The development of a laser detonator system

Abstract

Laser detonators offer several advantages over traditional electrical detonators, such as exploding bridgewire and slapper detonators, in terms of both safety and performance. Laser detonators remove the electrical conduction path to the energetic material, providing immunity from threats such as electrostatic discharge and lightning. A larger separation between the initiating energy source and the explosive devices is possible, up to several tens of metres, compared to a few metres for electrical slapper detonators. A laser detonator system has been developed, with laser-driven flyer plates used to shock initiate the explosive. All aspects of the system, including coupling into an optical fibre, used to transmit the laser energy to the detonator, the optical fibre, the flyer plate launch and acceleration and subsquent shock into the explosive, and the explosive initiation have been investigated, with an understanding of the underlying principles and processes developed. Shock initiation of two secondary explosives, hexanitrostilbene and pentaerythritol tetranitrate, has been studied at extremely high shock pressures, comparable to the detonation pressure, and the critical energy fluence required for initiation established. The laser detonator system is robust and optimised, with design tools developed to enable efficient design of future system