Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
  • F42B—EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION
  • F42B39/00—Packaging or storage of ammunition or explosive charges; Safety features thereof; Cartridge belts or bags
  • F42B39/14—Explosion or fire protection arrangements on packages or ammunition
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
  • F42B—EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION
  • F42B39/00—Packaging or storage of ammunition or explosive charges; Safety features thereof; Cartridge belts or bags
  • F42B39/20—Packages or ammunition having valves for pressure-equalising; Packages or ammunition having plugs for pressure release, e.g. meltable ; Blow-out panels; Venting arrangements
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
  • F42B—EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION
  • F42B39/00—Packaging or storage of ammunition or explosive charges; Safety features thereof; Cartridge belts or bags
  • F42B39/24—Shock-absorbing arrangements in packages, e.g. for shock waves
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
  • F42D—BLASTING
  • F42D5/00—Safety arrangements
  • F42D5/04—Rendering explosive charges harmless, e.g. destroying ammunition; Rendering detonation of explosive charges harmless
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
  • F42D—BLASTING
  • F42D5/00—Safety arrangements
  • F42D5/04—Rendering explosive charges harmless, e.g. destroying ammunition; Rendering detonation of explosive charges harmless
  • F42D5/045—Detonation-wave absorbing or damping means

Definitions

• Bomb Bin This invention relates to bomb bins for protecting nearby structures against the effects of an explosion. It is well known to use water to mitigate against the effects of an explosion and, for example, EP 0276918 describes various forms of inflatable structures which may be placed over and around a bomb in order to mitigate against the effects of any subsequent explosion. This concept is taken a further step by the use of drop stitch material as taught in GB 2374625, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, the drop stitch material allowing protective walls to be erected quickly which are taller than the width of the base arid wfiic may fhTtiaTTy ⁇ >e filled with " air ⁇ attain Their desired sfiape, followed " by / water to mitigate against any subsequent blast.
• This co ⁇ ept is refineS further ⁇ n the Teac ⁇ iihg of GB 2 2B9 750 issued to Parkes in which unwanted munitions can be effectively disposed of by arranging for lay flat plastic tubing filled with water to be draped over rigid supports such that separated volumes of water and air are present in a line away from the intended source of a blast when the munitions are detonated through the use of a control charge.
• a problem with the foregoing prior art apparatus and methods is that the weight of water constitutes a significant disadvantage where e.g. a terrorist device has to be dealt with, especially on airborne vehicles such as passenger planes.
• a "worst case" scenario is that a bomb is discovered in e.g.
• a water fillable blast suppression bin comprising an inflatable container for holding e.g.
• the container comprising an outer layer of ballistic-grade material acting as a last line of containment for a subsequent blast, one or more internal layers for forming containers for holding water and/or gas and/or material layers to provide separated volumes of water and/or gas, such as nitrogen, in use, and/or fibrous material, sirct. as mineral wool, arid closure means, such as a fid, aTs ⁇ l ⁇ avihg an outer layer of ballistic-grade material and one or more layers of water and/or gas fillable containers and/or fibrous material.
• the gas may be nitrogen and may be contained in individual fillable polythene bags from e.g. a nitrogen containing cylinder under pressure.
• the blast suppression bin has, when filled, volumes of gas such as nitrogen contained in e.g. individual polythene bags placed around a suspect device, followed by a layer of water in a fillable container, such as made of drop stitch material, followed by a layer of gas, such as nitrogen, followed by a final layer of water adjacent the ballistics grade outer layer.
• a layer of gas such as nitrogen
• a layer of fibrous material such as mineral wool
• the blast bin includes an inner container for containing water which is separated from an outer container for containing water by an intermediate container for containing a gas which thereby allows water in the inner container to be completely or substantially completely aerosolised upon an explosion occurring within the bin to thereby reduce the peak gas pressure and total gas impulse of the Shockwave before it reaches the outer container.
• the blast suppression bin may be substantially cylindrical in shape having a closed end intended for placement on a flat surface such as a floor and an open end into which a suspect device may be placed, with closure means in the form of aiid overlaying and seating the otherwise open e ⁇ ci.
• the blast suppression bin is substantially spherical (or alternatively circular on at least one axis) when inflated and includes an inner container for holding a suspect device, the inner container preferably having opposing walls fillable therebetween with water and most preferably being secured to but spaced from the inside wall of a correspondingly shaped outer container, itself fillable with water so as to create a water/gas/water structure when the bin is inflated.
