Exploding-bridgewire detonator

Image from the exploding-bridgewire detonator patent. Fig. 2 is a detail of Fig. 1.
  1. Housing
  2. High explosive
  3. Fuse wire
  4. Lead-in wire
  5. Lead-in wire
  6. Insulating support
  7. Cambrick tubing
  8. Dividing portion of the support
  9. (Nothing labeled)
  10. Condenser (capacitor)
  11. Switch
  12. Battery

The exploding-bridgewire detonator (EBW, also known as exploding wire detonator) is a type of detonator used to initiate the detonation reaction in explosive materials, similar to a blasting cap because it is fired using an electric current. EBWs use a different physical mechanism than blasting caps, using more electricity delivered much more rapidly. They explode with more precise timing after the electric current is applied by the process of exploding wire. The precise timing of exploding wire detonators compared with other types of detonators has led to their common use in nuclear weapons.[1]

The slapper detonator is a more recent development along similar lines.

  1. ^ Cooper, Paul W. (1996). "Exploding bridgewire detonators". Explosives Engineering. Wiley-VCH. pp. 353–367. ISBN 0-471-18636-8.