Ammunition and explosive-charge making – Bomb disposal
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-03
2001-07-17
Tudor, Harold J. (Department: 3641)
Ammunition and explosive-charge making
Bomb disposal
C102S293000, C102S303000, C588S253000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06260464
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to methods and structures for destruction of dangerous materials, and more particularly relates, in one embodiment, to implosion and pyrolysis methods and structures for destroying dangerous materials such as conventional munitions, toxic chemical agent-filled munitions, bombs, weapons, and chemical warfare materials (CWM).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Open pit burn/open pit detonation (OB/OD) processes have been and continue to be used by the military and law enforcement agencies for emergency and field destruction of conventional munitions, toxic chemical agent filled munitions, terrorist bombs and weapons, and other recovered chemical warfare materials (CWM). Tremendous public and government interest has been generated to develop alternative methods for safe, environmentally responsible methods for the destruction of these types of materials. Environmental regulations have been enacted by state and federal environmental agencies in response to public and private concerns about the safety and efficacy of the OB/OD destruction/demilitarization processes.
A schematic illustration of an OB/OD destruction structure is shown generally as
10
in FIG.
1
. The small rectangle
12
at the center of the Figure denotes the zone or area on the surface
14
of the ground
16
in which the materials to be destroyed and the explosive charges used to destroy them are set and assembled prior to detonation. The explosion produces an air shock wave
18
, contaminated dust products and contaminated projectiles and fragments
20
, resulting in a relatively small crater
22
. Prevention of ground water contamination is accomplished by conventional localized clean up.
Disadvantages and problems of conventional OB/OD destruction processes include, but are not limited to, (1) the explosive forces are not fully contained; (2) gases, typically called “off gases”, generated from conventional munitions and toxic chemical agent destruction are released directly into the atmosphere; (3) no mechanism is used to prevent seepage and migration of destruction liquid wastes and gases into the ground and underground aquifer; and (4) toxic chemical warfare agents and detonation off-gases may not be completely destroyed in the OB/OD destruction process.
It would be desirable if a structure and method could be devised to overcome some of the problems in the conventional OB/OD) destruction processes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a safe, low risk, and low cost method to effectively destroy old, buried or abandoned chemical and conventional munitions, for completely or substantially disarming and destroying paramilitary and terrorist bombs and explosives, and for demilitarizing and decontaminating recovered chemical warfare materials (CWM).
It is another object of the present invention to provide a structure and method for the low risk destruction of dangerous materials which can be practiced either by constructing the In-Situ Implosion (ISI) structure around dangerous materials in place, or by transporting the dangerous materials to a nearby preformed destruction pit and surrounding containment structure.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method and structure for destroying CWM and other dangerous materials while containing contamination.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a structure for destroying dangerous materials and a method for destroying them that permits a large part of the structure to be reused.
In carrying out these and other objects of the invention, there is provided, in one form, a structure for the destruction of dangerous materials which has a destruction location, where the destruction location contains the dangerous materials. At least one durable, sealed membrane is present beneath at least a portion of the destruction location. An overburden mound is provided above the destruction location, whether it is a below ground pile or an above ground pile; and at least one explosive charge is placed adjacent to the dangerous materials capable of causing the dangerous materials to be subjected to crushing forces and high heat for a sufficient period of time to accomplish partial or complete destruction of the dangerous materials.
After detonation of the explosive charge to crush and destroy the munitions containers (i.e. drums, tanks, munition casings, etc.) and dangerous materials, such as by implosion and pyrolysis, the destruction pit is remediated by removal of the waste products, and the destruction pit is prepared for re-use or is restored to its original condition.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3772958 (1973-11-01), Mullarkey
patent: 4389947 (1983-06-01), King et al.
patent: 4543872 (1985-10-01), Graham et al.
patent: 5613453 (1997-03-01), Donovan
patent: 5741465 (1998-04-01), Gregg
patent: 5790963 (1998-08-01), Welham
patent: WO 94/24513 (1994-10-01), None
Benz August D.
Cullinane James F.
Gorrell John D.
Bechtel Corporation
Madan Mossman & Sriram P.C.
Tudor Harold J.
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