• the inner and outer containers may be provided with closure means in the form of openable pocket-like slits permitting insertion and placement of a suspect device into the inner container either before or after inflation of the bin, which slits may also be provided with temporary closure means, such as zips or opposing strips of
• releaseable hook fasteners such as Velcro ® .
• a water inlet conduit may be supplied to the inner container and a further conduit may be provided for then filling the inside of the outer container, or alternatively separate conduits may be provided for such purposes.
• Figure 1 is a part perspective view of a first embodiment of blast suppression bin according to the invention
• Figure 2 is a part perspective view of a preferred embodiment of blast suppression bin according to the invention
• Figure 3 Is a [ exploded perspective view oT ' ali alfern itlve emB ⁇ Jime ⁇ t ' ⁇ f ' blast suppression bin
• Figure 4 is a sectional view taken from the front of the bin of Figure 3
• Figure 5 is a sectional view of a further alternative blast suppression bin according to the invention.
• FIG. 1 there is shown a part cutaway view of a first embodiment of blast suppression bin shown generally at 1 with the front wall removed for clarity, the blast bin comprising a container portion 2 and closure means in the form of a lid portion 3 (shown raised for clarity) which may be strapped to the container portion 2 by straps (not shown) of e.g. reinforced ballistics-grade webbing material (e.g. nylon, Kevlar or zylon) such that in the event of detonation of e.g. a TNT bomb, as shown, the lid 3 tends to remain in position attached to the container portion 2 in use.
• reinforced ballistics-grade webbing material e.g. nylon, Kevlar or zylon
• the blast suppression bin 1 When assembled together the blast suppression bin 1 has outer walls 4 comprising or including ballistics grade fabric, to act as a last line of containment for a blast.
• outer walls 4 comprising or including ballistics grade fabric, to act as a last line of containment for a blast.
• internal walls of the container 2 are made of drop stitch or similar material by which separated volumes of water/gas or fibrous material, such as mineral wool, may be constructed.
• the outer container 6 may initially be inflated with air to assume its generally cuboid shape and then the air replaced with water piped in from elsewhere, such as a suitable water pipe from within the body of an aircraft.
• the inner container 7 may simply be filled with e.g. mineral wool which is known to suppress the effects of e.g. a blast from an explosive device, including shrapnel or "fly" and, similarly, the device itself may
• This can Be achieved By having a relatively thin inner container 9, again typically made of drop stitch material, which can Be filled with water and between which is an intermediate container 10 which may simply Be filled with a gas such as nitrogen or even air such that in comBination with the outer container 6
• an intermediate container 10 which may simply Be filled with a gas such as nitrogen or even air such that in comBination with the outer container 6
• the shock wave for example, first passes through a sfnalT aTnount of wafer wfTicT ⁇ is completely aerosolised, then through the gas and then through a larger mass of water in the outer container 6 Before the shock wave hits the outer walls 4 of Ballistics grade material.
• a plinth 11 may be provided, although it will be appreciated that other forms of support may be used and in particular supports which allow the shock wave from detonation to hit the water in the first container 9 in an unimpeded manner so as to maximise the chances of complete aerosolisati ⁇ n of that water.
• the plinth 11 may be made of e.g. a rigid plastics support frame so as to ensure as far as possible that aerosolisation is generally spherical and is not Biased in any particular direction.
• filled Bags of gas such as nitrogen, may be placed around the support device in the manner as shown in Figure 1.
• the blast mitigation bin includes its own charge of compressed gas in a gas cylinder (not shown) so that it may be immediately available for initially inflating the containers, which is then replaced with water via the use of one or more pressure relief valves.
• the or each pressure relief valve may be configured to vent gas, such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide, into the interior of the bomb bin so as to mitigate against ignition of detonation products immediately after an explosion.
• the bomb bin is storable in its deflated condition and is pre-connected or connectable to a hose for liquid, such as water from the galley of a passenger plane, so that the hose can be deployed quickly and connected to the main water system in the plane, ⁇ n a still T ⁇ rt ⁇ er re ⁇ menFffie waf ⁇ fitlable Inner container, wh re Ttttedrts adapted to Be filled first so that in the event the outer water tillable container has not been filled at the time an explosion occurs the inner layer of water is used most efficiently by being aerosolised, so as to minimise the strength of the resulting shock wave.
