Distributed Explosives Agent Dispersal System

Abstract

This invention relates to biological and chemical (BW/CW) warfare and more particularly to improvements in dispensing the BW/CW agent.

Description

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

In the prior art it has been the practice of forming clouds of BW/CW agent by detonating a container containing a liquid, adjacent or somewhat above ground level, the particles formed by the detonation then gravitating into contact with a ground target. Since the settling particles have relatively low downward velocity when they contact a target, protective coverings such as clothing, canvas and the like, prevent or reduce the possibility of penetration of the agent into actual contact with the bodies of personnel. Thus, droplets of the particles, in particular, are normally stopped by such coverings and remain comparatively ineffective. If the personnel are located within shelters, such as buildings, they remain substantially immune from contact by the agent.

One of the objects of this invention is to augment a BW/CW cloud, shortly after it is formed, by breaking its larger droplets into finer particles, to produce an aerosol cloud having longer persistence and increased area of traversal than a quickly settling cloud.

Another object is to cause the finely divided particles of the augmented cloud to move at high velocity, in distinction to settling by gravity, to produce increased penetration through porous protective coverings.

Another object is to cause the particles to penetrate into shelters which would normally provide protection against a settling cloud.

Still further objects, advantages, and salient features will become more apparent from the description to follow, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGS. 1 and 1A illustrate one method of forming a pair of superposed clouds.

FIGS. 2 and 2A illustrate another method of forming the clouds, and

FIG. 3 illustrates the final method step of either of the methods of FIGS. 1 and 1A or FIGS. 2 and 2A.

The subject of the invention includes two method steps which have previously been employed, individually, for producing their individual effects. The first of these is the formation of a BW/CW cloud, as previously referred to, which comprises delivering a canister of the agent to a desired locus, usually adjacent the ground, and rupturing it by a burster charge to disseminate the agent, in particles of various sizes, into the form of a generally flat cloud. The particles of the cloud then settle to the ground and contact exposed personnel. The other step is the formation of a FAX cloud (fuel-air-explosive) in like manner which is detonated after formation to produce an overpressure adjacent the ground, together with the formation of shock waves which may destroy personnel, buildings, equipment, and the like. Its sole purpose, however, is like that of an explosive; to produce destructive forces.

The present invention, briefly, utilizes the two steps just referred to in suitably timed relationship by superimposing a FAX detonation on a BW/CW cloud, to obtain the individual effects of both, as formerly, but principally, to produce a new and improved manner of movement and dissemination of the particles of the BW/CW cloud.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a canister 10 is delivered to a locus adjacent the ground and exploded to form a cloud 12 containing particles of the BW/CW agent which may be a mixture of drops, droplets and particles of smaller size. At an interval later a canister 14, containing a fuel, is delivered to a locus spaced above cloud 12 to form a fuel-air cloud 16 as illustrated in FIG. 1A. When formed, cloud 16 is detonated in any conventional manner. FIG. 3 illustrates the final step after cloud 16 is detonated. Shock waves 18 and overpressure resulting from detonation of cloud 16 are superimposed on cloud 12, breaking up larger particles in cloud 12 into smaller ones and imparting velocity to all particles in a downward direction into contact with ground targets, such as personnel. Since the explosive force of the FAX cloud has now been transmitted to and through the BW/CW cloud, particles of the latter are moved at high velocity through doors, windows, and the like of shelters thus increasing the vulnerability of personnel within same to the effects of the BW/CW agent.

In the method so far described the two canisters may be dropped from aircraft at timed intervals or projected to the target locus at timed intervals by a morter. The timing of the detonation of the respective canisters may be effected by time delay fuses, proximity fuses or radio controlled fuses, all as is well known and conventional in the art.

In another embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 2A, and 3, a canister 20, containing both the BW/CW agent and FAX fuel in separate compartments, is delivered to the target area in the same manner as previously described. Upon ground impact, an impact responsive fuse and burster charge ruptures the lower compartment containing the BW/CW agent, forming cloud 12Aa, which is like cloud 12. The explosive force of the burster charge also propels the canister upwardly to a locus above the ground as illustrated in FIG. 2A. When the remaining FAX compartment reaches the desired position above the ground a burster charge is initiated by any suitable fuse to produce a FAX cloud 16a, which is then detonated to produce the effect of FIG. 3, previously described. As will be apparent, the two methods and ultimate results are identical, differing only in the techniques of delivering the BW/CW agent and FAX fuel to their intended locations and at the desired intervals.

While the BW/CW cloud may be formed by known techniques, it is preferred to form it with a low order propellant as described in patent application of Frank G. Crescenzo et al. Ser. No. 551,842, filed 17 May 1966.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

What we claim is:

1. The process of disseminating a BW/CW agent for contacting ground targets, such as personnel, which comprises the steps of:

a. forming adjacent the aground a generally flat cloud containing particles of a BW/Cw agent of various sizes,

b. forming a similarly shaped fuel-air (FAX) cloud in superposed spaced relation to the BW/CW cloud, after the BW/CW cloud has been formed and

c. detonating the FAX cloud after it has been formed, producing shock waves and overpressure which are transmitted to and through the BW/CW cloud, effecting the breaking up of its larger particles into smaller particles and the moving of all its resulting particles at high velocity downwardly into contact with the target with substantially the explosive force of the FAX cloud, and radially outwardly in all directions.