Prefragmented warheads with enhanced performance
AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Systems Corporation
InventorsGabriel J. Bonnstetter, Richard M. Truitt, Reid W. Wagnild
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Abstract
An explosive device, such as a missile, artillery round, aerial bomb, mortar round, or mine, that utilizes a wall structure that upon detonation provides displacement of smaller fragments interstitially between larger fragments. The displacement of the smaller fragments into the interstitial spaces at detonation creates an expanding fragmentation curtain that momentarily contains expanding gases to increase the impulse pressure of the explosion, thereby increasing the kinetic energy imparted to the fragments. In some embodiments, the wall structure includes ordered layers of preformed metal fragments encased in binder material that suspends the fragments in a desired arrangement prior to detonation.
Claims20
An explosive device having fragments with enhanced acceleration and velocity upon explosion of the warhead, the warhead having a layer of smaller fragments positioned between a layer of larger fragments and an explosive material, volumetrically, the mean size of the smaller fragments is less than the mean size of the larger fragments, and wherein no explosive material is positioned between the layer of smaller fragments and the layer of larger fragments, whereby, upon an explosion of the explosive material, the smaller fragments and larger fragments coalesce providing an enhanced dynamic containment of expanding gases of the explosion increasing the pressure of the explosion and the kinetic energy of the fragments.
A method of manufacturing an explosive device comprising the steps of
- disposing a layer of small bound fragments about an explosive charge;
- disposing a layer of larger bound fragments about the layer of small bound fragments without an explosive therebetween, the layer of larger bound fragments about the layer of small bound fragments defining a fragmentation portion;
- enclosing the explosive charge and the fragmentation portion within a housing.
An explosive device, comprising:
- an explosive charge;
- a first wall disposed adjacent said explosive charge and including a first set of preformed fragments;
- a second wall disposed adjacent said first wall and including a second set of preformed fragments;
- the explosive charge, the first wall, and the second wall enclosed in a housing,
- wherein:
- the preformed fragments of said second set of preformed fragments are volumetrically larger than the preformed fragments of said first set of preformed fragments;
- and
- said first wall and said second wall are configured so that said first set of preformed fragments contact said second set of fragments upon detonation of said explosive charge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.