• a hose for liquid such as water from the galley of a passenger plane
• FIG. 3 there is shown a further embodiment of blast suppression bin 12 comprising a cylindrical lower container portion 13 having a closed end 14 for resting on a flat surface such as the deck of an aircraft, and an open end 15 into which a suspect device may be placed and which may thereafter be closed by means of a correspondingly shaped lid 16 having an internal diameter slightly larger than the external diameter of the lower container portion 13.
• the outside of the outer container 17 includes ballistic grade material (not shown) to act as a last line of containment for an explosion.
• the lower portion 13 includes a water-fillable outer container 17, an intermediate container 18 and an inner container 19.
• Inner container 19 is preferably fillable with water but may instead be filled with e.g.
• the intermediate container 18 may instead simply be filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen with the inner container being filled or fillable with water 19, thereby providing a water/gas/water barrier for the explosive to, initially, aerosolise the water in the inner container 19, the gas within the intermediate container 18 allowing room for this to happen, whereafter the shock wave is further suppressed by the water in the outer container 17.
• an inert gas such as nitrogen
• the inner container being filled or fillable with water 19
• the li ⁇ t T6 includes " a f Outer ⁇ o ⁇ tai ⁇ er 2 ⁇ 7 ⁇ a ⁇ tf ⁇ ⁇ ntermedtate container 21 and an inner container 22, which may be fillable in the same order as the container portion 13 and may conveniently be pneumatically connected therewith or may be separately inflataBle.
• construction of the Blast suppression Bin 12 particularly suits the use of dropstitch material, which is usually constructed as a flat hollow sheet having opposing side walls connected By fiBrous weBs so that when inflated the fiBrous weBs help to retain the desired shape.
• each container 17, 18 and 19 it is simply necessary to cut three respective lengths of dropstitch sheet material which are each then joined end-on-end to make the side walls of the container 17, 18 and 19.
• the dropstitch sheeting can Be cut into circles corresponding with the required diameter, whereafter each such circle is secured to its respective container By e.g. welding or adhesive.
• FIG. 5 there is shown a cross-sectional view of a further emBodiment of invention in which the inflataBle Blast suppression Bin 23 this time takes the form of a generally spherical container 23 when inflated as shown, although it will Be understood that other forms of circular hut not strictly spherical containers could be used instead, such as circular on one axis But oval on an axis normal thereto.
• the Blast suppression Bin 23 comprises a hollow outer container 24 and a hollow inner container 25 supported, in use, By radially extending weBs or lines 26 connecting the inner wall 27 of the outer container 24 with the outer wall 28 of aerosolisation of a liquid such as water in the walls of the inner container 25 before the shock wave of an explosion encounters the water within the outer container 24.
• the containers 24, 25 may Be made of dropstitch material so as to keep their intended shape when inflated, although other ways of achieving this ohjective may Be employed including through the use of internal weBBing or the external welding together of opposing container walls, if made of e.g. plastics materials.
• the outer container 24 also includes as outer layer of Ballistic grade material (not shown) acting as a last line of containment in the event of an explosion.
• Ballistic grade material acting as a last line of containment in the event of an explosion.
• pneumatically sealed pocketlike slits 29, 30 are provided through the walls of the containers 24, 25, of length sufficient only to allow for placement of a device within the centre of the container 25
• the emBodiment of Figure 5 also includes a water inlet valve 31 which is pneumatically connected to a conduit 32 allowing for the inflow of water under pressure to thereafter initially fill the container 25 in the manner as shown.
• a pressure relief valve 33 at the end of an outlet conduit 34 then allows water to flow in the direction arrowed into the outer container 24 until it is fully inflated in the manner as shown.
• the conduit 34 may Be omitted and the conduit 32 may instead a11o To ⁇ Tit1fr ⁇ substantially a tl e same time as The inner container 25.
• Eyelets 35 may be positioned around the outer container 24 for the purposes of securing it by e.g. rope or webbing above the floor so that any subsequent explosion occurs when the bin 23 and explosive device have been mounted in the strategically safest position, such as in the middle of the fuselage of an aeroplane.

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

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• 2005
  • 2005-03-01 EP EP05717835A patent/EP1761737A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-03-01 US US10/591,618 patent/US20070119851A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-03-01 WO PCT/GB2005/000756 patent/WO2005085746A1/en active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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