Method of and apparatus for gas generation

Claim 3

A method as specified in claim 1 wherein said filtering means comprises at least one layer of a woven fabric, and said cooling means comprises a fine mesh screen provided between said fabric and said combustible composition.

Claim 4

A method as specified in claim 2, wherein said combustible composition is in pelletized form, the pellets being so placed in said combustion chamber as to be uniformly distributed therein, and wherein said woven fabric comprises a fiberglass woven fabric that reacts with a product of the combustion process, an alkali metal oxide, to form an innocuous alkali metal silicate.

Claim 5

A method as specified in claim 2 wherein said product of the combustion process is caustic soda and said fiberglass woven fabric reacts with said caustic soda to form innocuous sodium silicate, and further comprising providing a diffuser chamber in surrounding relation to said combustion chamber, said diffuser chamber having gas discharge orifices, and providing filtering means and cooling means in said diffuser chamber between the gas discharge orifice of said combustion chamber and diffuser chamber, said diffuser chamber filtering means including a blanket of aluminum silicate to react with caustic soda particulate residue to form innocuous sodium silicate.

Claim 8

A method as specified in claim 5 wherein said filtering means comprises at least one layer of a woven fabric and said cooling means comprises a fine mesh screen provided between said fabric and said combustible composition.

Claim 9

A method as specified in claim 6 wherein said combustible composition is in pelletized form, the pellets being so placed in said combustion chamber as to be uniformly distributed therein, and wherein said woven fabric comprises a fiberglass woven fabric that reacts with a product of the combustion process, an alkali metal oxide, to form a innocuous alkali metal silicate.

Claim 10

A method as specified in claim 6 wherein said product of the combustion process is caustic soda and said fiberglass woven fabric reacts with said caustic soda to form innocuous sodium silicate, and further comprising providing a diffuser chamber in surrounding relation to said combustion chamber, said diffuser chamber having gas discharge orifices, and providing filtering means and cooling means in said diffuser chamber between the gas discharge orifice of said combustion chamber and diffuser chamber, said diffuser chamber filtering means including a blanket of aluminum silicate to react with caustic soda particulate residue to form innocuous sodium silicate.

Claim 11

A gas generator comprising: housing means defining a combustion chamber having first gas discharge orifice means; combustible gas generating means disposed in said combustion chamber, said generating means being operable upon ignition to produce gas and combustion products; and primary filter means disposed in said combustion chamber adjacent said orifice means to cool said gas and to trap said combustion products, said filter means including a substance proximate to said gas generating means, in close surrounding relation thereto, said substance being selected for its compatibility with the combustion process and having a surface which at the temperature and environment of the combustion process, begins to melt and becomes tacky at an early stage of the combustion process whereby the porosity of said filter means is reduced for a short interval of the combustion process function time while the acceleration and velocity of the generated gas are at a relatively low level, thereby preventing combustion products from being blown out of the combustion chamber through said orifice means and allowing such products to condense and become entrapped in said filter means, wherein said substance of said primary filter means is a woven fabric the fibers of which swell as they become tacky to increase the restrictive effect of said filter means to the flow of combustion products therethrough, such increased flow restrictive effect existing for a short interval only during the combustion process function period to retard the flow out of said combustion chamber of combustion products to increase the period for cooling thereof and thereby condensation and trapping of molten solid products of combustion by said filter means to minimize the quantity of such solid products of combustion that are blown out of said combustion chamber through said orifice means, and wherein said combustible gas generating means includes a plurality of pellets that are uniformly disposed in said combustion chamber and that are comprised of a compacted mixture of 66% sodium azide, 30% ferric oxide, 2% sulfur and 2% molybdenum disulfide.

