U.S. patent application number 10/591618 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-31 for bomb bin.
Invention is credited to Peter James.
Application Number | 20070119851 10/591618 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34921490 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070119851 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
James; Peter |
May 31, 2007 |
Bomb bin
Abstract
A water fillable blast suppression bin (1, 12, 23) comprising an
inflatable container (2, 13, 24) for holding e.g. a bomb, the
container comprising an outer layer of ballistics-grade material
(4) acting as a last line of containment for a subsequent blast,
one or more internal layers for forming containers (6, 7, 9, 10,
17, 18, 19, 24, 25) 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 material, such as mineral wool, and a
closure lid (3, 16) also having an outer layer of ballistic-grade
material and one or more layers of water and/or gas finable
containers (6, 7, 9) and/or material.
Inventors: |
James; Peter; (2 REDD
LANDERS SHIRENEWTON GWENT NP6, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KING & SCHICKLI, PLLC
247 NORTH BROADWAY
LEXINGTON
KY
40507
US
|
Family ID: |
34921490 |
Appl. No.: |
10/591618 |
Filed: |
March 1, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
March 1, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB05/00756 |
371 Date: |
September 5, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/88.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F42B 39/20 20130101;
F42D 5/04 20130101; F42D 5/045 20130101; F42B 39/24 20130101; F42B
39/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/088.1 |
International
Class: |
B65D 90/22 20060101
B65D090/22 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 2, 2004 |
GB |
0404634.8 |
Mar 16, 2004 |
GB |
0405860.8 |
Claims
1. A water fillable blast suppression bin comprising an inflatable
container for holding a bomb, the container comprising an outer
layer of ballistics-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 fibrous
material layers to provide separated volumes of water and gas
and/or fibrous material in use, and/or fibrous material, such as
mineral wool, and closure means also having an outer layer of
ballistics-grade material and one or more layers of water and/or
gas fillable and/or material containers.
2. A blast bin according to claim 1 further characterised in that
the gas is contained in individually fillable polythene bags 8.
3. A blast bin according to claim 2 further characterised in that
it has, when filled, volumes of gas such as nitrogen contained in
individual polythene bags placed around a suspect device, followed
by a layer of water in a fillable container followed by a layer of
gas, such as nitrogen, followed by a final layer of water in a
container adjacent the ballistics grade outer layer.
4. A blast bin according to claim 1 further characterised in
including one or more layers of fibrous material, such as mineral
wool.
5. A blast bin according to claim 1 further characterised in being
substantially cylindrical in shape when inflated 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 a lid for overlaying and sealing the otherwise
open end.
6. A blast bin according to claim 1 further characterised in being
substantially spherical when inflated and including an inner
container for holding a suspect device, the walls of the inner
container being fillable with water.
7. A blast bin according to claim 6 further characterised in that
the inner container is 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.
8. A blast bin according to claim 6 further characterised in that a
water inlet conduit is supplied to the inner container.
9. A blast bin according to claim 8 further characterised in that a
further conduit is provided for then filling the inside of the
outer container.
10. A blast bin according to claim 6 further characterised in that
separate conduits are provided for filling, respectively, the inner
and outer containers.
11. A blast bin according to claim 6 further characterised in that
the inner and outer containers are 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.
12. A blast bin according to claim 6 further characterised in that
the slits are provided with temporary closure means, such as zips
or opposing strips of Velcro.RTM..
13. A blast bin according to claim 6 further characterised in that
means are provided for suspending of the bin centrally within the
fuselage of an aircraft off the floor thereof.
14. A blast bin according to claim 6 including one or more gas or
water inlet valves for introducing gas or water into one or more
containers within the blast suppression bin.
15. A blast bin according to claim 14 further characterised in
including one or more pressure relief valves permitting water or
gas to preferentially fill one container within the bin before
filling one or more other container within the bin.
16. A blast bin according to claim 15 further characterised in that
the preferential container is the innermost container of the
bin.
17. (canceled)
Description
[0001] This invention relates to bomb bins for protecting nearby
structures against the effects of an explosion.
[0002] 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 and which may initially be filled
with air to attain their desired shape, followed by water to
mitigate against any subsequent blast.
[0003] It is further known from a paper by Messrs Keenan and Wager
dating from 1992 at the 25.sup.th DoD Explosives Safety Seminar at
Anaheim, Calif., that where water is allowed to aerosolise by being
located at or near the proximity of a subsequent explosion the
aerosolised water prevents combustion of detonation products by
preventing access to oxygen and by cooling gases below the
temperature required to sustain combustion. They also found that
vaporisation of water absorbs 539 calories/gram plus 1
calorie/gram/degree to heat the water to 100.degree. C., thereby
concluding that aerosolised water can absorb all of the detonation
energy of explosive if the weight ratio of water to explosive is
930/539 i.e. 1.8 for TNT explosive and 3.8 for H-6 explosive. Tests
they conducted concluded that the peak gas pressure and total gas
impulse present can be lowered by as much as 90% than in the case
of the corresponding peak gas pressure and total gas impulse in the
absence of water. They also found that providing 2.89 lbs of water
for each pound of TNT explosive reduced the peak gas pressure from
51.1 lbs per sq inch to just 5.85 lbs per sq inch for a total
reduction therefor of nearly 90%. They therefore proposed various
configurations for use in and around military installations
including a transportable bomb cart, being a reinforced container
and associated lid into which may be placed e.g. an explosive
device and around which may be suspended water filled rupturable
containers which permitted the water to be aerosolised in the event
of an explosion, thereby reducing the effects of the explosion
accordingly.
