Abstract:
Disclosed is a blast containment vessel. A body has an opening. An external door is configured to form a seal surrounding the opening when the external door is in a closed position. A yoke is configured to retain the door in the closed position. A first automatic system is configured to automatically move the external door into and out of the closed position. A second automatic system is configured to automatically move the yoke when the external door is in the closed position. During and after a blast event, the body and the external door contain products of the blast event and the seal remains intact.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/982,182, filed Nov. 5, 2004, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/517,632, filed Nov. 5, 2003. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention is directed to a blast containment vessel, and more particularly, to a containment vessel that can be used for the safe containment, transportation, and disposal of an explosive device having a biological or chemical agent associated with it. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    Increased terrorist incidents have heightened awareness of the vulnerability to potential terrorist activity and the terrorist&#39;s willingness to strike targets in the United States. One particular concern that has extremely harmful results is the potential of an improvised explosive device (IED) that has a biological or chemical agent associated with it. Thus, a need exists for blast containment vessels that can be used for the safe containment, transportation, and disposal of these devices. 
         [0006]    Currently, NABCO, Inc. provides a total containment vessel (TCV) and an upscale total containment vessel (UTCV). The TCV is capable of being a sealed or gas-tight vessel. The TCV has an external door, in addition to an internal blast door, which bolts in place by hand through 16 bolts. There are various ports that facilitate sampling the interior atmosphere of the vessel, decontaminating the interior of the vessel, and initiating a counter charge to detonate the IED. 
         [0007]    In a sealed blast containment vessel, a challenging aspect is the complete containment of the high pressure atmosphere during a detonation without any (or extremely low levels of) leakage. The most critical location for mitigating leakage is around the door (the largest opening in the vessel). 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is an object of this invention to provide a sealed upscale total containment vessel (UTCV). 
         [0009]    The present invention is a sealed UTCV including a vessel body and a hinged external door retained by a split yoke. 
         [0010]    Inflatable seals of a conventional UTCV are replaced with large o-rings. Preferably, three o-rings are used to maintain redundancy in the system. A first o-ring is located in a valley in a opening support ring. The primary purpose of the first o-ring is to suppress flames and hot gasses generated during the detonation and to protect a second and third o-ring. The second and third o-rings are located in a door support ring and provide a redundant sealing mechanism. The door support ring also has a ridge that protrudes from a surface of the door support ring and mates with the valley in the opening support ring. This ridge and mating valley also serve to mitigate the flames and hot gasses, as well as protect the second and third o-rings from the blast load. 
         [0011]    The door is supported on a hinge that is mounted to a support frame. A hydraulically operated system automatically closes the external door. The door is moved from an open to a closed position by a hydraulic cylinder that is mounted to the support frame. In the absence of hydraulic power, the door can be closed by hand. Two halves of the yoke are moved into the closed position by two threaded rods powered by a hydraulic motor. The motor turns the lower threaded rod. The upper threaded rod is turned simultaneously by a chain drive system. Alternatively, the two threaded rods can be closed by hand in the absence of power to the hydraulic system by a hand wheel located on the top threaded rod. 
         [0012]    The present invention eliminates the 16 bolt closing system on the prior art TCV. The present invention has a simplified sealing system and eliminates inflatable seals. The present invention allows for a fully automated door and closing mechanism. The present invention allows for a reduced size in a vessel reinforcing ring and an enlarged opening. The present invention eliminates the internal door of the prior art TCV. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a front view illustration of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a side view illustration of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is cross-sectional illustrations of a door of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a front view illustration of a hydraulic door closing system of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional front view illustration of a purge/drain port of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional front view illustration of a pass through port of the present invention; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional front view illustration of the purge/drain port shown in  FIG. 6  attached to a hose and valve. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    A complete understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing figures wherein like reference characters identify like parts throughout. 
         [0022]    For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “right”, “left”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as it is oriented in the drawing figures. However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative variations and step sequences, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the invention. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , the present invention is a sealed upscale total containment vessel (UTCV)  10 . The UTCV  10  includes a body  12 , a door  14 , a yoke  16 , a first system  18  to open and close the door  14 , and a second system  20  to open and close the yoke  16 . 
         [0024]    The body  12  is preferably a substantially spherical vessel  22 . An opening  24  is located on the body  12 . The opening  24  provides a passage to an interior  26  of the body  12  for the insertion and extraction of blast event materials. 
         [0025]    The door  14  forms a seal  28  around the opening  24  when the door  14  is in a closed position. Inflatable seals of a conventional UTCV are replaced with at least one large o-ring. Preferably, three o-rings are used to maintain redundancy in the system. 
