Design of a MAHEM Shaped Charge Warhead

We describe our novel conceptof a magnetohydrodynamic explosive munition (MAHEM) and apply it to the design of a shaped charge. The MAHEM is an explosive warhead that utilizes magnetohydrodynamic effects to transfer the "global" explosive energy (that is mainly wasted in a conventional warhead) at electromagnetic speeds to a "localized" region where it may act on the metal mass of a shaped charge cone that is to be propelled in a given direction toward a target. Our concept exploits the phenomenon of electromagnetic braking for the purpose of transforming the kinetic energy of detonation products in one part of a system to kinetic energy of metallic ejecta in another part. Hence, the local region can become a region of huge energy accumulation. It should be possible to propel metallic ejecta at velocities much greater than can be done using expolsives alone...or to propel a much greater mass...in order to obtain greater kill probabilities. Methods for doing this are outlined, and some examples are provided. The explosive used in the MAHEM can be a truly insensitive explosive, e.g. TABT, resulting in invulnerability to accidental detonation.