For the safety of citizens around the world, unexploded bombs remain a significant threat. In order to be able to remove these bombs more safely in the future, the Hannover Laser Center in Germany is working with local German companies to jointly develop bomb pointer-based bomb removal methods.
The traditional methods of removing bombs face great challenges and dangers. German KRD estimates that the number of weapons hidden in Germany underground is difficult to predict, with about 60,000 tons hidden underground. There is a very high risk of detonation during bomb removal, especially in complex ignition systems. Blasting dumb bombs is often their last resort.
In the DEFLAG project, project partners LZH and Laser on Demand are developing a procedure to remove bombs through targeted deflagration. In contrast to detonation, a lower pressure wave is generated during the deflagration process, and the explosive can only be converted to a small extent. The two parties cut the shell of the bomb through laser radiation and triggered a deflagration in the second step. By collaborating with KRD, the parties will build a field-compatible automated processing platform to safely remove dangerous unexploded bombs.
For this project, it is important not to exceed the critical temperature limit of the bottom surface of the material in order to remove the target object from the ablation laser pointer trench and ensure the flexibility of the process. To date, scientists from LZH have been able to cut steel plates up to 25 mm thick using a combination of fusion and flame removal processes.