Claim 12

A gas generator comprising: housing means defining a combustion chamber having first gas discharge orifice means; combustible gas generating means disposed in said combustion chamber, said generating means being operable upon ignition to produce gas and combustion products; and primary filter means disposed in said combustion chamber adjacent said orifice means to cool said gas and to trap said combustion products, said filter means including a substance proximate to said gas generating means, in close surrounding relation thereto, said substance being selected for its compatibility with the combustion process and having a surface which at the temperature and environment of the combustion process, begins to melt and becomes tacky at an early stage of the combustion process whereby the porosity of said filter means is reduced for a short interval of the combustion process function time while the acceleration and velocity of the generated gas are at a relatively low level, thereby preventing combustion products from being blown out of the combustion chamber through said orifice means and allowing such products to condense and become entrapped in said filter means, wherein said substance of said primary filter means is a woven fabric the fibers of which swell as they become tacky to increase the restrictive effect of said filter means to the flow of combustion products therethrough, such increased flow restrictive effect existing for a short interval only during the combustion process function period to retard the flow out of said combustion chamber of combustion products to increase the period for cooling thereof and thereby condensation and trapping of molten solid products of combustion by said filter means to minimize the quantity of such solid products of combustion that are blown out of said combustion chamber through said orifice means, and wherein said combustible gas generating means includes a plurality of pellets that are uniformly disposed in said combustion chamber and that are comprised of a compacted mixture of 66% sodium azide, 30% ferric oxide, 2% sulfur and 2% molybdenum disulfide.

Claim 13

A gas generator as specified in claim 9 wherein said substance of said primary filter means comprises a plurality of layers of a fiberglass woven fabric.

Claim 14

A gas generator as specified in claim 10 wherein said primary filter means includes a plurality of filter portions of which said fiberglass woven fabric comprises in interior portion, and wherein the portion of said primary filter means adjacent to said first gas discharge orifice means comprises at least one layer of a coarse screen and the portion of said filter means adjacent the gas generating means comprises a plurality of layers of fine mesh screen.

Claim 15

A gas generator as specified in claim 11 wherein said gas generating means and said primary filter means are contained in a rupturable hermetically sealed cartridge, and wherein said cartridge and said combustion chamber are both cylindrical in shape, said cartridge being concentrically arranged with respect to and substantially filling said combustion chamber.

Claim 16

A gas generator as specified in claim 12 wherein said housing means further includes wall means defining an annular space external of said combustion chamber, said wall means having second gas discharge orifices and further including secondary filter means in said annular space between said first and second orifice means further to cool said gas and trap combustion products, said secondary filter means including a plurality of filter portions of which an interior portion comprises aluminum silicate which reacts with caustic soda in the products of combustion to form sodium silicate.

Claim 17

A gas generator as specified in claim 13 wherein said gas generating means includes ignition means comprising a granular mixture of 15% by weight of boron and 85% of potassium nitrate plus or minus 10% for each component with the further addition of 3-10% of lead azide, said gas generating pellets surrounding said ignition means in contact therewith.

Claim 18

A gas generator as specified in claim 14 wherein said ignition means further includes an electric squib, a perforated tube and a rupturable metal foil sealed to the outer wall of said tube, said electric squib being disposed centrally in said tube with said granular mixture in surrounding relation and in contact therewith.

