by conventional means such as forklift truck, and to allow easy entry and exit of maintenance personnel. A further object is to provide rapid and efficient removal of gaseous byproducts from the explosion after detonation so that maintenance personnel can immediately enter the chamber to remove the treated workpiece and place another in its place for the next operation. . Another additional object is to provide an internal ignition system in which the electrical lines for the detonation start system are protected from the breaker effect and can be reused for a large number of explosion cycles, instead of that are destroyed and have to be replaced after each cycle.

Another main object of the invention is to provide a means of rapidly removing and treating the gaseous byproducts of the explosion by passing them through a gas purifying system, so that the operating personnel can re-enter the chamber immediately while the gas purifier continues processing the products of the previous explosion as a new work piece and explosive charge are ready. Also, an object of the gas purifying system is to further dampen and suppress the impact and noise of each detonation by the extended travel path of the products of the explosion as they pass through the gas purifier. A particularly important object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive means to absorb unused energy from the explosion, to instantly reduce temperatures and pressures in the chamber, while simultaneously suppressing the dust and particulate matter in the byproducts of the explosion. Another main object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for controlled destruction of munitions containing multiple explosive units (simultaneous launch bombs) by detonation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The improved explosion chamber of the invention comprises a double-walled steel explosion chamber anchored to a concrete base, which has a double-walled door for loading new work pieces, and a door I vent to unload the products of the explosion. The double wall of the chamber, the access door and the vent door are filled with a granular shock absorbing material such as silica sand, and the floor of the chamber is covered with a bed of granular shock absorbing material such as gravel. Through the chamber are steel handles from which a linear array of vent pipes penetrates the double wall of the chamber, with each tube ending in a hardened steel orifice through which the combustion products pass. The explosion. Inside the chamber, previously measured containers of an energy absorbing medium, preferably comprising plastic polymer film bags containing water are suspended from steel wires on the explosive material, and at each end of the chamber. Electric ignition device line wires enter the chamber through a steel lid that has a downward access opening placed in a protected location below the surface of the granular bed, but accessed by a operator to quickly join an electric explosion cap. The venting and access doors are linked with the electric ignition device to block the ignition unless both doors are positively closed. When the doors are opened after a detonation, a venting fan is placed to extract the products of combustion from the chamber explosion and bring fresh air through the access door. The manholes and the vent door discharge to a gas purifying system for additional cooling and environmental treatment of the gaseous products of combustion. The method of operation of the invention comprises the steps of placing an explosive work piece through the access door and on the granular bed, suspending plastic bags containing an amount of water of approximately the weight of the explosive, attaching a lid of electric explosion to the line wires of the ignition device, close the venting and access doors, electrically detonate the explosive, immediately open both venting and access doors, and use fan means to extract the products of combustion from the detonation of the camera in preparation to insert the next explosive work piece. The gaseous combustion products coming out of the manners and the vent discharge are cooled and treated environmentally in a gas purifying system before being released into the atmosphere. When it is used to dispose of ammunition, a fragmentation containment unit ("FCU") is used. The fragmentation containment unit is a cube-shaped mold with heavy walls, preferably made of manganese steel, which has a bed of silica sand on which the ammunition supported by one or more layers of gypsum is placed. On the fragmentation