Systems and methods for explosive blast wave mitigation
View Patent ↗The invention in various embodiments is directed to systems and methods for mitigating damage from a shock wave using a gas having a specific impedance less than air.
1. A method of mitigating damage from an explosion comprising,
detecting an explosion external to a substantially contained environment,
in response to detecting the explosion, substantially filling the environment with a gas having a specific impedance less than about 350 Pascal seconds/meter (Pa·s/m) to attenuate a peak overpressure within the environment resulting from a shock wave caused by the explosion, and
venting the gas from the environment subsequent to the shock wave passing the environment.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas includes at least one of helium and argon.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas is heated.
4. The method of claim 1 including detecting the explosion with at least one of an ultraviolet and an infrared detector.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially contained environment is an environment selected from the group consisting of an interior of a land vehicle, an interior of a watercraft, an interior of an aircraft, and an interior portion of a building.
6. A system for mitigating damage from an explosion comprising,
a detector for detecting an explosion external to a substantially contained environment, and
a supply of a gas having a specific impedance of less than about 350 Pa·s/m for substantially filling the environment in response to detecting the explosion to attenuate a peak overpressure within the substantially contained environment resulting from a shock wave caused by the explosion, and
a vent for venting the gas from the substantially contained environment.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the gas is heated.
8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the gas includes at least one of helium and argon.
9. The system of claim 6 including detecting the explosion with at least one of an ultraviolet and an infrared detector.
10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the substantially contained environment is an environment selected from the group consisting of an interior of a land vehicle, an interior of a watercraft, an interior of an aircraft, and an interior portion of a building.