U.S. patent application number 11/913860 was filed with the patent office on 2009-05-21 for device for storage, transport or disposal of objects.
Invention is credited to Jonny Olsson.
Application Number | 20090126555 11/913860 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37396799 |
Filed Date | 2009-05-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090126555 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Olsson; Jonny |
May 21, 2009 |
Device for Storage, Transport or Disposal of Objects
Abstract
The invention relates to a device for storage, transport and
disposal of objects such as suspected bombs and in particular for
objects suspected of containing a so called dirty bomb. The
inventive device comprises a shell having a sandwich design with an
intermediate layer of lead and outer and inner steel layers. The
invention also relates to a method of making such a device.
Inventors: |
Olsson; Jonny; (Kil,
SE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MANELLI DENISON & SELTER
2000 M STREET NW SUITE 700
WASHINGTON
DC
20036-3307
US
|
Family ID: |
37396799 |
Appl. No.: |
11/913860 |
Filed: |
May 11, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
May 11, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/SE05/00684 |
371 Date: |
March 11, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
86/50 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F42D 5/045 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
86/50 |
International
Class: |
F42B 33/00 20060101
F42B033/00 |
Claims
1-11. (canceled)
12. A safety device comprising: a shell that defines a chamber that
can be opened and closed such that objects can be placed inside the
chamber, the shell being designed to be able to resist a detonation
inside the shell from an explosive charge of up to at least 500 g
of TNT, the shell being at least partially designed as a sandwich
panel with an inner wall part made of steel, an outer wall part
which is also made of steel and an intermediate wall part that is
made of lead, the intermediate wall part being sandwiched between
the inner and outer wall parts.
13. A device according to claim 12, wherein the shell is a
spherical shell.
14. A device according to claim 13, wherein the intermediate wall
part surrounds only a part of the chamber and where opposite sides
of the shell lack the intermediate wall part.
15. A device according to claim 12, wherein the thickness of the
intermediate wall part is 10 mm-30 mm, the inner wall part is 20
mm-40 mm thick and the outer wall part is 5 mm-20 mm thick.
16. A method for taking care of objects suspected of containing
radioactive material, the method comprising the steps of: a)
providing a safety device having a shell that defines a chamber,
the shell being designed to resist a detonation inside the chamber
from an explosive charge of up to at least 500 g of TNT, the shell
further being at least partially designed as a sandwich panel with
an inner wall part made of steel, an outer wall part (6) made of
steel and an intermediate wall part made of lead, the intermediate
wall part being sandwiched between the inner and outer wall parts;
b) placing an object suspected of containing radioactive material
inside the chamber; c) closing the chamber; and d) locking the
chamber such that an explosion inside the chamber will not cause
the chamber to become open.
17. A method according to claim 16, further comprising testing the
suspected object for radioactive activity before it is placed
inside the chamber.
18. A method according to claim 16, further comprising filing the
chamber with concrete after the chamber has been closed.
19. A method according to claim 16, further comprising transporting
the safety device to a different location after the chamber has
been closed and locked.
20. A method of making a shell for a safety device, the method
comprising the steps of: a) providing a first semispherical shell
having wall parts of steel that are spaced apart from each other to
define a gap between the wall parts; and b) pouring molten lead
between the spaced apart wall parts to fill the gap with lead,
thereby creating a sandwich panel.
21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising; c)
providing a second semispherical shell having second wall parts of
steel that are spaced apart from each other to define a gap between
the second wall parts; d) pouring molten lead between the spaced
apart second wall parts to fill the gap with lead, thereby creating
a second sandwich panel; and e) combining the second semispherical
shell with the first semispherical shell to create a spherical
shell.