containment unit, suspended from the ceiling of the chamber, there is a conventional steel cable or chain explosion mat. The ammunition is detonated by an initiating charge and the fragmentation containment unit and the explosion mat absorbs the impact of any fragment or shrapnel grenade, and then the chamber serves to absorb the remaining energy of the explosion and dissipate the products of the combustion of the explosion in the manner described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the improved explosion containment chamber of the present invention; Figure 2 is a partial sectional perspective view of the opposite end of the chamber of Figure 1, including a gas purifying system for cleaning the gaseous products from the explosion before being allowed to vent to the atmosphere; Figure 3 is a plan view in partial section of the explosion chamber of the previous Figures; Fig. 4 is a lateral elevation in partial section of the explosion chamber of the previous Figures; Figure 5 is a plan view of a scaled down scale of the full length of the explosion chamber of the previous Figures showing a railway section work piece in its place for explosion hardening treatment; Figure 6 is a cut end elevation showing the end of the access door 6 of the explosion chamber of the previous Figures; • Figure 7 is a cut end elevation showing the end of the vent port 7 of the explosion chamber of the previous Figures, with a rail section work piece in place for explosion hardening treatment; Figure 8 is an enlarged partial cut end elevation of the entry point of the ignition wire into the explosion chamber of the previous Figures; Figure 9 is a side elevation in section of a "simultaneous launch pump" or common multiple weapon ordnance, such as the 155 mm US Army M483 projectile. containing 88 individual anti-personnel grenades, which is common to the ammunition that must be disposed of safely by the present invention. Figure 10 is a sectional end view of the ammunition of Figure 9, showing the individual grenades in eight columns of ten units. Figure 11 is a perspective illustration of the manner in which the grenades in the ammunition of Figure 9, according to the invention, are ejected as a group into a plastic carrier tube, before being loaded into the containment unit of fragmentation. Figure 12 is a side elevation of a fragmentation containment unit or FCU adapted for use with the explosion chamber of the previous Figures, which contains the explosive contents of a simultaneous launch pump ammunition enclosed within the carrier tube of the previous Figure; and Fig. 13, is a lateral elevation in section of a second preferred embodiment of the explosion chamber adapted for disposal of ammunition, showing the fragmentation containment unit of Figure 12 placed inside the chamber and ready for destruction of the content of a munition placed inside the fragmentation containment unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Returning to the Figures, Figure 1 is a perspective section of the improved blast chamber of the present invention. the chamber comprises an inner box 1 having a roof, floor, side walls and ends, made of rolled steel using conventional welding techniques. Around the inner box 1 there is a plurality of discrete flanges or flanges 2 on which an outer welded rolled steel box 3 is constructed so that the flanges 2 cause the outer box 3 to be separated from the inner box 1 and leave a space which is then filled with a granular shock absorbing material. In the first preferred embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 -8, whose mode is particularly adapted for the treatment of the explosion surface hardening of the railway track section, the inner and outer boxes are constructed of laminated steel of 1.90. cm of thickness separated by circumferential I-shaped beam flanges 2 separated every 60.96 cm. All seams are continuous welding. According to the invention, the space between the inner and outer boxes 3 is filled with a granular shock absorbing material, preferably silica sand. The explosion chamber is anchored by bolts or other suitable means (not shown) to a reinforced concrete base 5. In the preferred embodiment shown, the internal dimensions of the explosion chamber are: 243.84 cm high, 182.88 cm wide and 1 .52 long. The reinforced concrete base 5 is preferably 121.92 cm thick. As one of the main advantages of the invention, the internal dimensions of the camera allow an operator to enter, stand and work easily, and its length, in the first preferred embodiment allows to insert sections of long