[0004] This concept is refined further in the teaching of GB 2 289
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.
[0005] 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. the heel of the shoe of a
suicide bomber which may or may not detonate prior to the plane
landing or descending to a height at which the device may be safely
jettisoned.
[0006] The present invention is derived from the surprising
realisation that many aircraft, including passenger aircraft, have
reasonably substantial quantities of water or other liquids on
board for use in galleys and on board toilets which could be
diverted to a stowed blast mitigation bin into which the device may
be put to thereafter mitigate against the effects of any subsequent
explosion before the plane has landed.
[0007] According to the invention there is provided a water
fillable blast suppression bin comprising an inflatable container
for holding e.g. a bomb, 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, such as mineral wool, and closure
means, such as a lid, also having an outer layer of ballistic-grade
material and one or more layers of water and/or gas fillable
containers and/or fibrous material.
[0008] Conveniently, the gas may be nitrogen and may be contained
in individual fillable polythene bags from e.g. a nitrogen
containing cylinder under pressure.
[0009] Conveniently, 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.
Alternatively, in place of one or more layers of gas or water one
or more layers of fibrous material, such as mineral wool, may be
used to progressively dampen the effects of an explosion to
hopefully contain it wholly or substantially wholly within the
blast suppression bin, at least to the extent that the detonation
does not cause structural damage to a vehicle in which it is used,
such as an aeroplane.
[0010] Preferably, 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.
[0011] 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 a lid overlaying
and sealing the otherwise open end.
[0012] In a further embodiment 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. Conveniently
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.RTM.. In
addition, for placement of the bin centrally within e.g. the
fuselage of an aircraft means may be provided, such hooks and/or
eyes, for suspending it off the floor.
[0013] Conveniently, 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.
[0014] The invention will now be described, by way of example only,
with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a part perspective view of a first embodiment of
blast suppression bin according to the invention,
[0016] FIG. 2 is a part perspective view of a preferred embodiment
of blast suppression bin according to the invention,
[0017] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an alternative
embodiment of blast suppression bin,
[0018] FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken from the front of the bin
of FIG. 3, and
[0019] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a further alternative blast
suppression bin according to the invention.
[0020] Referring firstly to 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.
[0021] 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. In order to inhibit
the effects of an explosion from e.g. a TNT bomb 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. In the subject example 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 be surrounded by gas filled
polythene bags 8, preferably nitrogen filled (or some other inert
gas), placed around the TNT charge so that it is held in the middle
of the blast suppression bin 1.
[0022] In the event of the TNT exploding it will be appreciated
that the presence of e.g. nitrogen in its immediate surroundings
helps to prevent or inhibit ignition and the presence of the
mineral wool 7 can help to soften the impact of and catch any
flying debris, whereafter the presence of the water filled
container 6 allows the water to absorb some of the shock of the
explosion, and finally the ballistic grade outer covering 4 may
completely, or at least sufficiently, mitigate against the effect
of the explosion such that it is insufficient to cause catastrophic
consequences to e.g. the structure of the vehicle in which it is
carried.
[0023] Turning now to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, where like
parts are given like numbers, this takes advantage of the
principles discussed in the Keenan and Wager prior art and later
prior art in that it teaches that it is preferable to ensure that
water placed next to a charge is immediately aerosolised, as
discussed above in the preamble hereto, by providing a relatively
small volume of water next to e.g. a TNT bomb so as to maximise the
chances of it being completely aerosolised before the shock wave
carries on through the remaining part of the structure. 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 being filled with water
the shock wave, for example, first passes through a small amount of
water which 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.
[0024] In order to ensure that the explosive charge is placed as
centrally as possible within the blast suppression bin 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
aerosolisation 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. Alternatively, filled bags of gas, such as
nitrogen, may be placed around the support device in the manner as
shown in FIG. 1.
[0025] In a further refinement 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. In a still
further refinement 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. In a still further refinement the water-fillable
inner container, where fitted, is adapted to be filled first so
that in the event the outer water fillable 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.
[0026] Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, 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.
[0027] As with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, 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.
an inert gas such as nitrogen, or a fibrous fabric material
designed to catch shrapnel or "fly" following an explosion of the
suspect device. Alternatively, 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.
[0028] Similarly, the lid 16 includes an outer container 20, and
intermediate 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.
[0029] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, 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. As
will be apparent from the drawings, to construct e.g. the lower
container portion 13 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.
To form the closed end of each 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.
[0030] Turning now to 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 but not strictly spherical
containers could be used instead, such as circular on one axis but
oval on an axis normal thereto.
[0031] 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 the inner
container 25 so as to afford a gap therebetween permitting initial
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 objective 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.
[0032] In order to gain access to the inside of the blast
suppression bin 23 for placing e.g. a suspect device in the centre
thereof, pneumatically sealed pocket-like 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 by folding the leading edges of these slits 29, 30 in
the directions shown arrowed, which slits may thereafter be
releasably closed through the use of e.g. zips or strips of
releaseable hook fasteners such as Velcro.RTM. secured to opposing
sides of the containers 24, 25 in these regions. The embodiment of
FIG. 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. Alternatively, the conduit 34 may be omitted and the conduit
32 may instead allow for filling of the outer container 24
substantially at the same time as the inner container 25.
[0033] 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.
* * * * *