22. A method according to claim 21, wherein only a part of the
semispherical shell is filled with lead.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a device for storage,
transport or disposal of objects such as suspected bombs, in
particular objects suspected of containing radioactive substances
or a combination of explosives and radioactive substances. The
invention also relates to a method of making such a device and to a
method for storage, transport or disposal of objects such as
suspected bombs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Detonation chambers or blast chambers are used to destroy
objects such as for example obsolete ammunition or explosives but
also to destroy suspected terrorist bombs in a safe way. The blast
chamber or detonation chamber typically comprises a shell that is
designed to resist a detonation taking place inside the shell. In
use, the object to be destroyed is placed inside the detonation
chamber together with an explosive charge. The explosive charge is
then caused to detonate such that the object inside the chamber is
destroyed. An example of a detonation chamber is disclosed in, for
example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,126. Design of blast chambers has also
been discussed in, for example, a journal article entitled "Design
of Blast Chamber for Long-time use and Experimental Research" by
Duan Zhoping and Tong Yi. This article was presented at the
"Proceedings of the 2003 International Autumn Seminar on
Propellants, Explosives and Pyrotechnics", Guilin, China.
[0003] In recent years, the risk that terrorists will seek to make
a so called "dirty bomb" has been discussed. A so called "dirty
bomb" is an object that contains an explosive charge and one or
several radioactive substances placed near the explosive charge. If
the device is detonated, the explosion will cause the radioactive
substance to be scattered over a wide area. A large area can thus
become polluted by radioactive substances such that the entire area
becomes uninhabitable for a very long period. Additionally, the
dirty bomb may cause illness and death to a large number of people
who may be exposed to dangerous levels of radiation before they can
be evacuated from the polluted area. Unlike an ordinary bomb, a
dirty bomb cannot simply be destroyed by an explosive charge since
the radioactive material in the bomb would still remain after the
explosion. If a government agency responsible for security
discovers an object that is suspected to be a dirty bomb, it is of
vital importance that the suspected device can be removed from a
place where the detonation of a dirty bomb could cause damage. It
is moreover highly important that the suspected device can be moved
to a place where detonation of a dirty bomb would cause the
smallest possible damage or danger to human beings. Since it may be
necessary to transport the object in question through populated
areas, it is highly desirable that the transport can be carried out
safely. It is an object of the present invention to provide a
device suitable for receiving suspected dirty bombs and which can
provide protection against radioactive radiation. It is also an
object of the invention to provide a method of producing such a
device. A further object of the invention is to provide a method
for taking care of suspected dirty bombs.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The invention relates to a safety device comprising a shell
that defines a chamber. The shell can be opened and closed such
that objects can be placed inside the chamber. The shell is
designed to be able to resist a detonation inside the shell from an
explosive charge of up to at least 500 g of TNT. The shell is at
least partially designed as a sandwich panel with an inner wall
part made of steel, an outer wall part which is also made of steel
and an intermediate wall part that is made of lead. The
intermediate wall part is sandwiched between the inner and outer
wall parts.
[0005] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the shell is a
spherical shell. However, other shapes can also be considered, for
example cylindrical shells.
[0006] According to one embodiment of the invention, the
intermediate wall part surrounds only a part of the chamber. In
this embodiment, there are opposite sides of the shell that lack
the intermediate wall part.
[0007] The thickness of the intermediate wall part is suitably
10-30 mm. The inner wall part may have a thickness of 20-40 mm
while the outer wall part may have a thickness of 5-20 mm.
[0008] The invention also relates to a method for disposal of
objects suspected of containing radioactive material. The method
comprises providing a device having a chamber designed to resist a
detonation inside the chamber from an explosive charge of up to at
least 500 g of TNT, the chamber having a shell which is at least
partially designed as a sandwich panel with an inner wall part made
of steel, an outer wall part made of steel and an intermediate wall
part made of lead, the intermediate wall part being sandwiched
between the inner and outer wall parts. In the method, an object
suspected of containing radioactive material is placed inside the
chamber, the chamber is closed and locked and the device is
subsequently transported to a place where detonation of a possible
dirty bomb inside the chamber is unlikely to cause significant
damage. For example, it can be placed in a mine shaft.
[0009] The suspected object may be tested for radioactivity before
it is placed inside the chamber.
[0010] The invention also relates to a method of making a shell for
the inventive device. The method of making the shell comprises the
steps of providing a first semispherical shell having wall parts of
steel that are spaced apart from each other to define a gap between
the wall parts and pouring molten lead between the spaced apart
wall parts to fill the gap with lead, thereby creating a sandwich
panel.