sections of railroad previously welded and harden them by explosion, which was not possible in explosion chambers of the prior art. The chamber is provided with two doors, an access door 6 and a vent door 7. Both doors are constructed of double-walled welded steel similar to the walls of the chamber and each is fixed by hinges so that it opens towards in. The door wings are constructed so that each door engages in a sealing relationship so that the increase in pressure within the chamber causes the door to seal more tightly against its frame. The volume inside the double-walled doors is also filled with an impact absorbing material, preferably silica sand. The floor of the chamber is preferably covered with a bed 8 of granular impact cushion material, preferably gravel, at a uniform depth of approximately 30.48 cm. , thus forming a support surface for work piece and for the explosive to be detonated. To initiate the ignition of the explosive, electric wire firing lines 9 penetrate the chamber through a pressure-sealed opening 10 and emerge through a welded laminated steel shielding cover or box 1 1 through an opening that sees down placed below the surface of the granular impact cushion material. To prepare the workpiece and charge for detonation, a suitable electric detonator tip 12 is inserted into the explosive charge and the ends of its wire lines 13 are routed to the firing wire cover 1 1. The gravel is separated to expose the ends of the firing wire lines 9, the lines are twisted together to complete the firing circuit and then the gravel is repositioned on the lines of the tip of the detonator 13 to surround again and enclose the open end of the cover 1 1. While the lines of the tip of the detonator 1 3 are substantially disintegrated by the explosion, the lines of ignition wire 9 remain protected under the cover and can be reused again and again. As a main aspect of the invention, impact suppression means for the chamber are provided in the form of a plurality of vent tubes positioned along the center line of one or more of the inner side walls of the chamber, with each vent pipe in communication through the double wall of the chamber in an elongated steel handgrip means 15 that extends along the chamber on each side and ends at the discharge outlet 16. In the first preferred embodiment , each handle 15 is 64.52 cm2 and is manufactured by continuous seam welding of steel plate 2 of 1.27 cm. The flanges 2 consist of I-beam sections of 45.72 cm spaced at 60.96 cm intervals. The vent pipes 14 are made of 5.08 cm diameter steel tube, and like the flanges 2 are spaced at 60.96 cm intervals. Where it is connected to the inner wall of the chamber, each vent tube is provided with a hardened steel hole 17 of 1.90 cm in diameter. In the first preferred embodiment, the 1.52 meter chamber has twenty-four vent pipes 14 and a 17 hole per side, for a total of forty-eight vent pipes 14 and a total of 17 holes. Inside the chamber, square corners are avoided due to the tendency of explosives to exert unusually high pressures at such critical points. Therefore, an angle piece 18 is welded on each edge to divide the square corner of 90 ° into two of 45 °, which has the effect of rounding the corner and eliminating the corners or pockets that produce tension which otherwise way they would impose undesirable destructive forces on corner welds. In the first preferred embodiment of the invention, additional noise suppression is obtained by coating the outer surfaces of the handle and outer chamber 1 5 with a rigid polyurethane foam coating 20 of known composition at a depth of at least 10.16 cm. The entire structure covered with foam is subsequently housed in a housing such as a coarse wood bell (not shown) having mesh ventilation slots to allow free circulation of air. To open and close the venting and access door 7, double acting hydraulic cylinders 19 are provided. As a further aspect of the invention, important safety objectives are carried out by providing each door with sensing means 21 as part of an electrical connection (not shown) between the door of access 6, the vent door 7 and the ignition means, wherein the access door must be in a closed and sealed position before the ignition means can be energized. In this way, it is impossible to inadvertently detonate an explosive charge prematurely before the doors are completely closed, which would result in substantial destruction and damage to the equipment such as the vent fan 22, not to mention the risk of bodily injury to the personnel. operation in the vicinity of the access door 6.

