Patents Represented by Attorney Charlene A. Haley
  • Patent number: 6863751
    Abstract: This invention relates to energetic compositions, which offer increased performance in conjunction with a total absence of halogen based oxidizers to eliminate exhaust products, such as hydrogen chloride. The oxidizers of choice are various combinations neat ammonium dinitramide, ammonium dinitramide prills and CL-20, because these oxidizers do not produce halogen containing exhaust products, such as the HCl gas of ammonium perchlorate. The exhaust these novel propellants consist mostly of CO2, H2O, N2, and small amounts of CO. These exhaust species are friendlier and much less hazardous to the environment than those emitted by conventional AP-based propellants. The plasticizers are selected from energetic plasticizers that do not contain halogens, but maintain other desirable properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Patent number: 6819237
    Abstract: An apparatus and fire protection system for detecting and extinguishing a spark, flame, or fire on a heat sensitive explosive object, which identifies, locates and relays vital information related to the particular endangered explosive object. The invention can be used to protect any heat sensitive object from thermal damage, explosive or not. Thermal energy activates a power supply, which powers the system, including a plurality of status sensor circuits that determine the status of the source of thermal energy. Each source of thermal energy is individually encoded to relay traits specific to the particular hazardous item, such as cook-off rate, type of energetic material and detonation temperature. Ultimately, all the information from the plurality of circuits and the EEPROM is relayed to personnel via the main system status display board. This permits personnel to become aware of a potential threat and monitor efforts to subdue the threat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: John E. Wilson, Matthew L. Boggs, Howard L. Bowman
  • Patent number: 6805760
    Abstract: This invention relates to energetic compositions, which offer increased performance in conjunction with a total absence of hydrogen chloride in the combustion products. The formulation avoids the use of halogen based oxidizers to prevent the formation of halogen based byproducts. The formulations disclosed herein use ammonium dinitramide as a primary oxidizer, which is a more energetic molecule than ammonium perchlorate. The solid propellant formulations disclosed herein comprise about 5 to about 10 weight % of at least one energetic binder, about 20 to about 35 weight % of an energetic plasticizer; about 25 to about 45 weight % of ammonium dinitramide as a primary oxidizer; about 0 to about 20 weight % of particulate aluminum having a particle size of about 1 &mgr;m to about 60 &mgr;m; and about 0 to about 20 weight % of ultrafine aluminum having a particle size of less than 1 &mgr;m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Navy
    Inventors: Russell Reed, Jr., David A. Ciaramitaro
  • Patent number: 6790299
    Abstract: This invention relates to energetic compositions, which offer increased performance in conjunction with a total absence of halogen based oxidizers to eliminate exhaust products, such as hydrogen chloride. The oxidizers of choice are various combinations neat ammonium dinitramide, ammonium dinitramide prills and CL-20, because these oxidizers do not produce halogen containing exhaust products, such as the HCl gas of ammonium perchlorate. The exhaust these novel propellants consist mostly of CO2, H2O, N2, and small amounts of CO. These exhaust species are friendlier and much less hazardous to the environment than those emitted by conventional AP-based propellants. The plasticizers are selected from energetic plasticizers that do not contain halogens, but maintain other desirable properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Patent number: 6783614
    Abstract: This invention relates to energetic compositions, which offer increased performance in conjunction with a total absence of halogen based oxidizers to eliminate exhaust products, such as hydrogen chloride. The oxidizers of choice are various combinations neat ammonium dinitramide, ammonium dinitramide prills and CL-20, because these oxidizers do not produce halogen containing exhaust products, such as the HCl gas of ammonium perchlorate. The exhaust these novel propellants consist mostly of CO2, H2O, N2, and small amounts of CO. These exhaust species are friendlier and much less hazardous to the environment than those emitted by conventional AP-based propellants. The plasticizers are selected from energetic plasticizers that do not contain halogens, but maintain other desirable properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Patent number: 6695938
