US 8,230,937 B1Granted

Projectile containing metastable intermolecular composites and spot fire method of use

AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Department of Energy

InventorsBlaine W. Asay, Steven F. Son, V. Eric Sanders, Timothy Foley, Alan M. Novak, James R. Busse

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Abstract

A method for altering the course of a conflagration involving firing a projectile comprising a powder mixture of oxidant powder and nanosized reductant powder at velocity sufficient for a violent reaction between the oxidant powder and the nanosized reductant powder upon impact of the projectile, and causing impact of the projectile at a location chosen to draw a main fire to a spot fire at such location and thereby change the course of the conflagration, whereby the air near the chosen location is heated to a temperature sufficient to cause a spot fire at such location. The invention also includes a projectile useful for such method and said mixture preferably comprises a metastable intermolecular composite.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A method for altering the course of a conflagration, the conflagration including a main fire, the method comprising the steps of:

firing a projectile comprising a powder mixture of nanosized oxidant powder and nanosized reductant powder at a velocity sufficient for a violent reaction between the nanosized oxidant powder and the nanosized reductant powder upon impact of the projectile;
and
causing impact of the projectile to set a spot fire at a location which is different from a location of the main fire, in order to draw the main fire to the spot fire location, thereby changing the course of the conflagration;
wherein the air near the spot fire location is heated to a temperature greater than a temperature of the main fire, sufficient to draw the main fire to the spot fire location.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.