In the first preferred embodiment, the roof of the chamber is provided with an I-shaped welded beam for use as a conveyor to insert and remove particularly long lengths of steel track section or other work pieces in a similar manner. Another main aspect of the invention is the provision for each explosion of liquid-filled energy absorbing modules placed approximately along the inner center line of the chamber. These devices serve to cool the gaseous products of the explosion, and to remove dust and debris in the chamber after each explosion. In both preferred embodiments, the energy absorbing devices are simple self-sealing polyethylene bags filled with water and hung on hook wires 25 approximately along the centerline of the chamber above and around the workpiece and the explosive charge. It has been found that commercially available "ZipLock" brand-name sandwich bags with a dimension of 15.24 cm by 20.32 cm inches and 5 thousandths of a centimeter are satisfactory for this purpose. Although water is preferable, any material that can vaporize and absorb energy can also be used. According to the invention, the volume of water placed in the chamber for each explosion is selected to be approximately equal in weight to the amount of explosive to be detonated. This volume of water is distributed among several bags which are then hung in an array distributed approximately along the centerline of the chamber in the vicinity of the explosive. Preferably, the water bags 24 are hung on the hook ends of nine gauge steel rods welded to the roof of the chamber. By using the water-absorbing means of energy absorption, it has been found that the theoretical theoretical theoretical pressure of the explosion is reduced by more than half and the introduction of moisture into the chamber at the time of detonation and then has a beneficial effect. of suppressing the dust and cooling the products of the explosion instantaneously. In contrast to explosions without the use of water filled bags, the perceived impact and noise of the explosion is substantially reduced and the operating personnel can enter the chamber immediately after each detonation to remove a workpiece and replace it with the following. It has also been found in practice that the beneficial effects of the water bags 24 are improved if an additional water bag 26 is placed at each end of the chamber, away from the work piece approximately 121 .92 cm from the door of the chamber. access 6 and 3.65 meters from the vent door 7, although other separations are also satisfactory. In practice, using the water bags 24 according to the invention produces the complete vaporization of water and polyethylene bags, which serves to absorb and suppress the unwanted impact of the explosion, while practically leaving no residue. or waste. After each explosion, the access door 6 can be opened immediately, and all that can be seen are traces of water vapor which are released into the atmosphere through the vent port 7 in the manner described below. In accordance with another important aspect of the invention, all gaseous byproducts of the explosion are removed from the chamber in a controlled manner. After each explosion, the vent door 7 and the access door 6 open simultaneously, the vent fan 22 is energized and the gaseous products of the chamber explosion pass through the opening of the vent door 7 while the atmosphere in the chamber is replaced with fresh air entering through the open access door 6. In practice it has been found that by using the described method and apparatus, the access and vent door 7 can be opened immediately after each explosion., thus allowing operative personnel to enter the chamber immediately after each explosion to remove the treated workpiece and replace it with the next one. Another main aspect of the present invention is that all the gaseous products of the explosion are discharged and directed in a controlled manner to a suitable environmental treatment means such as a gas purifier 27. In the illustrated embodiment, a dew-gas purifier of Water 27 of conventional construction is used to receive the discharge of the side mounted handle 15 and the vent fan 22 also, so that no gaseous products of the explosion not treated to the atmosphere escape. Additionally, the sinuous path offered by the gas purifier creates. No additional level of noise suppression and convenient shock. To allow the filling of spaces in the walls of the chamber produced by the settling of the impact absorbing silica sand, a can or hopper 28 is provided above the chamber with spaced openings 29 through which the sand can be moved. to replace the lost volume as the sand in the walls settles or compacts with each detonation. It has been found that despite such compaction, the use of silica sand (as opposed to masonry sand) does not cause any reduction of the impact absorbing effect. Despite the immense destructive forces of each explosive detonation the chamber of the present invention, with its vent tubes 14 and energy absorbing liquid modules, has been found in practice to reduce the excess destructive energy of each explosion to a point wherein the conveyor beam 23 is virtually not affected. Likewise, the dependent wires for hanging the energy absorbing water bags 24 are virtually not affected after each explosion. This allows the camera to be used continuously, with a productive output of up to 10 or 12 explosions per hour, which is an order of magnitude greater than that allowed by any of the explosion chambers of the prior art, or by explosion techniques. of conventional open pit. In practice, with the preferred embodiment described, the method and apparatus of the present invention has been successfully used to safely detonate explosive charges in a wide range of sizes, ranging from 908 gr. to 6.81 kg. of explosive plastic C-2 (also known as PETN) with minimum amounts of impact, noise and adverse effects on the environment. Surprisingly, it has been found that the operations of a business office in an office building adjacent to only 6.09 meters from the explosion chamber can be carried out in a completely normal manner, and the explosions can not be distinguished from the background noise ordinary of the office environment. A second embodiment of the invention, shown in Figures 11, 12 and 13, is particularly adapted to fragmentation ammunition. Figures 9 and 10 illustrate an ammunition of this type 30, artillery projectile "simultaneous launch bomb" M483 of the Army of the United States of 155 mm. each of which contains 88 grenades or small miniature cargo bombs 31 arranged in ten layers of eight grenades each, contained in an indile cylinder projectile adapted to fire from a 155 mm howitzer. The ammunition comprises a cylindrical metal body 32 closed at its front end by a threaded cone or nose 33 and at its base by means of a base pin 34. At the tip of the nose 33 is a fuse and ejection load 35. When the ammunition is fired and approaches its target, the fuse ignites the ejection charge 33, bringing the grenade array backwards, causing the base 34 to detach from the body 32 and that the individual grenades are dispersed in the air. Once dispersed, each of the individual grenades is armed by a ribbon fuse (not shown) and detonates on contact with any hard surface. The grenades each have a frangible metal helmet that separates into pieces of shrapnel grenade before detonation, and also a cargo component designed to pierce armor. To deactivate and dispose of such ammunition, conventional techniques of disassembly and manual removal of explosive components are dangerously impractical due to the large number of small individual grenades contained in each simultaneous launching bomb ammunition. If the ammunition is suspected to be defective or unstable, problems multiply much more.

