Gasless ignition system and method for making same

A method for making a tunable gasless ignition system, the method comprising:

• mechanically activating a reactive material comprising at least two elements that, in the absence of other elements or externally provided heat, will burn upon being heated to an ignition temperature;
• and
• placing the mechanically activated reactive material in a housing in reaction initiating communication with an initiator element,
• wherein the gasless ignition system provides a delay measured as the time it takes for the mechanically activated reactive material to burn from its point of ignition to a material to be combusted and the mechanically activated reactive material has an ignition input energy level,
• wherein at least one of the duration of the delay and the ignition input energy level is selectively determined by varying at least one of the intensity and duration of the mechanical activation, and
• wherein the gasless ignition system is tuned to at least one of:
• to ignite upon introduction of a substantially precise level of input energy and
• to burn at a selected rate.

A method for making a gasless ignition system for igniting a material charge, the method comprising:

• making a fuze comprising:
• providing a housing having a first end and an opposing second end and defining an elongate channel extending between the first and second ends;
• mechanically activating a reactive material comprising at least first and second elements, said mechanical activating comprising milling a mixture of the first and second elements;
• and
• placing the mechanically activated reactive material in the housing in reaction initiating communication with an initiator element disposed at the housing first end;
• and
• positioning the housing second end adjacent a combustible material,
• wherein, upon actuation of the initiator element, the mechanically activated reactive material burns from its point of ignition at the housing first end to the opposite second end of the housing to ignite the combustible material,
• wherein the gasless ignition system provides a delay measured as the time it takes for the mechanically activated reactive material of the fuze to burn from its point of ignition at the first end of the housing to the opposite second end of the housing and the mechanically activated reactive material in said housing has an ignition input energy level, and
• wherein at least one of the duration of the delay and the ignition input energy level is selectively determined by varying at least one of the intensity and duration of the mechanical activation.