Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
h a l f b a k e r y
What was the question again?

idea: add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random

meta: news, help, about, links, report a problem

account: browse anonymously, or get an account and write.

user:
pass:
register,


                               

Please log in.
Before you can vote, you need to register. Please log in or create an account.

Bomb-absorbing Water Balloon

Compact,
  (+3, -1)
(+3, -1)
  [vote for,
against]

In every government facility, or large building, train station or airport, bombing attempts are serious threats. Throwing the bomb (or suspected bomb, including the suspect?) down some bomb hole isn't always an option, but encasing it/him is. A large metal shell is not very portable but a huge water balloon should do the trick.

This large water balloon would be included wherever fire hoses are, for convenience of filling up. When a threat is deemed worthy of the balloon, place the balloon over purported explosive, fill up and you have a huge water balloon over it, ready to absorb any explosion.

Or it will redirect the bomb's blast into the floor, doing more damage than expected.

twitch, Jan 13 2009

[link]






       The dam busting bouncing bombs were intended to detonate in close contact with the dam, the water providing resistance to maximise damage to the wall; so yes, it probably would increase damage to the floor. But that's likely to be a better scenario.
spidermother, Jan 13 2009
  

       hmm.... might be worth researching but my kneejerk reaction is that blowing a few windows out is better than doing structural damage to the floor as well as attendant water damage.
FlyingToaster, Jan 13 2009
  

       hmm take 2, ya know, flashing a ton or two of water into steam usually isn't that good an idea.
FlyingToaster, Jan 13 2009
  

       A fun fireworks game: Fill a 2-liter plastic bottle with water and launch bottle-rockets down into it. They go off with a thump, and the bottle jumps and sprays a bit. It's quiet-ish but messy.   

       Dunno how that's relevant, but it implies that this idea will at least cut down on noise. Otherwise, yeah, it's tamping or whatever that is to direct a blast. It will help in some cases, such as outdoor bombs with only ground underneath. I think it will be a good addition to a bomb-squad's kit, so I'm croissanting.
baconbrain, Jan 13 2009
  

       Bit tangential to the post, but rather than a solid concrete blast container, a double-walled kevlar tube that's semi-disposable... just fill the wall with water.
FlyingToaster, Jan 13 2009
  

       Is water more effective than, say, sand?
MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 13 2009
  

       Water outlets are more common than sand outlets.
FlyingToaster, Jan 13 2009
  

       I thought this was an anti-grenade water balloon intended to slow lightweight projectiles (shrapnel) by being thrown or placed on top of an active grenade. This 3mm-walled anti-grenade water balloon would double as a refillable thermos or giant hip flask. You could then rationalize the abundance of alcohol as a safety precaution.
Ketchupybread, Jan 13 2009
  

       [FlyingToaster] To heat 1000 kg of water from 20°C to 100°C requires about 335 MJ. To boil it requires a furthur 2,256 MJ. Total 2,591 MJ. This is the energy given off by 392 kg of detonating nitroglycerine. No chemical explosive greatly exceeds nitroglycerine's power, so as long as several times as much water as explosive is used the water won't all be converted to steam.
spidermother, Jan 26 2009
  

       I think the idea's interesting enough to experiment on, except for the actual "balloon" idea (sorry [twitch]) which would simply cause an incredible amount of damage to the floor.
FlyingToaster, Jan 26 2009
  

       Nobody here mentioned the Mythbusters episode "guts and grenades" yet? They tested how much jumping on a hand grenade would reduce shrapnel injuries to bystanders. They also tested the effect of dropping the grenade into a bucket of water, which indeed reduced shrapnel damage significantly. However, the water was thrown around instead of it turning into steam. Most non-Hollywood explosions cause pressure waves (and shrapnel) rather than heat. I'd imagine the water balloon to be useful if you wanted to reduce damage to the surroundings, or if you need more time for evacuating the area.
Forthur, Jan 26 2009
  

       What we need is some kind of inexpensive powdered additive which would make the water thixotropic; perhaps a mixture of cornflour, sugar, milk solids, and synthetic vanilla. It could be stored in the balloon until required. The action of filling the balloon from a fire hose should mix the powder into the water sufficiently,   

       I call it: Containment Utilising Starch Thixotropy Available for Rapid Deployment
BunsenHoneydew, Feb 05 2009
  

       Why would tossing guck around be preferable to tossing water around ?   

       [edit] ohhhh <wince>
FlyingToaster, Feb 05 2009
  

       [BunsenHoneydew] We are not worthy.
AbsintheWithoutLeave, Feb 05 2009
  

       //thixotropic// sp. dilatant
spidermother, Feb 08 2009
  
      
[annotate]
  


 

back: main index

business  computer  culture  fashion  food  halfbakery  home  other  product  public  science  sport  vehicle