According to the second embodiment of the invention, an ammunition 30 that is intended to be discarded is first separated from its nose 33 and base pin 34, exposing and thus allowing access to the stacked array of individual grenades 31 from both ends of the projectile. Then, a cylindrical carrier tube 36 of any suitable light organic plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is placed in line with the open base end of the projectile body 32. Then, the entire grenade array is simply pushed as a single unit outside the projectile body 32 and towards the carrier tube 36 so that the operator does not have to handle the grenades individually. This manipulation, because it is relatively simple, is also adapted to be performed by remote control through robotic manipulation means (not shown). When the arrangement of grenades 31 has been transferred from the projectile body 32 to the carrier tube 36, the carrier tube is placed in the cylindrical container opened at the top 37 herein referred to as the fragmentation containment unit or "FCU". The fragmentation containment unit 37 acts as a primary containment chamber for the detonation of the ammunition, which serves to partially suppress and contain the explosion and absorb the initial high velocity impact of debris and fragements from the fragmentation of the explosion. The gaseous products of the explosion and fragmentation waste that the fragmentation containment unit did not contain, deviate and escape upwards into the containment chamber, which is constructed in the manner shown in Figures 1 to 8 and which is described in the preceding specification. Preferably, the main explosion chamber which is intended to be used with a fragmentation containment unit for destruction of ammunition has interior dimensions in which the side and end walls have the same length, so that in the plan view it is substantially square It is also preferably constructed with higher interior height, all for the purpose of providing the highest interior volume consistent with practical and reasonable construction techniques. In this embodiment of the invention intended mainly for the disposal of ammunition, preferably the chamber is built with internal dimensions of 4.87 meters on each side and a height of 4.28 meters. In the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 12 and 13, the internal diameter of the fragmentation containment unit in its mouth (upper end) is 1 .06 meters, with a wall thickness of 8.89 cm, and a height of 1. .21 m. At its base, the internal diameter of the fragmentation containment unit tapers to 91.44 cm. Preferably, the fragmentation containment unit 37 is made of manganese alloy steel, to give it impact hardening characteristics and to make it more resistant to the impact of shrapnel grenade fragments. On each side of the fragmentation containment unit there are integrally manufactured handle lugs 38 with openings adapted to receive the ends of a lifting device (not shown), so that the fragmentation containment unit can be loaded with ammunition outside the chamber, and then it will be carried by the elevator in the chamber and placed in position for detonation. Preferably, a granular layer 39 of about 30.48 cm of energy absorbing material such as silica sand is placed in the bottom of the fragmentation containment unit. According to another aspect of the invention, in the upper part of the sand layer 39, a support platform 40 is placed to maintain the vertical carrier tube and placed centrally within the fragmentation containment unit. The support platform is preferably formed of one or more layers of gypsum (hydrated calcium sulfate sheets with a paper cover). This readily available and inexpensive material is entirely disintegrated by the resulting detonation without detectable debris and provides a stable and strong flat surface on which the carrier tube 32 containing the grenade array 31 is placed after the removal of the ammunition Alternatively, a granular material that can be manually piled into the base can be used to support an irregularly shaped ammunition (not shown). It has been found that a hydrated granular mineral material such as commercially available cat litter is very suitable for this purpose, and, like gypsum, leaves no residue after detonation. Inside the chamber, a woven steel blast mat 43 of steel wire cloth or interlaced chain is suspended from the roof of the chamber directly above the fragmentation containment unit 37. The explosion mat 43 serves to absorb the impact of any fragment of projectile or waste not contained within the fragmentation containment unit.