Claim 19

A gas generator comprising: housing means defining a combustion chamber having first gas discharge orifice means; combustible gas generating means disposed in said combustion chamber, said generating means being operable upon ignition to produce gas and combustion products; and primary filter means disposed in said combustion chamber adjacent said orifice means to cool said gas and to trap said combustion products, said filter means including a substance proximate to said gas generating means, in close surrounding relation thereto, said substance being selected for its compatibility with the combustion process and having a surface which at the temperature and environment of the combustion process, begins to melt and becomes tacky at an early stage of the combustion process whereby the porosity of said filter means is reduced for a short interval of the combustion process function time while the acceleration and velocity of the generated gases are at a relatively low level, thereby preventing combustion products from being blown out of the combustion chamber through said orifice means and allowing such products to condense and become entrapped in said filter means, wherein said substance of said primary filter means comprises a plurality of layers of a fiberglass woven fabric, wherein said primary filter means includes a plurality of filter portions of which said fiberglass woven fabric layers comprise an interior portion, wherein the portion of said primary filter means adjacent to said gas discharge orifice means comprises at least one layer of a coarse screen and the portion of said primary filter means adjacent the gas generating means comprises a plurality of layers of fine mesh screen, wherein the composition of said gas generating means is such that one of the products of combustion is an alkali metal oxide, said fiberglass woven fabric reacting chemically with said alkali metal oxide to produce an alkali metal silicate and to cause the fibers of said fiberglass woven fabric to swell and to be effective, as the pressure in said combustion chamber rises to a predetermined level, to restrict the flow of gas through said filter means thereby allowing molten products of combustion to cool and condense on said fine mesh screen, wherein said one of the products of combustion is caustic soda and the product of the reaction of said caustic soda with said fiberglass woven fabric is sodium silicate, wherein said generating means and said primary filter means are contained in a hermetically sealed cartridge, wherein said cartridge and said combustion chamber are both cylindrical in shape, said cartridge being concentrically arranged with respect to and substantially completely filling said combustion chamber, and wherein said housing means further includes wall means defining an annular space external of said combustion chamber, said wall means having second gas discharge orifice means, and further including secondary filter means in said annular space between said first and second orifice means further to cool said gas and trap combustion products, wherein said secondary filter means includes a plurality of filter portions, an intermediate portion of said secondary filter means comprising a blanket of aluminum silicate which reacts chemically with caustic soda to form sodium silicate, wherein said secondary filter means includes a standoff screen and a coarse screen between said first gas discharge orifice means and said blanket of aluminum silicate, and a fine screen between said blanket of aluminum silicate and said second gas discharge orifice means, and wherein said combustible gas generating means includes ignition means, said ignition means being disposed along the common cylindrical axis of said cartridge and combustion chamber, and wherein said gas generating means includes a plurality of pellets that are uniformly distributed in said cartridge in surrounding relation to said ignition means and that are comprised of a compacted mixture of about 65 weight percent to about 70 weight percent alkali metal azide, up to about 4 weight percent sulfur and from about 27 weight percent to about 33 weight percent molybdenum disulfide.

Claim 20

A gas generator comprising: housing means defining a combustion chamber having first gas discharge orifice means; combustible gas generating means disposed in said combustion chamber, said generating means being operable upon ignition to produce gas and combustion products; and primary filter means disposed in said combustion chamber adjacent said orifice means to cool said gas and to trap said combustion products, said filter means including a substance proximate to said gas generating means, in close surrounding relation thereto, said substance being selected for its compatibility with the combustion process and having a surface which at the temperature and environment of the combustion process, begins to melt and becomes tacky at an early stage of the combustion process whereby the porosity of said filter means is reduced for a short interval of the combustion process function time while the acceleration and velocity of the generated gases are at a relatively low level, thereby preventing combustion products from being blown out of the combustion chamber through said orifice means and allowing such products to condense and become entrapped in said filter means, wherein said substance of said primary filter means comprises a plurality of layers of a fiberglass woven fabric, wherein said primary filter means includes a plurality of filter portions of which said fiberglass woven fabric layers comprise an interior portion, wherein the portion of said primary filter means adjacent to said gas discharge orifice means comprises at least one layer of a coarse screen and the portion of said primary filter means adjacent the gas generating means comprises a plurality of layers of fine mesh screen, wherein the composition of said gas generating means is such that one of the products of combustion is an alkali metal oxide, said fiberglass woven fabric reacting chemically with said alkali metal oxide to produce an alkali metal silicate and to cause the fibers of said fiberglass woven fabric to swell and to be effective, as the pressure in said combustion chamber rises to a predetermined level, to restrict the flow of gas through said filter means thereby allowing molten products of combustion to cool and condense on said fine mesh screen, wherein said one of the products of combustion is caustic soda and the product of the reaction of said caustic soda with said fiberglass woven fabric is sodium silicate, wherein said generating means and said primary filter means are contained in a hermetically sealed cartridge, wherein said cartridge and said combustion chamber are both cylindrical in shape, said cartridge being concentrically arranged with respect to and substantially completely filling said combustion chamber, and wherein said housing means further includes wall means defining an annular space external of said combustion chamber, said wall means having second gas discharge orifice means, and further including secondary filter means in said annular space between said first and second orifice means further to cool said gas and trap combustion products, wherein said secondary filter means includes a plurality of filter portions, an intermediate portion of said secondary filter means comprising a blanket of aluminum silicate which reacts chemically with caustic soda to form sodium silicate, wherein said secondary filter means includes a standoff screen and a coarse screen between said first gas discharge orifice means and said blanket of aluminum silicate, and a fine screen between said blanket of aluminum silicate and said second gas discharge orifice means, and wherein said combustible gas generating means includes ignition means, said ignition means being disposed along the common cylindrical axis of said cartridge and combustion chamber, and wherein said gas generating means includes a plurality of pellets that are uniformly distributed in said cartridge in surrounding relation to said ignition means and that are comprised of a compacted mixture of about 65 weight percent to about 70 weight percent alkali metal azide, up to about 4 weight percent sulfur and from about 27 weight percent to about 33 weight percent molybdenum disulfide.

