Fuse (explosives)
In an explosive device, a fuse is an ignition source. This can take many different forms, the simplest being a length of combustible material which burns from the free end down to a small opening in the casing, where it then ignites the explosive material. More modern forms of fuze, also often called "detonators", include:
- a time fuze detonates after a set time (the simple length mentioned above falls into this category, but more modern ones use electronic timers). See also Detonating cord.
- a contact detonator explodes on impact
- a proximity fuze causes a missile to explode when comes within a certain distance to the target, usually using radar or sonar
- a remote detonator uses wires or radio waves to cause the explosive to explode on command
- an altitude fuze causes a bomb to explode at a certain altitude (which may be either above sea level or above ground), usually either by radar much like a proximity fuze, or by means of a barometric altimeter
See also