[0011] Embodiments are possible where the entire semispherical
shell is filled with lead but it is also possible that only a part
of the semispherical shell is filled with lead.
[0012] Preferably, the method may further comprise repeating the
same steps with a second semispherical shell and combining the two
semispherical shells to create a spherical shell.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional representation of a
device according to the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing showing how the device may
comprise two semispherical shells.
[0015] FIGS. 3a and 3b show, from above, a detail of the device
according to of FIG. 2.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a schematic and cross sectional drawing of a part
of the wall of the inventive device.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view showing in larger scale a
detail from FIG. 4.
[0018] FIG. 6 is a cross sectional and schematic representation of
a step in a process for manufacturing a device according to the
present invention
[0019] FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 6 but
showing a subsequent step in the manufacturing process.
[0020] FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of a possible further
step during the process of disposing of a suspected object.
[0021] FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing a somewhat
different embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] With reference to FIG. 1, the invention relates to a safety
device 1 for storage, transport or disposal of an object suspected
of containing a dirty bomb. The device 1 comprises a shell 2. In
FIG. 1, the shell is showed placed on the ground and standing on
legs 16. The shell 2 can be opened and closed such that objects 11,
can be placed inside the chamber of the device 1. As indicated in
FIG. 2, the shell 2 may be a spherical shell with two semispherical
shells or shell halves 3, 4. The shell 2 can then be opened or
closed by connecting or disconnecting the halves 3, 4 to or from
each other. The shell is designed to be able to resist a detonation
inside the shell 2 from an explosive charge of up to at least 500
grams of TNT (trinitrotoluene). It should be understood that, in
most practical applications, the shell would be designed to resist
detonations from charges of more than 500 grams of TNT. In some
cases, it may be suitable to design the detonation chamber to be
able to resist up to 1 kg of TNT, or 10 kilos of TNT or even more.
The shell 2 is at least partially designed as a sandwich panel with
an inner wall part 5 made of steel, an outer wall part which is
also made of steel and an intermediate wall part 7 that is made of
lead. The intermediate wall part 7 is sandwiched between the inner
5 and outer wall parts.
[0023] If a device is to be used for transport and/or disposal of
objects such as suspected dirty bombs, it is desirable that it be
capable of preventing radiation from leaking out. Lead which is
used for the intermediate layer 7 is a material that is suitable
for preventing radiation from escaping through the shell of the
chamber. The reason for this is that lead is a heavy material with
a density of about 11350 kilos per cubic metre. This makes lead
very suitable for stopping both electromagnetic radiation and
particle radiation that emanates from radioactive substances.
However, lead is a material that is relatively soft and therefore
not so suitable for a shell which is being used to contain
detonations occurring inside the shell. Steel is a material which
is far more suitable for this purpose due to the mechanical
properties of steel, for example the elasticity and tensile
strength of steel. Steel does not stop radiation as efficiently as
lead and if steel is to be used instead of lead for stopping
radiation, the steel layer would have to be thicker than a lead
layer having the same radiation-stopping capacity. For these
reasons, the inventor of the present invention has found that a
device suitable for suspected dirty bombs should have a shell which
is based on a combination of lead and steel. However, the inventor
has also found that a steel shell which is simply covered by an
outer layer of lead is unsuitable for a chamber where it must be
anticipated that explosions may occur. The reason is that
detonations taking place inside the steel shell may cause ruptures
in the lead cladding and the lead layer is destroyed quite easily.
The inventor has also found that a steel shell that simply uses an
internal layer of lead is not a suitable design since fragments
from explosions inside the shell will very easily cause damage to
the soft lead layer. However, a shell which is based on a sandwich
design with an intermediate layer of lead and inner and outer steel
layers can both resist the destructive forces of a detonation
taking place inside the chamber of the safety device 1 and
effectively prevent radiation from leaking out.
[0024] The thickness of the intermediate layer may be, for example
10-30 mm. In many realistic embodiments, the thickness of the
intermediate wall part 7 may be 25 mm-30 mm. The thickness of the
inner wall parts 5 may be 20-40 mm. In realistic embodiments of the
invention, the thickness of the outer wall part 6 or wall member 6
may be in the range of 5 mm-20 mm. The outer wall part 6 can be
made less thick than the inner wall part 5.
