초록 ▼

A detonator includes a high voltage switch, an initiator and an initiating pellet. The detonator also includes a low voltage to high voltage firing set coupled to the switch and initiator such that the detonator includes a high voltage power source and initiator in an integrated package. The detonat

A detonator includes a high voltage switch, an initiator and an initiating pellet. The detonator also includes a low voltage to high voltage firing set coupled to the switch and initiator such that the detonator includes a high voltage power source and initiator in an integrated package. The detonator may also include inductive powering and communications, a microprocessor, tracking and/or locating technologies, such as RFID, GPS, etc., and either a single or combination explosive output pellet. The combination explosive pellet has a first explosive having a first shock energy and a high brisance secondary explosive in the output pellet having a second shock energy greater than the shock energy of the first explosive. Systems are also provided for facilitating fast and easy deployment of one or more detonators in the field.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An electronic detonator comprising: a detonator housing that integrally packages a chip having a high voltage switch and an initiator, an initiating pellet, a primary energy source, a secondary energy source, and a controller, wherein: the high voltage switch includes: a first switch contact spac

1. An electronic detonator comprising: a detonator housing that integrally packages a chip having a high voltage switch and an initiator, an initiating pellet, a primary energy source, a secondary energy source, and a controller, wherein: the high voltage switch includes: a first switch contact spaced from and electrically isolated from a second switch contact;a trigger element that passes between and is spaced from the first switch contact and the second switch contact, wherein the trigger element is shaped as a repeating pattern of faceted sections that narrow in width and funnel out in width; anda dielectric material that overlies the high voltage switch, including the trigger element, wherein the trigger element shape and dielectric material contribute to establish a desired hold off voltage for the high voltage switch;the initiator is connected in series to the first switch contact of the high voltage switch thus forming a series circuit between the initiator and the high voltage switch;the initiating pellet is positioned relative to the initiator such that functioning of the initiator causes detonation of the initiating pellet; andthe controller is operatively configured to function the initiator to detonate the initiating pellet by controlling: the primary energy source to apply a desired primary charge potential to the series circuit including the initiator and the high voltage switch; andthe secondary energy source to drive a current through the trigger element that is sufficient to close the high voltage switch by electrically connecting the first switch contact to the second switch contact. 2. The electronic detonator of claim 1, wherein: the initiator includes an alumina substrate that forms a base layer;the initiator is defined by a bridgefoil that is provided on the alumina substrate, the bridgefoil defining a narrowed-in channel between a first initiator pad and a second initiator pad;the first initiator pad is electrically coupled to the primary energy source to function the initiator;a flyer layer is positioned over at least the narrowed-in channel of the bridgefoil;a barrel is positioned over the flyer layer; andthe initiating pellet is positioned over the barrel. 3. The electronic detonator of claim 2, wherein: the high voltage switch is integrated onto the same alumina substrate as the initiator such that the second initiator pad is electrically coupled to the first switch contact and the second switch contact completes the circuit with the primary energy source. 4. The electronic detonator of claim 1, wherein: the faceted configuration of the trigger element is implemented as a repeating row of butterfly banded regions where the width of the trigger element repeatedly narrows into a channel shape, then funnels out to a wider shape;the first switch contact has a first edge shaped in a configuration that is complementary to a proximate edge of the trigger element;the second switch contact has a second edge shaped in a configuration that is complementary to a proximate edge of the trigger element. 5. The electronic detonator of claim 1, wherein: the faceted configuration of the trigger element is implemented as at least one of serpentine, saw toothed, ramped and jagged;the first switch contact has a first edge shaped in a configuration that is complementary to a proximate edge of the trigger element;the second switch contact has a second edge shaped in a configuration that is complementary to a proximate edge of the trigger element. 6. The electronic detonator of claim 1, wherein: the initiator comprises an exploding foil initiator that projects a flyer through a barrel into the initiating pellet in response to being functioned; andthe initiating pellet comprises a combination pellet configured such that the insensitive secondary explosive material is positioned in an area where the flyer will impact the initiating pellet, the initiating pellet further comprising a high brisance insensitive secondary explosive material as the remainder of explosive material of the initiating pellet. 7. The electronic detonator of claim 1, wherein: the secondary energy source is defined by bleed-down circuitry that bleeds down the voltage of the primary energy source. 8. An electronic detonator comprising: a generally puck shaped detonator housing having at least one through tunnel that extends through the puck, the housing further integrally packaging a chip having a high voltage switch and an initiator, an initiating pellet, a primary energy source, a secondary energy source, a controller, and an inductor proximate to a select one of the through tunnels, wherein: the high voltage switch includes: a first switch contact spaced from and electrically isolated from a second switch contact;a trigger element that passes between and is spaced from the first switch contact and the second switch contact, wherein the trigger element is shaped as a repeating pattern of faceted sections that narrow in width and funnel out in width; anda dielectric material that overlies the high voltage switch, including the trigger element, wherein the trigger element shape and dielectric material contribute to establish a desired hold off voltage for the high voltage switch;the initiator is connected in series to the first switch contact of the high voltage switch thus forming a series circuit between the initiator and the high voltage switch;the initiating pellet is positioned relative to the initiator such that functioning of the initiator causes detonation of the initiating pellet; andthe inductor is coupled to the controller of the detonator as an inductive pickup for wireless communication with an external source, the inductive pickup receiving a command to instruct the controller to function the initiator to detonate the initiating pellet by controlling: the primary energy source to apply a desired primary charge potential to the series circuit including the initiator and the high voltage; switch, andthe secondary energy source to drive a current through the trigger element that is sufficient to close the high voltage switch by electrically connecting the first switch contact to the second switch contact. 