A LOW ENERGY FLYING PLATE DETONATOR

THE SAFETY OF THE FLYING PLATE DETONATOR IS KEY TO ITS USE IN IN-LINE FUZES. THE MAIN ADVANTAGE OF THE FLYING PLATE DETONATOR IS ONE OF ITS ADVANTAGES FROM A SAFETY VIEWPOINT; A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY, ON THE ORDER OF A JOULE, MUST BE DELIVERED TO THE BRIDGE IN LESS THAN A MICROSECOND BEFORE THE UNIT WILL FIRE. THE FLYING PLATE DETONATOR, HOWEVER, HAS CHANGED LITTLE SINCE ITS ORIGINAL DEVELOPMENT BY LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORIES. ALTHOUGH EVOLUTIONARY CHANGES HAVE REDUCED ITS FIRING ENERGY REQUIREMENTS, THE SIZE OF SUPPORTING COMPONENTS STILL REMAINS A PROBLEM IN SMALL MISSILE APPLICATIONS. OUR PROPOSAL IS CHARACTERIZED BY TWO MAIN FEATURES, BOTH OF WHICH OFFER SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL REDUCTION IN FIRING ENERGY. FIRST, WE PROPOSE TO USE MICROMACHINING TECHNIQUES TO BUILD AND ASSEMBLE MINIATURIZED, PRECISION-MACHINED DETONATOR COMPONENTS. SECONDLY, WE PROPOSE TO INVESTIGAGE BRIDGE MATERIALS WITH LOWER THERMODYNAMIC LOSSES THAN BOILING COPPER OR ALUMINUM, THE PREDOMINANT BRIDGE MATERIALS IN USE TODAY.