[0025] The shell 2 is preferably a spherical shell 2 although it is
possible to use shells having another shape, for example a
cylindrical or cubical shape. The reason that a spherical shell is
preferable is that a spherical shape is believed to be optimal for
the ability of the shell 2 to resist a detonation inside the
shell.
[0026] The material used for the inner and outer shells 5, 6 can be
steel that has been cast or hot formed. If the shells 5, 6 are hot
formed, the shells 5, 6 can be made of, for example, such steel
plates that are sold by SSAB Oxelosund AB, Sweden, under the name
Weldox.RTM..
[0027] The sandwich design is preferably used for the entire shell.
However, it is also possible that only a part of the chamber uses
the sandwich design. FIG. 9 shows an embodiment where the
intermediate wall part 7 surrounds only a part of the chamber. The
part where the sandwich design is used is designated with the
reference numeral 8 in FIG. 1. In the embodiment indicated in FIG.
9, there are opposite sides 9, 10 of the shell 2 that lack the
intermediate wall part 7. This means that radiation can leak out
easier through the top part 9 and the bottom part 10 of the chamber
of the safety device 1. However, the radiation leaking out from
these parts will be directed upwards and downwards respectively.
Hence, a person standing in front of the chamber will not be so
much affected by radiation in these directions.
[0028] In FIG. 1 and FIG. 9, a device 13 for measuring radiation is
schematically indicated as being placed adjacent the shell 2 and
positioned outside a part 10 of the shell 2 where no intermediate
lead layer is used. If a suspected dirty bomb has been placed
inside the chamber, the measuring device 13 can be used to
investigate whether radiation is leaking out from the chamber. It
can then be a positive advantage that there is a part of the shell
where it is easier for radiation to leak out.
[0029] As indicated in FIG. 2-FIG. 5, the shell 2 may be provided
with a locking ring 17 that can be used to lock the shell parts 3,
4 to each other. As indicated in FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b, the locking
ring 17 may have teeth 22 adapted to cooperate with teeth 23 in the
shell halves 3, 4 when the locking ring is rotated. It should be
understood that the teeth 23 may be a part of a ring-shaped element
18 connected to each shell half 3, 4. As indicated in FIG. 4, the
teeth 23 in a shell part 3, 4 (or ring-shaped element 18) may form
a T-profile where the locking ring 17 engages the shell parts 3, 4.
As further indicated in FIG. 5, parts of the shell halves 3, 4 that
cooperate with the locking ring 17 may be provided with ridges 20
that extend into grooves 19 in the locking ring 17. This design
contributes to preventing radiation from leaking out. It should be
understood that parts of the locking ring 17 may also be made of
lead. As indicated in FIG. 4, the locking ring 17 may be surrounded
by a ring-shaped outer cover 24 which is substantially made of
lead. The outer cover 24 may also be a sandwich product with a thin
inner layer of steel in the form of a metal sheet, an intermediate
main layer of lead and a thin outer layer of sheet metal
(preferably steel). The outer cover 24 may be connected to the
locking ring 17, for example by screws, rivets or by welding. The
outer cover 24 forms an additional radiation barrier that reduces
leakage of radiation. However, it should be understood that the
outer cover 24 is optional and that it is possible to envisage
embodiments without such an outer cover.
[0030] As indicated symbolically in FIG. 4, the inventive device 1
may be provided with one or several seals 29 arranged to seal
between the ring-shaped element 18 and the locking ring 17. This
can contribute to prevent radioactive particles from leaking out.
Furthermore, it can contribute to prevent harmful chemicals from
leaking out in case a suspected device should contain harmful
chemical substances, for example poison gas. The seal 29 may be an
inflatable seal.