Claim 21

A gas generator as specified in claim 16 wherein said pellets are comprised of a compacted mixture of about 68 weight percent sodium azide, about 2 weight percent sulfur and about 30 weight percent molybdenum disulfide.

Claim 22

A gas generator comprising: housing means defining a combustion chamber having first gas discharge orifice means; combustible gas generating means disposed in said combustion chamber, said generating means being operable upon ignition to produce gas and combustion products; and primary filter means disposed in said combustion chamber adjacent said orifice means to cool said gas and to trap said combustion products, said filter means including a substance proximate to said gas generating means, in close surrounding relation thereto, said substance being selected for its compatibility with the combustion process and having a surface which at the temperature and environment of the combustion process, begins to melt and becomes tacky at an early stage of the combustion process whereby the porosity of said filter means is reduced for a short interval of the combustion process function time while the acceleration and velocity of the generated gases are at a relatively low level, thereby preventing combustion products from being blown out of the combustion chamber through said orifice means and allowing such products to condense and become entrapped in said filter means, wherein said substance of said primary filter means is a woven fabric the fibers of which swell as they become tacky to increase the restrictive effect of said filter means to the flow of combustion products therethrough, such increased flow restrictive effect existing for a short interval only during the combustion process function period to retard the flow out of said combustion chamber of combustion products to increase the period for cooling thereof and thereby condensation and trapping of molten solid products of combustion by said filter means to minimize the quantity of such solid products of combustion that are blown out of said combustion chamber through said orifice means, and wherein said combustible gas generating means includes a plurality of pellets that are uniformly disposed in said combustion chamber and that are comprised of a compacted mixture of about 65 weight percent to about 70 weight percent alkali metal azide, up to about 4 weight percent sulfur, and from about 27 weight percent to about 33 weight percent molybdenum disulfide.

Claim 23

A gas generator comprising: housing means defining a combustion chamber having first gas discharge orifice means; combustible gas generating means disposed in said combustion chamber, said generating means being operable upon ignition to produce gas and combustion products; and primary filter means disposed in said combustion chamber adjacent said orifice means to cool said gas and to trap said combustion products, said filter means including a substance proximate to said gas generating means, in close surrounding relation thereto, said substance being selected for its compatibility with the combustion process and having a surface which at the temperature and environment of the combustion process, begins to melt and becomes tacky at an early stage of the combustion process whereby the porosity of said filter means is reduced for a short interval of the combustion process function time while the acceleration and velocity of the generated gases are at a relatively low level, thereby preventing combustion products from being blown out of the combustion chamber through said orifice means and allowing such products to condense and become entrapped in said filter means, wherein said substance of said primary filter means is a woven fabric the fibers of which swell as they become tacky to increase the restrictive effect of said filter means to the flow of combustion products therethrough, such increased flow restrictive effect existing for a short interval only during the combustion process function period to retard the flow out of said combustion chamber of combustion products to increase the period for cooling thereof and thereby condensation and trapping of molten solid products of combustion by said filter means to minimize the quantity of such solid products of combustion that are blown out of said combustion chamber through said orifice means, and wherein said combustible gas generating means includes a plurality of pellets that are uniformly disposed in said combustion chamber and that are comprised of a compacted mixture of about 65 weight percent to about 70 weight percent alkali metal azide, up to about 4 weight percent sulfur, and from about 27 weight percent to about 33 weight percent molybdenum disulfide.

