A plasma generator is provided for initiation of propellant charges in a weapons system, for example when launching projectiles from a barrel weapon, by electrical discharge between a rear electrode and a front electrode in a combustion chamber channel enclosed in a combustion chamber body and filled with filling gas, designed to ignite at least one propellant charge. An ammunition unit and a launching device including the plasma generator are also provided.

A plasma generator is provided for initiation of propellant charges in a weapons system, for example when launching projectiles from a barrel weapon, by electrical discharge between a rear electrode and a front electrode in a combustion chamber channel enclosed in a combustion chamber body and filled with filling gas, designed to ignite at least one propellant charge. An ammunition unit and a launching device including the plasma generator are also provided.

In an aspect of the invention there is provided an integrated circuit initiator device that comprises a circuit substrate provided with an electrical insulating layer; an electrical conducting bridge circuit deposited on the insulating layer; said bridge circuit patterned as contact areas and a bridge structure connecting the contact areas, said bridge structure arranged for forming a plasma when the bridge structure is fused by a initiator circuit that contacts the contact areas; and a polymer layer that is spin-coated on the bridge structure, for forming a flyer that is propelled away from the substrate.

In an aspect of the invention there is provided an integrated circuit initiator device that comprises a circuit substrate provided with an electrical insulating layer; an electrical conducting bridge circuit deposited on the insulating layer; said bridge circuit patterned as contact areas and a bridge structure connecting the contact areas, said bridge structure arranged for forming a plasma when the bridge structure is fused by a initiator circuit that contacts the contact areas; and a polymer layer that is spin-coated on the bridge structure, for forming a flyer that is propelled away from the substrate.

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for use in initiating explosives used in application including well perforating systems. The initiator uses an air gap separating an electrically triggered semiconductor bridge plasma energy creator and a reactive foil abutting an explosive.

The invention relates to a method for the repeatable initiation of propellent charges in a weapon system, for example in the firing of projectiles from a barrel weapon, through electrical discharge between a rear electrode (22) and a front electrode (21) in a combustion chamber channel (3) filled with filler gas and comprising a combustion chamber combustion element (30), in which the filler gas in the combustion chamber channel (3) is ionized via a high-voltage potential from at least one ionizing electrode (100, 101, 102, 103), which ionization increases the electrical conductivity in the combustion chamber channel (3) so that an electrical flashover, through electrical discharge via a high-voltage generator (5) between the rear electrode (22) and the front electrode (21), is generated from the rear electrode (22) via at least one ionizing electrode (100, 101, 102, 103) onward to the front electrode (21), which results in hot ignition gas with plasma-like state being expelled from the combustion chamber channel (3). The invention also relates to a plasma generator for the said method, and to an ammunition unit comprising the said plasma generator.