Dec 30, 2025

US12510334 - Specially-shaped-charges for focusing fluid jets

Provided herein are shaped-charges having curved walls to provide better controllable and improved liquid jet parameters. The shaped-charge comprises a container having a plurality of curved walls for containing a liquid. One or more explosive charges are immersed in the liquid and a detonator channel positioned through the container wall to controllably detonate the one or more explosive charges and from a wedge-shaped liquid jet. Multipoint initiation is achieved using a number of initiation points; a location of one or more initiation contact points with the geometrically-shaped explosive charges; and/or an initiation timing of each of the initiation contact points, including simultaneous initiation or a sequence of initiations. Also provided are related methods of forming liquid jets and attendant applications, including target disruption.

Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice
Inventors: Ian B. Vabnick, Daniel E. McCarthy, Lee R. Foltz
Filing date: 2023-06-20

The patent describes a specially-shaped charge designed to create controllable liquid jets through the use of a container with curved walls and multiple explosive charges immersed in liquid. This innovative design allows for precise targeting and disruption by generating wedge-shaped or circular cross-section liquid jets upon detonation.

Claim 1

1 . A shaped-charge comprising: a container having a plurality of curved walls, a top surface, and a bottom surface to form a container volume for containing a liquid, the container having a symmetry plane; the liquid positioned in the container volume; at least one explosive charge positioned in the container volume and immersed in the liquid, wherein at least one explosive charge is a geometrically-shaped-charge or is contained within a shell volume formed by shell walls; a detonator channel for receiving an explosive firing train to controllably detonate the at least one explosive charge; wherein the container walls, the at least one explosive charge and liquid are configured to provide a wedge-shaped liquid jet or a liquid jet having a circular cross-section upon detonation of the at least one explosive charge immersed in the liquid contained in the container volume; wherein at least one of the plurality of curved walls has a catenary profile, a parabolic profile, or a circular arc profile; and the plurality of curved walls comprising: a distal surface, a proximal surface, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall, wherein the first and second sidewalls are opposed surfaces that connect the distal and proximal surfaces to form the container volume, wherein the first and second sidewalls have a curvature that is different from a curvature of the distal and proximal surfaces. a container having a plurality of curved walls, a top surface, and a bottom surface to form a container volume for containing a liquid, the container having a symmetry plane; the liquid positioned in the container volume; at least one explosive charge positioned in the container volume and immersed in the liquid, wherein at least one explosive charge is a geometrically-shaped-charge or is contained within a shell volume formed by shell walls; a detonator channel for receiving an explosive firing train to controllably detonate the at least one explosive charge; wherein the container walls, the at least one explosive charge and liquid are configured to provide a wedge-shaped liquid jet or a liquid jet having a circular cross-section upon detonation of the at least one explosive charge immersed in the liquid contained in the container volume; wherein at least one of the plurality of curved walls has a catenary profile, a parabolic profile, or a circular arc profile; and the plurality of curved walls comprising: a distal surface, a proximal surface, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall, wherein the first and second sidewalls are opposed surfaces that connect the distal and proximal surfaces to form the container volume, wherein the first and second sidewalls have a curvature that is different from a curvature of the distal and proximal surfaces.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12510334

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12510334