Claim 24

A gas generator as specified in claim 18 wherein said pellets are comprised of a compacted mixture of about 68 weight percent sodium azide, about 2 weight percent sulfur and about 30 weight percent molybdenum disulfide.

Claim 25

A gas generator as specified in claim 18 wherein said substance of said primary filter means comprises a plurality of layers of a fiberglass woven fabric.

Claim 26

A gas generator as specified in claim 20 wherein said primary filter means includes a plurality of filter portions of which said fiberglass woven fabric comprises an interior portion and wherein the portion of said primary filter means adjacent to said first gas discharge orifice means comprises at least one layer of a coarse screen and the portion of said filter means adjacent the gas generating means comprises a plurality of layers of fine mesh screen.

Claim 27

A gas generator as specified in claim 21 wherein said gas generating means and said primary filter means are contained in rupturable hermetically sealed cartridge, and wherein said cartridge and said combustion chamber are both cylindrical in shape, said cartridge being concentrically arranged with respect to and substantially filling said combustion chamber.

Claim 28

A gas generator means as specified in claim 22 wherein said housing means further includes wall means defining an annular space external of said combustion chamber, said wall means having filter means in said annular space between said first and second orifice means further to cool said gas and trap combustion products, said second filter means including a plurality of filter portions of which an interior portion comprises aluminum silicate which reacts with caustic soda in the combustion products to form sodium silicate.

Claim 29

A gas generator as specified in claim 23 wherein said gas generating means includes ignition means comprising a granular mixture of 15% by weight of boron and 85% of potassium nitrate plus or minus 10% for each component with the further addition of 3 to 10% lead azide said gas generating pellets surrounding said ignition means in contact therewith.

Claim 30

A gas generator as defined in claim 24 wherein said ignition means further includes an electric squib, a perforated tube and a rupturable metal foil sealed to the outer wall of said tube, said electric squib being centrally of said tube with said granular mixture in surrounding relation and in contact therewith.

Claim 31

A gas generator comprising: housing means defining a combustion chamber having first gas discharge orifice means; combustible gas generating means disposed in said combustion chamber, said generating means being operable upon ignition to produce gas and combustion products; and primary filter means disposed in said combustion chamber adjacent said orifice means to cool said gas and to trap said combustion products, said filter means including a substance proximate to said gas generating means, in close surrounding relation thereto, said substance being selected for its compatibility with the combustion process and having a surface which at the temperature and environment of the combustion process, begins to melt and becomes tacky at an early stage of the combustion process whereby the porosity of said filter means is reduced for a short interval of the combustion process function time while the acceleration and velocity of the generated gases are at a relatively low level, thereby preventing combustion products from being blown out of the combustion chamber through said orifice means and allowing such products to condense and become entrapped in said filter means, wherein said substance of said primary filter means comprises a plurality of layers of a fiberglass woven fabric, wherein said primary filter means includes a plurality of filter portions of which said fiberglass woven fabric layers comprise an interior portion, wherein the portion of said primary filter means adjacent to said gas discharge orifice means comprises at least one layer of a coarse screen and the portion of said primary filter means adjacent the gas generating means comprises a plurality of layers of fine mesh screen, wherein the composition of said gas generating means is such that one of the products of combustion is an alkali metal oxide, said fiberglass woven fabric reacting chemically with said alkali metal oxide to produce an alkali metal silicate and to cause the fibers of said fiberglass woven fabric to swell and to be effective, as the pressure in said combustion chamber rises to a predetermined level, to restrict the flow of gas through said filter means thereby allowing molten products of combustion to cool and condense on said fine mesh screen, wherein said one of the products of combustion is caustic soda and the product of the reaction of said caustic soda with said fiberglass woven fabric is sodium silicate, wherein said generating means and said primary filter means are contained in a hermetically sealed cartridge, wherein said cartridge and said combustion chamber are both cylindrical in shape, said cartridge being concentrically arranged with respect to and substantially completely filling said combustion chamber, and wherein said housing means further includes wall means defining an annular space external of said combustion chamber, said wall means having second gas discharge orifice means, and further including secondary filter means in said annular space between said first and second orifice means further to cool said gas and trap combustion products, wherein said secondary filter means includes a plurality of filter portions, an intermediate portion of said secondary filter means comprising a blanket of aluminum silicate which reacts chemically with caustic soda to form sodium silicate, wherein said secondary filter means includes a standoff screen and a coarse screen between said first gas discharge orifice means and said blanket of aluminum silicate, and a fine screen between said blanket of aluminum silicate and said second gas discharge orifice means, and wherein said combustible gas generating means includes ignition means, said ignition means being disposed along the common cylindrical axis of said cartridge and combustion chamber, and wherein said gas generating means includes a plurality of pellets that are uniformly distributed in said cartridge in surrounding relation to said ignition means and that are comprised of a compacted mixture of 66% sodium azide, 30% ferric oxide, 2% sulfur and 2% molybdenum disulfide.

