Research on energetic demolition micro device for rapid fire rescue

During fire scenarios, establishing emergency escape routes rapidly inside buildings is the primary factor in improving fire survival rates, with fast and efficient demolition of windows acting as a critical technical measure. A shaped demolition device that integrates an energetic micro-trigger (based on an initiator—copper azide—titanium flyer) with the CL-20 energetic material is proposed. First, a blast pressure-strength matching model is established between the energetic materials and the materials to be demolished. Analysis indicated that a φ3 mm × 3 mm CL-20 generates a pressure of up to 35 GPa on tempered glass and thus realizes complete fragmentation of 10-mm-thick tempered glass within 600 μs. Second, the study establishes a theoretical model of the flyer velocity in the time domain, demonstrating an error of less than 7 % between the theoretical and experimental values of the flyer’s peak speed. Finally, in the demolition system, under 20 V/33 μF electrical stimulation, a φ1 mm × 1 mm copper azide can drive a titanium flyer of 40 ∼ 80 μm to detonate the CL-20 reliably and shatter 15-mm-thick tempered glass completely. The energetic micro-demolition device proposed in this study enables rapid, reliable destruction of high-strength window materials to create emergency escape routes. It improve trapped victims’ survival probability significantly in fire scenarios, thus demonstrating strong practical applicability.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Materials & Design
Published
2026-01-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2026.115496
Primary Topic
Structural Response to Dynamic Loads
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Research on energetic demolition micro device for rapid fire rescue

Chuan Xiao, Wenxing Kan, Hengzhen Feng, Jie Ren et al.
Materials & Design
Structural Response to Dynamic Loads
article

Research on energetic demolition micro device for rapid fire rescue

Chuan Xiao, Wenxing Kan, Hengzhen Feng, Jie Ren, Wenzhong Lou, Yi Lu, Dongjie Liao
article en

Abstract

During fire scenarios, establishing emergency escape routes rapidly inside buildings is the primary factor in improving fire survival rates, with fast and efficient demolition of windows acting as a critical technical measure. A shaped demolition device that integrates an energetic micro-trigger (based on an initiator—copper azide—titanium flyer) with the CL-20 energetic material is proposed. First, a blast pressure-strength matching model is established between the energetic materials and the materials to be demolished. Analysis indicated that a φ3 mm × 3 mm CL-20 generates a pressure of up to 35 GPa on tempered glass and thus realizes complete fragmentation of 10-mm-thick tempered glass within 600 μs. Second, the study establishes a theoretical model of the flyer velocity in the time domain, demonstrating an error of less than 7 % between the theoretical and experimental values of the flyer’s peak speed. Finally, in the demolition system, under 20 V/33 μF electrical stimulation, a φ1 mm × 1 mm copper azide can drive a titanium flyer of 40 ∼ 80 μm to detonate the CL-20 reliably and shatter 15-mm-thick tempered glass completely. The energetic micro-demolition device proposed in this study enables rapid, reliable destruction of high-strength window materials to create emergency escape routes. It improve trapped victims’ survival probability significantly in fire scenarios, thus demonstrating strong practical applicability.

Materials & DesignVol. 262
Sustainable cities and communities
Openalex Percentile: Top 88%
Structural Response to Dynamic Loads
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Research on energetic demolition micro device for rapid fire rescue — Chuan Xiao, Wenxing Kan, et al. · Materials & Design (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS