Patent Publication Number: US-2011048271-A1

Title: Military Device Simulator

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present invention claims priority on provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/204,060, filed on Dec. 31, 2008, entitled “Nitrogen Inert Gas Encapsulated Loadable Inflator Gas Generator Powered Battlefield Simulators” and Ser. No. 61/237,730, filed on Aug. 28, 2009, entitled “Non-Pyrotechnic Training Hand Grenade” are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Explosion simulators have been used in numerous military and commercial applications, such as military training, intrusion alarms, diversion devices (stun grenades), bird repelling noisemakers and stage effects. The military has employed explosion simulators during tactical engagement training to simulate explosions. For such military applications, explosion simulators generate bang, smoke, and flash cues in response to electrical signals from an electronic scoring system. During engagement training, the explosion simulators warn nearby units of an attack and indicate the strike locations of the artillery rounds to the attacking forces. Unfortunately, none of the present explosion simulators are useful in simulating improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that are a preferred method of attacking our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, none of the present explosive simulators provide a realistic smelling device, unless they use pyrotechnic devices that are dangerous. Similarly, realistic sounding explosive simulators have only been possible when pyrotechnic devices are used. Many of the explosion simulators being used by the military and civilian market are not reusable and are therefore expensive. 
     It is thus apparent that a need exits for a non-pyrotechnic explosion device simulator that is inexpensive, provides realistic sound and smell without using pyrotechnic devices. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     A system that overcomes these and other problems includes a housing having a shape of an explosive device. A sound generator system is located inside the housing. A smoke producing system is also located inside the housing. The sound producing system is synchronized with the sound generating system. A light producing system is connected to the housing. 
     A non-pyrotechnic military device simulator has a housing with a shape that imitates an explosive device. A gas generator is encased in the housing. An electronic actuator controls the gas generator. The housing has a number of vents. 
     A non-pyrotechnic explosive device simulator has a housing with the shape of an explosive device. A gas generator is enclosed in the housing. A powder is contained in the housing. A number of vents are in the housing, wherein the powder is ejected from the vents when the gas generator expels gas. 
     A non-pyrotechnic explosive apparatus simulator includes a housing with the shape of an explosive device. A light producing system is attached to the housing and includes a number of lights that strobe at a predetermined rate. A trigger system transmits an actuation signal to the light producing system when a trigger is received. 
     The non-pyrotechnic device is reusable, therefore reducing the cost of using the simulator. A cordite smelling substance is added to the powder and provides a realistic smell of an explosive device. A realistic sound is provided by an audio chamber or structure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a cross sectional block diagram view of a non-pyrotechnic explosive device simulator system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional block diagram view of military device simulator in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of a non-pyrotechnic explosive device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is across sectional view of a non-pyrotechnic explosive apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     An explosive device simulator system has a housing in the shape of an explosive device. The simulator includes a sound producing system inside the housing. A light producing system inside the housing receives an actuation signal from a trigger system. The trigger system may include a microcontroller, which can be used to include a delay between a trigger event and the actuation signal. The simulator may include a smoke producing system that includes a powder that is dispersed by a gas generator. The powder exits the housing through a number of vents. A cordite odor substance may be included in the powder to provide a realistic smell of an exploded device. A light producing system provides the flash of a real explosive device and is connected to the microcontroller. Except for the powder and odor producing substance, the device is reusable reducing the cost of operating the system. The gas generator also needs to be recharged. This simulator system allows for a realistic training device that is inexpensive to operate and by changing the housing can simulate numerous devices. Note as used herein non-pyrotechnic means that no flames are generated as part of activating the device. 
       FIG. 1  is a cross sectional block diagram view of a non-pyrotechnic explosive device simulator system  10  in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The system  10  has a housing  12  having a shape similar to a land mine. The system  10  includes a trigger system  14 . The trigger system  14  is connected to a microcontroller or microprocessor  16  in one embodiment. The microcontroller  16  sends an actuation signal to a sound generating system  18 . A smoke producing system  20  is synchronized with the sound generating system  18 . The smoke generating system  20  is in communication  21  with a plurality of vents  23 . The vents  23  are located in the housing  12 . A light producing system  22  is also synchronized with the sound generating system  18 . In one embodiment, an odor producing system  24  is connected with the smoke producing system  20 . The light producing system  12  controls a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes)  26  in one embodiment. The LEDs  26  are attached to the outside of the housing  12 . In one embodiment, the LED  26  strobe at a predetermined rate. Strobing the LEDs provides a more realistic visual effect of how an explosion is perceived by a user. The strobe rate is six hertz in one embodiment. 
     The trigger system  14  may be mechanical, such as a pressure trigger or may be an electronic trigger. A pressure trigger might be used with land mine simulator device, while and electronic trigger may be used with an improvised explosive device (IED). The electronic trigger may be actuated by a cellular telephone, an optical signal, a switch, etc. 
     In one embodiment, the microcontroller  16  is used to sense a trigger event and then delay an actuation signal to the sound generating system  18 , light producing system  22 , and smoke producing system  20 . An application for this delay is a training hand grenade. 
     The light producing system  12  generates a strobe signal that is applied to the lights  26 . The lights  26  light up the powder from the smoke producing system  20  to create a realistic looking explosion. The odor producing system is just a chemical that smells like cordite or other explosive after it has been fired. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross sectional block diagram view of military device simulator  30  in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. This device  30  has a housing  32  in the shape of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). A gas generator  34  is located inside the housing. The housing  32  has a plurality of vents  35  for venting gas generated by the gas generator  34 . An electronic actuator  36  sends an actuation signal to the gas generator  34  to release gas. An audio chamber  38  may be attached to the gas generator  34  to create a sound like an explosive detonating. The audio chamber  38  may be part of the vents  35  in one embodiment. Since gas is being forced through the vents  35 , they can be shaped to resonant to provide a noise similar to an explosive. 
     The gas generator  34  may be a squib  40  in one embodiment. A squib  40  is a miniature explosive device that generators a large amount of gas in a very short period of time. Squibs are often used to power airbags in cars. Alternatively, the gas generator may be a compressed gas. In one embodiment, the gas generator is a molecule that is compressed to a pressure where it is a liquid. When the gas generator housing is opened to the atmosphere the liquid molecule quickly becomes a gas. Examples of molecules or atoms that can be used are carbon dioxide, nitrogen, helium, argon or a combination of these inert gases. In another embodiment the gas generator contains a combination of fluid fuels, with fluid oxidizers, liquid monopropellants, and liquid or gaseous material which dissociate in a rapid exothermic reaction. The fluid fuels may include hydrogen and hydrocarbons, such as gasoline, kerosene, C 1 -C 8  paraffinns, ethers, esters, alcohols and butanes. The fluid oxidizer may be nitrous oxide or air. An electronic initiator ignites the fluid fuel and oxidizer. 
       FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of a non-pyrotechnic explosive device  50  in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The device  50  has a housing  52  in the shape of a hand grenade. Inside the housing  52  is a microcontroller  54 , which senses when a handle  55  is released. A squib  56  receives an ignition signal from the microcontroller  54 . The squib  56  is held in a chamber  58  inside the housing  52 . A powder  60  is contained in a sack  62  inside a second chamber  64 . In one embodiment, the sack is made of paper. The squib chamber  58  is in communication with the powder chamber  64 . The powder chamber  64  is in communication with a plurality of openings  66  in the housing  52 . In one embodiment, the powder  60  also contains a substance  68  the smell like cordite or other expended explosive. The device  50  may also contain an audio amplifying structure  70 . In one embodiment, the device  50  has a plurality of capacitance sensors  72 . These capacitance sensors  72  determine if a person is holding or near the device. 
     In operation, when the handle  55  is released this is sensed by the microcontroller  54 . The microcontroller  54  waits a predetermined amount of time between the release of the handle  55  and sending an initiation signal to the squib  56 . Note the initiation signal is not sent by the microcontroller  54  if the capacitance sensors  72  detect a person is too close to the device. This prevents the device  50  from detonating until the device  50  is a safe distance from people. When the squib  56  receives the initiation signal, the squib  56  starts a chemical reaction that produces a large quantity of gas in a short period of time. The expanding gas pushes on the powder sack  62  until it breaks causing the powder  60  to be propelled out of the opening  66 . The expanding gas also interacts with the audio amplifying structure  70  to create the sound of an explosive device. In one embodiment, the delay time from the release of the handle and the sending of the initiation signal is three seconds. In another embodiment, the time between the release of the handle  55  and the sending of the initiation signal is random, between two and five seconds in one embodiment. The device  50  may be reused by replacing the squib and the powder  60 . All the other components are unharmed by detonation of the device  50 . 
       FIG. 4  is across sectional view of a non-pyrotechnic explosive apparatus  80  in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The apparatus  80  has a housing  82  in the shape of an artillery shell or mortar. The apparatus  80  has a trigger system  84 , which includes a pressure sensor  86  in this embodiment. The trigger system  84  sends an actuation signal to the light producing system  88 . The light producing system  88  strobes a plurality of lights  90  attached to the housing  82 . In one embodiment, the lights are strobed at six hertz for a predetermined period of time after receiving the actuation signal and then turned off. A gas generator  92  is synchronized with the light producing system  88 . The gas generator  92  is in communication with a plurality of vents  94  in the housing  82 . In one embodiment, the lights are white light LEDs (Light Emitting Devices). 
     Thus there has been described a system that can be used to simulate the effects of numerous explosive devices, by minor changes to the housing and the internal structure of the housing. The system can be reused, which reduces the cost of operating the system. The system is non-pyrotechnic in all embodiments that use powder and when the gas generator is a compressed gas. The system provides a realistic smell of an explosive device that has detonated. 
     While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alterations, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations in the appended claims.