Explosive Containment Technique Leads to Patent
Explosive Containment Technique Leads to Patent
By Kenneth A. Stewart
SeaBees from the 30th Naval Construction Regiment and Indonesian service members utilize former NPS student Lt. Deward Cummings' explosive containment technique. Cummings was awarded a patent for his technique, which he hopes will allow people in conflict zones to mitigate the effects of Explosive Remnants of War (ERW), Jan 12.
"Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) are a global problem contributing to instability in undeveloped and developing regions of the world. They have become a primary component used in Improvised Explosive Device (IED) fabrication, posing a direct threat to the U.S. military and its strategic partners.
"Finding and safely removing and disposing of ERW in a timely manner is a principal problem affecting stability. In most cases, neither localized disposal capacity, nor safe and secure storage solutions exist. As a result, ERW remain a threat and hindrance to stabilization even after being discovered or collected," said Cummings.
Cummings also notes that ERW poses a safety risk to civilian populations who may inadvertently stumble upon them and cause them to detonate. With affected populations in mind, Cummings strove to develop a solution that was locally sustainable and affordable.
"The only thing that we provide is the knowledge on how to build an explosive collection point using this technique," said Cummings. "It's the old teach a man to fish analogy."
And while Cummings is very proud of his patent, he insists that he patented it to keep it open source and available to the public and not to profit from it personally.
"We didn't patent it to protect the design for our use, we patented it to ensure that it will remain open source for everyone to use," said Cumming.
Cummings has moved on, but the work he did at NPS continues to gain traction. At a recent innovation workshop sponsored by the Naval Warfare Development Command and Old Dominion University, Cummings was named "Technical Innovation Presentation Winner" after showcasing his invention and taking question from an audience.