9. The detonator according to claim 8, wherein: the inductor comprises a toroidal inductor that is generally coaxial with the corresponding through tunnel. 10. The detonator according to claim 8, further comprising: communications circuitry that allows the controller to communicate information to an external source and to receive timing information to program a detonation time. 11. The detonator according to claim 8, further comprising: a radio frequency identification device that identifies the detonator to an external source. 12. The detonator according to claim 8, wherein: the initiator comprises an exploding foil initiator that projects a flyer through a barrel into the initiating pellet in response to being functioned; andthe initiating pellet comprises a combination pellet that includes a first insensitive secondary in an area where the flyer will impact the initiating pellet, and a high brisance insensitive secondary explosive material as the remainder of explosive material of the initiating pellet. 13. The electronic detonator of claim 8, wherein: the faceted configuration of the trigger element is implemented as a repeating row of butterfly banded regions where the width of the trigger element repeatedly narrows into a channel shape, then funnels out to a wider shape;the first switch contact has a first edge shaped in a configuration that is complementary to a proximate edge of the trigger element;the second switch contact has a second edge shaped in a configuration that is complementary to a proximate edge of the trigger element. 14. The electronic detonator of claim 8, wherein: the faceted configuration of the trigger element is implemented as at least one of serpentine, saw toothed, ramped and jagged;the first switch contact has a first edge shaped in a configuration that is complementary to a proximate edge of the trigger element;the second switch contact has a second edge shaped in a configuration that is complementary to a proximate edge of the trigger element. 15. A system for performing blasting operations comprising: a plurality of hole controllers, each hole controller for positioning at a corresponding blast hole in a corresponding blast site;at least one detonator for each blast hole that is in communication with the corresponding hole controller associated with that blast hole, each detonator having a detonator housing that integrally packages a chip having a high voltage switch and an initiator, an initiating pellet, a primary energy source, a secondary energy source, communications circuitry for communicating with the associated hole controller and a detonator controller, wherein: the high voltage switch includes: a first switch contact spaced from and electrically isolated from a second switch contact;a trigger element that passes between and is spaced from the first switch contact and the second switch contact, wherein the trigger element is shaped as a repeating pattern of faceted sections that narrow in width and funnel out in width; anda dielectric material that overlies the high voltage switch, including the trigger element, wherein the trigger element shape and dielectric material contribute to establish a desired hold off voltage for the high voltage switch;the initiator is connected in series to the first switch contact of the high voltage switch thus forming a series circuit between the initiator and the high voltage switch;the initiating pellet is positioned relative to the initiator such that functioning of the initiator causes detonation of the initiating pellet; andthe controller is operatively configured to function the initiator to detonate the initiating pellet by controlling: the primary energy source to apply a desired primary charge potential to the series circuit including the initiator and the high voltage switch, andthe secondary energy source to drive a current through the trigger element that is sufficient to close the high voltage switch by electrically connecting the first switch contact to the second switch contact;a shot controller for wireless communication with each of the hole controllers; anda blasting computer that communicates with the shot controller for coordinating a blast event, the blasting computer operatively configured to: obtain data from each of the detonators via their corresponding hole controller and the shot controller;calculate a firing solution;automatically program each detonator with a corresponding detonation time based upon the calculated firing solution;initiate an arm sequence, wherein the controller of each detonator charges the primary energy source to a desired primary charge potential, wherein the high voltage switch holds off the primary charge potential from functioning the initiator while the detonator is armed;receive a confirmation that each detonator is armed and ready to fire; andinitiate a blast command after acknowledging that detonators are armed to function the initiator at the corresponding programmed detonation time. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein: each hole controller comprises pulsing circuitry for two-way communications to each detonator on an associated downline through an inductive pickup associated with each detonator. 17. The system of claim 15, wherein: global positioning system components are utilized to fix the location of each blasting hole in the corresponding blast site; anda radio frequency identification component of each detonator is utilized to identify the position sequence of each corresponding detonator down the blasting hole. 18. The electronic detonator of claim 15, wherein: the housing of each detonator comprises a generally puck shaped detonator housing having two through tunnels that extend through the puck;each detonator further comprises an inductor coupled to the detonator controller; andeach detonator is mounted to a booster having an interface that mates with the puck-shaped housing and a cord tunnel that extends through a housing of the booster so as to enable inductive communication with the inductor. 19. The electronic detonator of claim 18, wherein: each detonator is connected to an associated downline of the blasting network at a down hole by passing a wire through each of the two through tunnels in the puck, so as to end up with both ends of the wire at a hole collar while the detonator is in the center of the loop at the hole bottom or otherwise positioned along the length of the wire at a desired position within the hole such that an electrical pulse can pass through the inductor and return back to the generation source outside of the inductor to enable two way communications between the detonator and the corresponding hole controller.