Enhanced linear shaped charge including spinal charge element

Abstract

An enhanced linear shaped charge (X-Jet) includes a sheath and a spinal charge element. The sheath extends along an axis between a first end and a second end to define a sheath length. The sheath has a first hollowed chevron-shaped cross-section that defines a main charge cavity, an upper apex, and a lower apex. The spinal charge element is disposed within the main charge cavity and abuts the upper apex. The spinal charge element further includes a spinal casing that extends along the sheath length to define a spinal length. The spinal casing has a hollowed cross-section defining a spinal charge cavity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An enhanced linear shaped charge (X-Jet), comprising:
 a sheath extending along an axis between a first end and a second end to define a sheath length, the sheath having a first hollowed chevron-shaped cross-section that defines a main charge cavity, an upper apex, and a lower apex; and   a spinal charge element located within the main charge cavity and abutting the upper apex, the spinal charge element having a spinal casing that extends along the sheath length to define a spinal length and having a second hollowed cross-section defining a spinal charge cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The X-Jet of  claim 1 , wherein the spinal casing is aligned with the upper apex and lower apex. 
     
     
         3 . The X-Jet of  claim 2 , wherein the spinal casing is formed directly against the upper apex to exclude an air gap between an exterior surface of the spinal casing and the upper apex. 
     
     
         4 . The X-Jet of  claim 3 , wherein the spinal charge element is formed separately from the sheath. 
     
     
         5 . The X-Jet of  claim 4 , wherein the spinal charge element has one of a circular-shaped cross-section, a square-shaped cross-section, a diamond-shaped cross-section, or polygonal-shape cross-section. 
     
     
         6 . The X-Jet of  claim 3 , wherein the spinal charge element is formed integrally with the upper apex. 
     
     
         7 . The X-Jet of  claim 6 , wherein the upper apex has a hollow void extending therethrough that forms the spinal casing and defines the spinal charge cavity. 
     
     
         8 . The X-Jet of  claim 3 , further comprising an explosive charge material contained in at least one of the main charge cavity and the spinal charge cavity. 
     
     
         9 . The X-Jet of  claim 8 , wherein the main charge cavity contains a main charge material configured to generate a main detonation wave having a main detonation velocity, and the spinal charge cavity contains a spinal charge material configured to generate a spinal detonation wave having a spinal detonation velocity that is greater than the main detonation velocity. 
     
     
         10 . The X-Jet of  claim 9 , wherein the spinal detonation wave travels in a spinal direction parallel to the sheath length, and the main detonation wave travels in a direction perpendicular to the spinal detonation wave. 
     
     
         11 . The X-Jet of  claim 10 , wherein the main detonation wave generates a molten jet that is projected from the sheath and that travels in a direction parallel to the main detonation wave. 
     
     
         12 . The X-Jet of  claim 11 , wherein a packing density of the spinal charge material contained in the spinal charge cavity is greater than a packing density of the main charge material contained in the main charge cavity. 
     
     
         13 . A method of detonating a linear shaped charge (LSC) having a sheath configured to contain explosive charge material, the method comprising
 loading a spinal charge material in an upper apex of the sheath to generate a spinal detonation wave having a spinal detonation velocity;   loading a main charge material in the sheath to completely surround the spinal charge material, the main charge material configured to produce a main detonation wave having a main detonation velocity that is less than the spinal detonation velocity;   detonating the spinal charge material to generate the spinal detonation wave that travels in a spinal direction; and   detonating the main charge material via the spinal detonation wave to generate the main detonation wave, the main detonation wave generating a molten jet that projects from the X-jet and travels in a direction that is parallel to the direction of the main detonation wave.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the loading a spinal charge material includes disposing the spinal charge material along a length of the upper apex that is perpendicular to the direction of the molten jet. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the loading of a spinal charge material further comprises:
 forming a spinal charge element within the sheath, the spinal charge element formed at the upper apex and having a hollow spinal charge cavity that extends along a length of the sheath; and   disposing the spinal charge material within the spinal charge cavity.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the spinal detonation wave has a spinal propagation rate and the main detonation wave has a main propagation rate that is less than the spinal detonation rate, the spinal detonation wave propagating along the length of the sheath such that the main detonation wave propagates in a direction perpendicular to the spinal detonation wave. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein detonating the spinal charge material sequentially detonates portions of the main charge material located at respective cross-sectional regions of the sheath such that the main charge material detonates asynchronously. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein detonating the spinal charge generates a main detonation wave at each cross-sectional region of the sheath. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising loading the main charge material in the main charge cavity according to a main packing density, and loading the spinal charge material in the spinal charge cavity according to a spinal packing density that is greater than the main packing density such that the propagation rate of the spinal charge material is increased with respect to the propagation rate of the main charge material.