         [0026]    A first o-ring  30  assists in the formation of the seal  28 . The first o-ring  30  suppresses flames and hot gasses generated during a blast event. Preferably, a second o-ring  32  a third o-ring  34  are provided between the door  14  and the body  12  to maintain redundancy in the sealing during the blast event. In this construction, the first o-ring  30  also protects the second and third o-rings  32 , 34 . 
         [0027]    Preferably, the body  12  includes an opening support ring  36  that defines (or surrounds) the opening  24 . Similarly, the door  14  includes a door support ring  38 . The opening support ring  36  includes a valley  40 . Accordingly, the door support ring  38  has a ridge  42  that protrudes from a surface of the door support ring  38  and is configured to mate with (or be received by) the valley  40  in the opening support ring  36 . The ridge  42  and mating valley  40  serve to mitigate the flame and hot gasses, as well as protect the second and third o-rings  32 ,  34  from the blast load. The first o-ring  30  is located in the valley  40  in the opening support ring  36 . 
         [0028]    Preferably, the door  14  and the opening  24  are substantially circular. Likewise, the door support ring  38  and the opening support ring  36  are circular. Accordingly, the ridge  42  and valley  40  are annular. 
         [0029]    The door  14  is an external door. A hinge  44  mounted on a support frame  46  of the UTCV  10  supports the door  14 . The first system  18  automatically opens and closes the door  14 . The door  14  is moved from an open to a closed position by a hydraulic cylinder  48  that is mounted to the support frame  46 . In the absence of hydraulic power, the door  14  can be closed by hand. 
         [0030]    The yoke  16  retains the door  14  in the closed position. Preferably, the yoke  16  includes a first yoke member  50  and a second yoke member  52 . Given a circular door  14 , the yoke  16  is likewise circular with the first yoke member  50  and the second yoke member  52  each being substantially semicircular. 
         [0031]    The first yoke member  50  and the second yoke member  52  are automatically moved into the closed position by the second system  20 . Each of the first yoke member  50  and the second yoke member  52  include a first threaded end  54  and a second threaded end  56 . A first threaded rod  58  engages the first threaded ends  54  of the first and second yoke members  50 ,  52 . A second threaded rod  60  engages the second threaded ends  56  of the first and second yoke members  50 ,  52 . A connecting apparatus  62  interconnects the first and second threaded rods  58 ,  60 . A hydraulic motor  64  powers the rotation of the first and second threaded rods  58 ,  60 . For example, the motor  64  turns the lower (first) threaded rod  58 . The upper (second) threaded rod  60  is turned simultaneously by a chain drive system  66 . Alternatively, the upper threaded rod  60  may be rotated by the motor  64 . The first and second threaded rods  58 ,  60  can be closed by hand in the absence of power to the second system  20  by a hand wheel  67  located, for example, on the top threaded rod  58 . 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIGS. 5-8 , the UTCV  10  also incorporates ports  68 , for example, three ports, into a vessel wall  70  to allow the UTCV  10  to be sampled and decontaminated (purge/drain port  72 ) and to pass wires through the vessel wall  70  (pass through port  74 ) to energize a counter charge placed with the IED. These ports  68  are similar to the ports used in the prior art TCV. Both the purge/drain port  72  and the pass through port  74  remain sealed during the detonation and incorporate redundancy in the sealing mechanism. The pass through port  74  is designed to pass two wires through the vessel wall  70 , while preventing all blast load and subsequent static pressure from escaping the UTCV  10 . Redundancy is incorporated into the design by having two glands in series where the wires pass through, as well as two o-rings at all locations. 
         [0033]    The purge/drain port  72  is designed to allow fluid and gas flow in and out of the UTCV  10 , after the event occurs, through the attached hose  76  and valve  78 . During the event, the internal mechanism of the purge/drain port  72  is designed to prevent the blast load generated during a detonation from escaping the UTCV  10  and impacting the attached hoses  76  and valves  78  located at the end of the hoses  76 . While the purge/drain port  72  is designed to inhibit the blast pressure, it will allow static pressure through when the valves  78  are opened to facilitate decontamination. 
         [0034]    The design charge weights for the present invention are: 
         [0035]    3-lbs TNT—totally sealed system, repeatable detonations. The UTCV  10  will require decontamination and maintenance, but no repairs. 
         [0036]    15-lbs TNT—repeatable detonations with venting. Minor repairs may be required which include mechanical components, ports  68 , and flanges (at the yoke  16 , door  14 , and body  12 ). 
         [0037]    26-lbs TNT—one-time event with venting. Major repairs may be required to all components of the system. However, the system will retain structural integrity during the event. 
         [0038]    The door  14  contains the blast structurally and remains sealed throughout the event. 
         [0039]    The UTCV  10  may be removably or permanently positioned on a trailer  80  for portability. 
         [0040]    It will be understood by those skilled in the art that while the foregoing description sets forth in detail preferred embodiments of the present invention, modifications, additions, and changes might be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.