Gas powered fluid gun with recoil mitigation

A gas powered fluid gun with recoil mitigation for propelling a stream or slug of a fluid at a high velocity towards a target, the gun comprising:

• a gun barrel having a central bore, an open front end, an open rear end, a side, and an opening through the side for conveying a fluid into the central bore;
• and
• recoil mitigation means operably connected to the rear end of the gun barrel for:
• a) intercepting a rearward-moving stream of the fluid exiting from the rear end of the gun barrel,
• b) changing the direction of the rearward-moving stream,
• c) reducing or eliminating backwash from the rearward-moving stream, and
• d) reducing or eliminating recoil forces acting on the gun barrel generated by a forward-moving stream of the fluid exiting from the front end of the gun barrel.

A gas powered fluid gun system for propelling a stream or slug of a fluid at a high velocity towards a target, the system comprising:

• a gun barrel having a central bore, an open front end, an open rear end, a side, and an opening through the side for conveying fluid into the central bore;
• a fluid storage tank for containing a fluid that is pressurized with a gas at a pressure greater than ambient pressure;
• a fluid supply line for supplying pressurized fluid from the fluid storage tank to the opening in the side of the gun barrel;
• and
• a fluid ejection valve disposed in the fluid supply line, for controlling flow of the pressurized fluid from the fluid storage tank to the opening in the side of the gun barrel;
• a gas storage tank;
• a compressor, fluidically connected via a first gas supply line to the gas storage tank, for pressurizing the gas storage tank with a gas at a pressure greater than ambient pressure;
• a second gas supply line connecting the gas storage tank with the fluid storage tank;
• a pressurization valve disposed in the second gas supply line;
• a first pressure regulator disposed in the first gas supply line between the compressor and the gas storage tank;
• a second pressure regulator disposed in the second gas supply line between the pressurization valve and the fluid storage tank;
• trigger means for activating the fluid ejection valve;
• and
• recoil mitigation means operably connected to the rear end of the gun barrel for:
• a) intercepting a rearward-moving stream of the fluid exiting from the rear end of the gun barrel,
• b) changing the direction of the rearward-moving stream,
• c) reducing or eliminating backwash from the rearward-moving stream, and
• d) reducing or eliminating recoil forces acting on the gun barrel generated by a forward-moving stream of the fluid exiting from the front end of the gun barrel;
• wherein the recoil mitigation means comprises a cone, operably connected to the rear end of the gun barrel, for making a conical spray of the rearward-moving fluid that rapidly breaks-up;
• wherein the fluid ejection valve comprises a rapidly acting valve selected from the group consisting of an in-line plug valve, an electromagneticaly-controlled valve, and a pneumatically operated valve;
• wherein the fluid supply line for supplying pressurized fluid from the fluid storage tank to the opening in the side of the gun barrel comprises a T-junction at an intersection between the supply line and the opening in the gun barrel;
• wherein the gun barrel has a sufficiently small length/diameter ratio so that the fluid stream or slug propelled from the front end of the gun barrel is laminar and smooth;
• and
• wherein the gun barrel is swivably- and pivotably-mounted via a universal joint (U joint) on a post, and the post is mounted to a flat bed of a truck;
• and further wherein the fluid storage tank, gas storage tank, compressor, and associated equipment are also mounted on the flat bed of the truck;
• and
• additionally comprising a pressurized gas disposed inside the fluid storage tank, the gas selected from the group consisting of air, nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, steam, and combinations thereof;
• and
• additionally comprising a pressurized fluid disposed inside the fluid storage tank, the fluid comprising one or more items selected from the group consisting of water, seawater, lubricants, foaming agents, thickening agents, gelling agents, tagants, chemical agents, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, malodorants, hydrocarbons, fire suppressing agents, and combinations thereof.