Blasting detonators incorporating semiconductor bridge technology

Conference · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994

OSTI ID:10151200

Bickes, Jr, R W

The enormity of the coal mine and extraction industries in Russia and the obvious need in both Russia and the US for cost savings and enhanced safety in those industries suggests that joint studies and research would be of mutual benefit. The author suggests that mine sites and well platforms in Russia offer an excellent opportunity for the testing of Sandia`s precise time-delay semiconductor bridge detonators, with the potential for commercialization of the detonators for Russian and other world markets by both US and Russian companies. Sandia`s semiconductor bridge is generating interest among the blasting, mining and perforation industries. The semiconductor bridge is approximately 100 microns long, 380 microns wide and 2 microns thick. The input energy required for semiconductor bridge ignition is one-tenth the energy required for conventional bridgewire devices. Because semiconductor bridge processing is compatible with other microcircuit processing, timing and logic circuits can be incorporated onto the chip with the bridge. These circuits can provide for the precise timing demanded for cast effecting blasting. Indeed tests by Martin Marietta and computer studies by Sandia have shown that such precise timing provides for more uniform rock fragmentation, less fly rock, reduce4d ground shock, fewer ground contaminants and less dust. Cost studies have revealed that the use of precisely timed semiconductor bridges can provide a savings of $200,000 per site per year. In addition to Russia`s vast mineral resources, the Russian Mining Institute outside Moscow has had significant programs in rock fragmentation for many years. He anticipated that collaborative studies by the Institute and Sandia`s modellers would be a valuable resource for field studies.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 10151200
• Report Number(s): SAND--94-1193C; CONF-9405136--13; ON: DE94011431; BR: GB0103012
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
012020
012030
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290500
42 ENGINEERING
422000
CHEMICAL EXPLOSIVES
COAL MINING
COMMERCIALIZATION
COORDINATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
DETONATORS
EXPLOSIVE FRACTURING
MARKET
MINING AND UNDERGROUND ENGINEERING
PERFORMANCE TESTING
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIALIZATION
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SURFACE MINING
UNDERGROUND MINING
USA