EBW Detonator with Stepwise Increasing Bore

Three expls were used in experiments by Stresau et al RDX, TNT and Ammonium Pic-rate. In their previous experiments it had been shown that the energy required to initiate RDX by EBW can be substantially reduced by the judicious use of confinement. Data given in their report demonstrated the applicability of this principle to less sensitive expls such as TNT Ammonium Picrate. Practical implications of these results include 1) the possibility of eliminating PETN (which is undesirable because of its sensitivity and relatively poor thermal stability) from EBW systems  

2) the possibility of reducing the bulk and weight of such systems and 3) the possibility of developing EBW systems with very in- 

Freiwald (Addnl Ref Ad 160, pp 496 497) gives (in our translation) the following brief discussion on EBW which is called Explodirend Briickendraht in German  

Investigations of direct electric ignition of secondary expls such as PETN and RDX were carried out for more than 15 years, especially wirh exploding u/ires, where thin wires were rapidly evaporated under formation of a shock wave, thru abrupt application of high electric energy produced for example by a capacitor (condenser) discharge 

In an early application of EBW, a non-compacted PETN was ignited by wires of Pt, W, Cr-Ni alloy (with a thickness of 25pm), at an energy of ca 0-5W. Remarkable was the fact that several detonators exploded nearly simultaneously, i.e. within a difference of microseconds 

---