As with the first preferred embodiment of the invention, the energy absorption liquid modules are dispersed within the larger chamber in close proximity to the fragmentation containment unit to absorb and disperse the energy of the detonation of the ammunition. As before, these are preferably vaporizable containers comprising plastic film bags (not shown) filled with water, substantially uniformly distributed in the water space, distributed substantially uniformly around and above the water containment unit. fragmentation by wire hooks in the manner described above. It has been found that the mass of water that will be used in the energy absorption modules depends on the type of explosion to be detonated and its mass. As the energy released per unit of explosive varies according to the type of explosive involved, the water to explosive mass ratio must also be varied for optimum discharge suppression. It has been determined that the following ratios are substantially optimal for use with the types of explosives indicated: EXPLOSIVE Btu / lb Water / Explosive Ratio HMX 3,402 2.50 RDX 2,970 2.20 PETN 2,700 2.00 C-2 1,700 1.25 Once the containment unit of fragmentation 37 has been loaded with the ammunition to be discarded, either as an array of grenades contained within the carrier tube 32 or as a separate ammunition, the fragmentation containment unit is lifted by a forklift (not shown) by its handle lugs 38 and placed inside the explosion chamber as shown in Figure 12. A small detonator charge 41 is attached to the ammunition and connected for external ignition in the manner previously described. With the fragmentation containment unit in place in the chamber, and the wired ignition charge for ignition, the chamber doors close and the closure is verified. Then, detonator charge 41 is detonated, thereby detonating the ammunition. The initial discharge and fragmentation are substantially, but not completely, contained by the fragmentation containment unit, and the remaining force of the discharge is diverted and directed towards the chamber itself. The explosion chamber, which has a containment volume much larger than the fragmentation containment unit, serves to suppress and evacuate the gaseous products from the explosion in the manner previously described, while the remaining fragments of fragmentation are collected and Discard separately. The carrier tube 32, which is made of lightweight PVC plastic, essentially vaporizes, as well as the gypsum support platform 40, so that there is practically no other debris to be removed before loading the next ammunition for detonation.

Claims (20)

1. REVIVAL NAMES 1. An apparatus for controllably destroying detonation munitions having a chamber, at least one sealable gate, a fragmentation containment unit (FCU) open at the top to contain a munition placed within the chamber and ignition means for detonating a explosive charge within the sub-chamber to initiate the detonation of the ammunition and characterized by a plurality of energy absorbing modules filled with fully vaporizable liquid suspended in a spaced arrangement within the chamber in proximity to the ammunition to be detonated.
