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EP-4739977-A1 - FACILITY FOR DESTROYING AN ITEM BY EXPLOSION

EP4739977A1EP 4739977 A1EP4739977 A1EP 4739977A1EP-4739977-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a facility (1) for destroying an item by explosion, the facility comprising: - a chamber (3) configured to contain the explosion, the chamber comprising two longitudinal bottoms (31) each provided with a door for accessing the inside of the chamber, and a body (33) extending between the longitudinal bottoms; and - shielding (5), located inside the chamber, configured to protect the chamber from the fragments produced by the explosion and defining an internal treatment space (VT) that opens onto each longitudinal bottom, the shielding extending along the body at a distance therefrom and resting on positioning elements (7) located beneath the shielding so as to create, between the body and the shielding, an accessible circumferential space (VC) that opens onto each longitudinal bottom.

Inventors

  • FOUCHER, Régis
  • EUZEN, Michel

Assignees

  • ArianeGroup SAS

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240704

Claims (8)

  1. [Claim 1] Installation (1) for the destruction of an article (A) by explosion, comprising: - an enclosure (3) configured to contain the explosion, comprising two longitudinal bottoms (31) each provided with an access door to the interior of the enclosure, and a body (33) extending between the longitudinal bottoms, and - a shield (5), located inside the enclosure, configured to protect the enclosure from fragments generated during the explosion and defining an internal treatment volume (VT) opening onto each longitudinal bottom, the shield extending along the body, at a distance from the latter, and resting on positioning elements (7) located under the shield so as to provide, between the body and the shield, an accessible circumferential volume (VC) opening onto each longitudinal bottom.
  2. [Claim 2] Installation (1) according to claim 1, in which the shield (5) comprises on the side of each longitudinal bottom (31) a longitudinal end portion (51) extending beyond the body (33) and configured to form a support surface (SA) for a tool for moving the shield.
  3. [Claim 3] Installation (1) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, in which the positioning elements (7) form discontinuous support zones for the shielding.
  4. [Claim 4] Installation (1) according to claim 3, in which the installation comprises two rows (RI; R2) of positioning elements (7) distributed along a longitudinal axis (X) of the enclosure (3) which are located on either side of a vertical plane (P) passing through the longitudinal axis of the enclosure, so as to provide between them a longitudinal channel (CL) accessible between the shielding (5) and the body which opens onto each longitudinal bottom (31).
  5. [Claim 5] Installation (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the positioning elements (7) are made of a material promoting the damping of the shock wave generated on the body (33) during the explosion.
  6. [Claim 6] Method for destroying an article (A) using an installation (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: - the positioning of the item to be destroyed in the internal processing volume (VT), and - the destruction of the article thus positioned by explosion.
  7. [Claim 7] Method of maintaining an installation (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: - the destruction of a plurality of articles (A) by implementing the method according to claim 6, and - cleaning of explosion residues (ER) produced by the items thus destroyed located in the circumferential volume (VC).
  8. [Claim 8] Maintenance method according to claim 7 implementing an installation (1) according to claim 2 or according to any one of claims 3 to 5 attached to claim 2, further comprising: - the positioning of the moving tool on the support surfaces (SA), - the extraction (E) of the shielding (5) outside the enclosure (3) using the moving tool positioned on the support surfaces, and - the introduction (I) of a replacement shield (5R) into the enclosure on the positioning elements (7), after the extraction of the shield.

Description

Description Title of the invention: Installation for the destruction of an article by explosion Technical Domain [0001] The present disclosure relates to an installation for the destruction of an article by explosion allowing easy cleaning of the explosion residues accumulated during firing, as well as associated destruction and maintenance processes. Previous technique [0002] The destruction of ammunition can be carried out by explosion in an armoured chamber, followed by treatment of the gases resulting from the combustion. This destruction can be carried out, on an industrial scale, within a DaVinch® installation ("Detonation of Ammunition in Vacuum integrated Chamber") developed by the company KOBELCO. It can thus be carried out the destruction of chemical shells dating from the First World War, for example. [0003] The DaVinch® installation comprises a chamber, equipped with a single access door, which ensures the confinement of the explosion, and a shield, located inside the chamber, which rests on a floating sheet and protects the chamber from the fragments generated during the explosion. The shield is not watertight and explosion residues (debris and dust) can accumulate between the chamber and the shield until they occupy the entire space. The shield then loses its mobility and risks transmitting the shock wave directly to the chamber, which can permanently damage it. [0004] In order to prevent the shield from coming into contact with the chamber in its upper part, it is necessary to extract the shield after a certain number of shots to examine the elements of the installation and clean the inside of the chamber. The means deployed are heavy and can use hydraulic jacks to be positioned in front of the chamber during each maintenance. To begin extracting the armour, it is necessary to apply a force of several tens of tonnes to counteract friction. A significant power reserve is therefore required, especially if possible jamming has to be managed. [0005] The DaVinch® installation maintenance procedure is complex and leads to significant operational downtime. It also presents a risk for operators who must comply with strict safety regulations. [0006]US 2009229451 is also known which discloses an installation for the destruction of an article by explosion. [0007] It is therefore desirable to have an installation for destroying an article by explosion for which the maintenance operation is simplified, thus making it possible to reduce the duration of operation shutdowns and to increase the destruction rate. Disclosure of the invention [0008] The present disclosure relates to an installation for the destruction of an article by explosion, comprising: - an enclosure configured to contain the explosion, comprising two longitudinal ends each provided with an access door to the interior of the enclosure, and a body extending between the longitudinal ends, and - a shield, located inside the enclosure, configured to protect the enclosure from fragments generated during the explosion and defining an internal treatment volume opening onto each longitudinal bottom, the shield extending along the body, at a distance from the latter, and resting on positioning elements located under the shield so as to provide, between the body and the shield, an accessible circumferential volume opening onto each longitudinal bottom. [0009] The installation according to the invention has an accessible volume between the shielding and the enclosure extending along the latter and allows easy cleaning, in particular, of the space located below the shielding to evacuate the explosion residues accumulated during the shots. The underside of the shielding is in fact raised relative to the enclosure thanks to the positioning elements to allow inspection and the performance of this cleaning. A lighting device and tools, such as a scraper or a suction cannula, can be introduced into the accessible volume which allows the cleaning to be repeated easily at the desired frequency without having to lift the shielding, unlike the technique of the prior art. In addition, the presence of the access doors on each of the bottoms allows complete cleaning over the entire length, allowing, if desired, intervention at both ends of the enclosure. The risk of damage to the enclosure by transmission of the shock wave during a shot due to a rise in the shielding is thus avoided. Thanks to the invention, the operation of extracting the shielding is necessary only when it must be replaced after having undergone a significant number of shots, and more to carry out cleaning. As an illustration, the extraction of the shielding in the DaVinch® installation is recommended every 200 shots, whereas in the invention, the shielding can only be extracted after 1500 or 2000 shots, which drastically reduces the frequency of handling and therefore operation stoppages. [0010] The shield is open at its ends on the side of each longitudinal bottom, and is therefore without a