Method and apparatus for containing and suppressing explosive detonations

An apparatus for controllably destroying munitions comprising:

• a closed metal inner casing having a ceiling, a floor, side walls and ends, and a closed metal outer casing spaced from the inner casing, surrounding the inner casing to form a symmetrical double-wall chamber,
• spacer means for connecting the outer casing to the inner casing in rigid spaced relationship, with the space between the inner and outer casings being filled with granular shock-damping material,
• an openable access door at one end and an openable vent door at the other end, said access and vent doors each being of double-walled metal construction and having sealing means for causing said doors to seal tighter with increasing differential pressure within the chamber,
• additional granular shock-damping material covering the floor of said chamber to an even depth forming a support surface for an explosive to be detonated, and ignition means for detonating said explosive, and
• shock suppression means including a plurality of vent pipes connecting the inside wall of the chamber with an elongated metal manifold means for receiving and directing explosion products from the vent pipes, said manifold means terminating at an external discharge point,
• a removable open-topped fragmentation containment unit for containing a munition positioned within the chamber, said fragmentation containment unit being made of an impact-hardening steel alloy, and having a layer of granular shock-damping material at its bottom forming a base for supporting a munition to be detonated, and
• a plurality of liquid-filled energy absorption modules suspended in a spaced array within the chamber in proximity to the munition to be detonated.

A method for controllably destroying munitions by detonation comprising the steps of:

• first, placing a munition to be destroyed in a removable open-topped fragmentation containment unit (FCU) being made of an impact-hardening steel alloy, and having a layer of granular shock-damping material at its bottom forming a base for supporting the munition to be detonated;
• second, placing said fragmentation containment unit in a chamber comprising:
• a closed elongated metal inner casing having a ceiling, a floor, side walls and ends, and a closed elongated metal outer casing spaced from the inner casing, surrounding the inner casing to form an elongated axially symmetrical double-wall chamber having a central axis,
• spacer means for connecting the outer casing to the inner casing in rigid spaced relationship, with the space between the inner and outer casings being filled with granular shock-damping material,
• an openable access door at one end and an openable vent door at the other end, said access and vent doors each being of double-walled metal construction and having sealing means for causing said doors to seal tighter with increasing differential pressure within the chamber,
• additional granular shock-damping material covering the floor of said chamber to an even depth forming a support surface for said sub-chamber, and ignition means for detonating said munition, and
• shock suppression means including a plurality of vent pipes connecting the inside wall of the chamber with an elongated metal manifold means for receiving and directing explosion products from the vent pipes, said manifold means terminating at an external discharge point,
• third, placing a plurality of liquid-filled energy absorption modules suspended in a spaced array above and in proximity to the munition to be detonated,
• fourth, closing and sealing the access and vent doors, and
• fifth, detonating said munition.

A method for controllably destroying multiple explosive unit (cluster-bomb) munitions containing a multiplicity of individual bomblets in a clustered array within a closed cylindrical shell, comprising the steps of:

• exposing the bomblets by removing both ends of the shell;
• expelling the clustered array of bomblets intact through shell into a carrier tube of similar diameter;
• placing the carrier tube containing the clustered array of bomblets into a an open-topped fragmentation containment unit within a chamber having at least one sealable door and attaching a starter charge and ignition means for detonating the bomblets within the chamber;
• and
• suspending a plurality of liquid-filled energy absorption modules in a spaced array within the chamber in proximity to the carrier tube, closing and sealing the chamber doors, igniting the starter charge to detonate the bomblets, opening the chamber doors, and exhausting the gaseous explosive combustion products through the door before re-loading the chamber.