2. 2. An apparatus for controllably destroying ammunition comprising: a closed metal inner box having a roof, a floor, side walls and ends, and a closed metal outer box separate from the inner box, surrounding the box inside to form a double wall symmetric chamber, spacers to connect the outer box to the inner box in rigid spaced relation, with the space between the inner and outer boxes filled with granular impact cushion material, an access door that can be open at one end and a vent door that can be opened at the other end, said vent and access doors are each made of double-walled metal construction and have senator means to make said doors seal more tightly with higher pressure d inside the chamber, additional granular impact cushioning material that covers the floor of such chamber at a uniform depth that forms a superf Support device for detonating an explosive, and ignition means for detonating said explosive, and impact suppression means including a plurality of vent tubes connecting the interior wall of the chamber with an elongated metal handgrip means for receiving and directing explosion products from the vent pipes, said handle means ending at an external discharge point, a fragmentation containment unit (FCU) open at the top that can be removed to contain an ammunition placed inside the chamber, said fragmentation containment unit is made of an impact hardening steel alloy, and having a layer of granular impact cushioning material in its lower part that forms a base for supporting an ammunition to be detonated, and a plurality of liquid-filled energy absorption modules suspended in a separate arrangement within the chamber in proximity to the ict that is going to detonate.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a flexible steel discharge mat is suspended over the fragmentation containment unit to absorb the upward directed energy of the exploding ammunition.
4. 4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the energy absorbing modules comprise vaporizable containers filled with water.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, with the body of water selected to couple the mass of explosive to be detonated selected from the following table in accordance with the main explosive component of the ammunition: EXPLOSIVE Btu / lb Water / Explosive Ratio HMX 3, 402 2.50 RDX 2, 970 2.20 PETN 2, 700 2.00 C-2 1, 700 1 .25 6.
6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the containers are individual bags made of polyethylene sheet material, and the roof of the chamber has a plurality of dependent wire supports from which the bags are hung.
7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the fragmentation containment unit contains a layer of hydrated mineral salts on top of the layer of granular impact cushion material to form a support base for detonating the ammunition.
8. 8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the fragmentation containment unit contains a layer of gypsum on top of the layer of granular impact cushion material to form a support base for detonating the ammunition.
9. 9. A method for controllably destroying ammunition by detonation within a removable fragmentation containment unit (FCU) that opens above to contain ammunition placed inside a chamber having at least one sealable door and ignition means to detonate an explosive charge inside the chamber, comprising the steps of loading the fragmentation containment unit with ammunition to be destroyed, placing the fragmentation containment unit and ammunition inside the chamber, attaching ignition means to the ammunition explosive, suspending a plurality of liquid-filled energy absorption modules that can be completely vaporized in a separate arrangement inside the chamber in proximity to the ammunition, close and seal the chamber doors, and extract the gaseous products from the explosive combustion through the door before reloading the camera with a new ammo.
10. 10. A method for controllably destroying by detonation comprising the steps of: first, placing an ammunition to be destroyed in a removable fragmentation containment unit (FCU) open at the top that is made of an alloy of steel that It hardens on impact, and it has a layer of granular impact cushioning material on its bottom that forms a base to support the ammunition that is going to detonate; second, placing said sub-chamber in a chamber comprising: an enclosed elongated metal inner box having a roof, a floor, side walls and ends, and a closed elongated metal outer box separate from the inner box, surrounding the box interior to form an axially elongated symmetrical double-walled chamber having a central axis, spacer means for connecting the outer case to the inner case in a rigid spaced relationship, with the space between the inner and outer case filled with granular impact cushioning material , an access door that can be opened at one end and a vent door that can be opened at the other end, the aforementioned vent and access doors are each double-walled construction and have senators means to make said doors seal more hermetically with higher differential pressure inside the chamber, additional granular impact cushioning material covering the floor a chamber at a uniform depth forming a supporting surface for said sub-chamber, and ignition means for detonating said ammunition, and impact suppression means including a plurality of vent tubes connecting the outer case to the inner box in rigid spaced relation, with the space between the inner and outer box l lena with granular shock absorbing material, an