Claim 32

A gas generator comprising: housing means defining a combustion chamber having first gas discharge orifice means; combustible gas generating means disposed in said combustion chamber, said generating means being operable upon ignition to produce gas and combustion products; and primary filter means disposed in said combustion chamber adjacent said orifice means to cool said gas and to trap said combustion products, said filter means including a substance proximate to said gas generating means, in close surrounding relation thereto, said substance being selected for its compatibility with the combustion process and having a surface which at the temperature and environment of the combustion process, begins to melt and becomes tacky at an early stage of the combustion process whereby the porosity of said filter means is reduced for a short interval of the combustion process function time while the acceleration and velocity of the generated gases are at a relatively low level, thereby preventing combustion products from being blown out of the combustion chamber through said orifice means and allowing such products to condense and become entrapped in said filter means, wherein said substance of said primary filter means comprises a plurality of layers of a fiberglass woven fabric, wherein said primary filter means includes a plurality of filter portions of which said fiberglass woven fabric layers comprise an interior portion, wherein the portion of said primary filter means adjacent to said gas discharge orifice means comprises at least one layer of a coarse screen and the portion of said primary filter means adjacent the gas generating means comprises a plurality of layers of fine mesh screen, wherein the composition of said gas generating means is such that one of the products of combustion is an alkali metal oxide, said fiberglass woven fabric reacting chemically with said alkali metal oxide to produce an alkali metal silicate and to cause the fibers of said fiberglass woven fabric to swell and to be effective, as the pressure in said combustion chamber rises to a predetermined level, to restrict the flow of gas through said filter means thereby allowing molten products of combustion to cool and condense on said fine mesh screen, wherein said one of the products of combustion is caustic soda and the product of the reaction of said caustic soda with said fiberglass woven fabric is sodium silicate, wherein said generating means and said primary filter means are contained in a hermetically sealed cartridge, wherein said cartridge and said combustion chamber are both cylindrical in shape, said cartridge being concentrically arranged with respect to and substantially completely filling said combustion chamber, and wherein said housing means further includes wall means defining an annular space external of said combustion chamber, said wall means having second gas discharge orifice means, and further including secondary filter means in said annular space between said first and second orifice means further to cool said gas and trap combustion products, wherein said secondary filter means includes a plurality of filter portions, an intermediate portion of said secondary filter means comprising a blanket of aluminum silicate which reacts chemically with caustic soda to form sodium silicate, wherein said secondary filter means includes a standoff screen and a coarse screen between said first gas discharge orifice means and said blanket of aluminum silicate, and a fine screen between said blanket of aluminum silicate and said second gas discharge orifice means, and wherein said combustible gas generating means includes ignition means, said ignition means being disposed along the common cylindrical axis of said cartridge and combustion chamber, and wherein said gas generating means includes a plurality of pellets that are uniformly distributed in said cartridge in surrounding relation to said ignition means and that are comprised of a compacted mixture of 66% sodium azide, 30% ferric oxide, 2% sulfur and 2% molybdenum disulfide.