    Abstract: The reduced toxicity hypergolic bipropellant fuels of the present invention contain a hypergolic fuel and rocket grade hydrogen peroxide oxidizer, preferably HTP. The hypergolic fuel may be a reactive fuel or a catalytic fuel. The rocket grade hydrogen peroxide oxidizer consists of about 90 weight % to about 99 weight % H2O2, more preferably about 94 weight % to 99 weight % H2O2. However, hypergolic ignition may be attained with a H2O2 content as low as 70 weight % for some reactive fuels. The reactive fuel comprises about 6 weight % to 10 weight % reducing agent in a solvent. The catalytic fuel comprises about 6 weight % to 10 weight % catalytic agent in a solvent. The reactive fuels contain ingredients that are intrinsically reactive with rocket grade hydrogen peroxide. Upon contact with rocket grade hydrogen peroxide oxidizer, reactive fuels react vigorously with the hydrogen peroxide resulting in ignition. The catalytic fuels are produced by dissolving a catalytic agent in a solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Amos Diede
  • Patent number: 6682614
    Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to solid propellant formulations, which exhibit good processing properties, good safety characteristics, desirable combustion properties, good safety. characteristics and excellent mechanical attributes. The solid propellant formulations disclosed. herein burn at a rate of about 0.5 in/s at 1000 psi and show no pressure slope break up to 8000 psi. The solid propellant formulations of the disclosed invention incorporate oxidizers of varying particle size to avoid a pressure slope break. The solid propellant formulations of the present invention avoid the use of large-size ammonium perchlorate (AP) particles having particle size in the range of 200-400 &mgr;m to avoid the pressure slope break problem, which typically occurs at about 2500 psi to 3500 psi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Patent number: 6682615
    Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to solid propellant formulations, which exhibit good processing properties, good safety characteristics, desirable combustion properties, good safety characteristics and excellent mechanical attributes. The solid propellant formulations disclosed herein burn at a rate of about 0.5 in/s at 1000 psi and show no pressure slope break up to 8000 psi. The solid propellant formulations of the disclosed invention incorporate oxidizers of varying particle size to avoid a pressure slope break. The solid propellant formulations of the present invention avoid the use of large-size ammonium perchlorate (AP) particles having particle size in the range of 200-400 &mgr;m to avoid the pressure slope break problem, which typically occurs at about 2500 psi to 3500 psi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner
  • Patent number: 6613168
    Abstract: This invention relates to energetic compositions, which offer increased performance in conjunction with a total absence of hydrogen chloride in the combustion products. The formulation avoid the use of halogen based oxidizers to prevent the formation of halogen based byproducts. The formulations disclosed herein use ammonium dinitramide as a primary oxidizer, which is a more energetic molecule than ammonium perchlorate. The solid propellant formulations disclosed herein comprise about 5.0 to about 10.0 weight % of at least one energetic binder; about 20.0 to about 35.0 weight % of an energetic plasticizer; about 25.0 to about 45.0 weight % of ammonium dinitramide as a primary oxidizer; about 0.0 to about 20.0 weight % of particulate aluminum having a particle size of about 1 &mgr;m to about 60 &mgr;m; and about 0.0 to about 20.0 weight % of ultrafine aluminum having a particle size of less than 1 &mgr;m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Russell Reed, Jr., David A. Ciaramitaro
  • Patent number: 6576072
    Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to solid propellant formulations, which exhibit good processing properties, good safety characteristics, desirable combustion properties, good safety characteristics and excellent mechanical attributes. The solid propellant formulations disclosed herein burn at a rate of about 0.5 in/s at 1000 psi and show no pressure slope break up to 8000 psi. The solid propellant formulations of the disclosed invention incorporate oxidizers of varying particle size to avoid a pressure slope break. The solid propellant formulations of the present invention avoid the use of large-size ammonium perchlorate (AP) particles having particle size in the range of 200-400 &mgr;m to avoid the pressure slope break problem, which typically occurs at about 2500 psi to 3500 psi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: The United States of Americas as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: May L. Chan, Alan D. Turner