[0031] The invention also relates to the use of the inventive
device. To dispose of a suspected object, the object 11 which is
suspected of containing radioactive material is placed inside the
chamber 1 as symbolically indicated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The
suspected object 11 may be placed in a basket 21 attached to a
shell half 3 as schematically indicated in FIG. 2. Thereafter, the
safety 1 is closed. The closing of the safety device 1 is
schematically indicated in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, an open position of
the device 1 is indicated where the upper semispherical shell part
3 is in a lifted position which is indicated by a broken line and a
closed position is indicated where the upper semispherical shell
part is drawn with an unbroken line. It should be understood that
after closing of the chamber, the shell halves 3, 4 are locked to
each other, for example by the locking ring 17, such that a
detonation inside the chamber will not cause the chamber to become
open. When the chamber of the safety device has been closed and
locked, the safety device 1 can be transported to a location that
is deemed sufficiently safe.
[0032] As previously mentioned, measurement or test of
radioactivity may be performed after the suspected device has been
placed inside the chamber. If radiation is detected, it may be
decided that the chamber shall remain closed. If no radiation is
detected, it can be deemed safe to open the detonation chamber. It
should of course be understood that the suspected object 11 can
also be tested for radioactive activity already before it is placed
inside the chamber of the safety device 1.
[0033] As schematically indicated in FIG. 8, disposal of suspected
objects can also include filling the safety device 1 with concrete
after a suspected object 11 has been placed in the device 1. In
FIG. 8, the reference numeral 27 indicates a conduit through which
concrete may enter the chamber 1. When the device 1 is filled with
concrete, air may be evacuated through an air pipe 31.
[0034] The invention also relates to a method of making the shell 2
of the inventive device. A method of making the shell is
schematically indicated in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. The method comprises
providing a first semispherical shell 3 having wall parts 5, 6 of
steel that are spaced apart from each other to define a gap 14
between the wall parts 5, 6. As indicated in FIG. 6, the wall
members 5, 6 or wall parts 5, 6 can be connected to/fastened to a
ring-shaped element 18 which can have, for example, a T-profile or
an H-profile adapted to interact with a locking ring 17 as
described above with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. The wall
members 5, 6 can be fastened to the ring-shaped element 18 by for
example welding. In FIG. 6, the reference numeral 30 indicates a
welding seam/welding seams. In this way, the wall parts 5, 6 can be
held in a fixed position in relation to each other to define the
gap 14. As indicated in FIG. 6, the outer wall part 6 may be
provided with an opening 25 through which molten lead L can be
poured into the gap 14 between the wall parts 5, 6 such that the
gap 14 becomes filled with lead. Thereby, the intermediate layer of
lead is created. Thereby, a sandwich panel is created. Possibly,
only a part of the semispherical shell 3, 4 is filled with lead.
However, in preferred embodiments of the invention, the gap 14
between the wall parts 5, 6 is completely filled with lead. As
indicated symbolically in FIG. 7, the opening 25 can be closed by a
plug 26 or some other closing element 26 when the gap 14 has been
filled with lead. Alternatively, instead of closing the opening 25,
a through-hole can be made in the shell such that a conduit 27 for
concrete can be connected to the shell.
[0035] The method may further comprise providing a second
semispherical shell 4 similar to the first semispherical shell and
filling the gap with lead just as with the first semispherical
shell. The semispherical shell parts or halves 3, 4 can then be
combined with each other to create a spherical shell 2. The halves
can be joined to each other by, for example, a locking ring 17 as
indicated in FIG. 2.
[0036] It should be understood that while this description
discloses a device, a method for making a shell and a method for
disposal of objects, these are all different aspects of one and the
same invention. The inventive method is thus suitable for making a
shell which can be used for the inventive device. Similarly, the
inventive method for taking care of objects is suitably carried out
with a device according to the invention.
[0037] The inventive device entails the advantage that potentially
harmful objects can be taken care of in such a way that reduces
danger, even if explosive devices have been combined with
radioactive substances. If an explosion takes place inside the
inventive device, the device can resist the detonation and
significantly reduce the amount of radiation if the explosive
device is combined with radioactive substances. The sandwich design
makes it more likely that the lead layer will be intact after a
detonation inside the inventive device.
[0038] The inventive method for making a shell entails the
advantage that a semispherical shell with a sandwich design can be
manufactured in a practical and effective way.
* * * * *