access door that can be opened at one end and a vent door that can be opened at the other end, said venting and access doors are each of a floor, side and end walls, and a closed elongated metal outer box separated from the inner box, surrounding the inner box to form an axially elongated symmetric double-walled chamber having a central axis, spacer means for connecting the outer box to the inner box in a rigid spaced relation, with the space between the inner and outer box ior filled with granular shock absorbing material, an access door that can be opened at one end and a vent door that can be opened at the other end, the aforementioned vent and access doors are each double-walled construction and have sealing means for causing said doors to seal more tightly with greater differential pressure within the chamber, additional granular impact cushion material covering the floor of said chamber at a uniform depth forming a supporting surface for said sub-chamber, and ignition means for detonating said ammunition, and impact suppression means including a plurality of vent tubes that connect the outer case to the inner case in rigid spaced relation, with the space between the inner and outer cases filled with granular impact cushion material, an access door that can be opened at one end and a vent door that can be and open at the other end, the said vent and access doors are each of double-walled metal construction and have sealing means to make such doors seal more tightly with the increase in differential pressure within the chamber, additional granular impact cushion covering the floor of such chamber at a uniform depth forming a supporting surface for said sub-chamber, and ignition means for detonating said ammunition, and impact suppression means including a plurality of vent pipes connecting the inner wall of the chamber with elongated metal handle means for receiving and directing explosion products from the vent tubes, said handle means ending at an external discharge point, third, placing a plurality of liquid-filled energy absorption modules suspended in an array spaced above and in proximity to the ammunition n to be detonated, fourth, closing and sealing the doors and vents, and fifth, detonate the aforementioned ammunition. eleven .
11. The method of claim 10, which includes the additional steps of opening said vent door and said access door and evacuating the gaseous combustion products from the explosion of the detonation through the vent door, while allowing the fresh air fill the camera from the access door.
12. 12. The method of claim 1 which includes the additional steps of directing the gaseous combustion products of the >; 34 explosion from the handle means and from the access door to a gas purifying means to release such gaseous combustion products from the explosion of particulate matter and toxic vapors.
13. The method of claim 9 wherein the energy absorbing modules comprise plastic film containers filled with water.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the containers are individual bags made of polyethylene sheet material, and the roof of the chamber has a plurality of wire supports depending on where the bags are hung.
15. The method of claim 9, with the body of water selected to couple the mass of explosive to be detonated selected from the following table in accordance with the main explosive component of the ammunition: EXPLOSIVE Btu / lb Water / Explosive Ratio HMX 3,402 2.50 RDX 2,970 2.20 PETN 2,700 2.00 C-2 1,700 1.25
16. 16. The method of claim 9, wherein a flexible steel discharge mat is suspended over the fragmentation containment unit to absorb the energy directed upwards of the ammunition that explodes.
17. 17. The method of claim 10, wherein the fragmentation containment unit contains an additional layer of hydrated mineral salts on top of the granular impact cushion layer to form a support base to detonate the molding.
18. 18. The method of claim 10, wherein the fragmentation containment unit contains an additional layer of gypsum on top of the layer of granular shock absorbing material to form a support base for detonating the ammunition.
19. 19. A method for controlled destruction of multiple explosive unit munitions (simultaneous launch bombs) containing a multiplicity of individual shrapnel grenades in a grouped arrangement within a closed cylindrical projectile, comprising the steps of: exposing the grenades of shrapnel removing both ends of the projectile; extracting the grouped arrangement of intact shrapnel grenades through the hull in a carrier tube of similar diameter; placing the carrier tube containing the cluster arrangement of shrapnel grenades in a fragmentation containment unit (FCU) open at the top inside a chamber having at least one door that can be sealed and attaching a detonator charge and ignition means to detonate the shrapnel grenades inside the chamber; and suspending a plurality of liquid-filled energy absorbing modules in a spaced arrangement within the chamber in proximity to the carrier tube, closing and sealing the chamber doors, igniting the detonating charge to detonate the shrapnel grenades, opening the chamber doors, and remove the explosive gaseous products from the combustion through the door before reloading the chamber.
20. 20. The method of claim 19, for use with ammunition in the form of charge, in which the carrier tube containing the cluster arrangement of shrapnel grenades is oriented with the shaped charges facing downward and toward the closed bottom of the fragmentation containment unit.