The invention relates to a method of disintegrating rock by synergism of melting and water streams and it is designed to be used especially in the drilling process, particularly of hard rocks.
The interaction of natural melt (magma or lava) in nature is known for thousands of years as one of the most monumental natural phenomenon - volcanic eruption accompanied by huge outpouring of hot ash.
This natural phenomenon, called hydro-magmatic explosion, has been a subject of scientific study, of explanation of its physical background, but also a subject of intensive creation of hypotheses, theories, models, mathematical descriptions and comprehensive theoretical systems, in the last half century.
But these works were aimed at obtaining more knowledge about physical process of interaction of water and melt, so that model of natural phenomenon could be specified. Several comprehensive works explaining and mathematically describing beginning and course of explosion or detonation, were created.
Experimental works of volcanologists, by which the rock melt is injected into larger volume of water or water stream is injected into melt, are described in literature.
All mechanisms of hydro-magmatic explosion, morphology of particles being formed, and conditions under which these processes occur, are described in detail in the mentioned literature. This professional literature also shows, that ongoing processes can be utilised for the benefit of drilling technique utilizing the interaction of plasma/rock/water.
In these publications, the authors describe the mechanisms of explosive interaction of water with melted rock.
The mentioned publications contain also more detailed description of morphology of forming particles.
Research of basic physical aspects of phreatomagmatic explosions::
Research of explosions by interaction of water with silicate melts:
Phreatomagmatic explosions of rhyolitic magma:
Research of the surface features of ash grains as an indicator of dynamic interaction of liquid water and magma:
The utilisation of this phenomenon in technical application is known neither in professional nor patent literature. No application for disintegrating rock and for the purposes of drilling in technical or geological formations is known. Patents related to the given field:
The aim of the present invention is to increase the efficiency of drilling process considerably, particularly of hard rocks, as process of synergism of thermal processes and water action.
The aim of the present invention is utilization of thermal processes with synergism of water and with utilization of conversion of thermal energy into kinetic energy of particles of disintegrated rock in the drilling process, particularly of hard rocks, in order to increase efficiency of drilling process.
Nature of method of disintegrating rock by melting and by synergism of water streams according to the present invention consists in that:
It is preferable if the water stream is interrupted in dependence on heat balance of heating process and in the time of realization of rock heating process by the energy flow.
Physical explosion, fragmentation process and conversion of heat energy into kinetic energy of fragmented particles movement occurs in the rock melt. The fragmented particles, that have been formed, create the eccentric flow of the particles, which undergo the reverse phase transition into the solid phase.
The eccentric flow of particles empties the action area of the heat flow, and the disintegrated rock by melting and by synergism of the water streams and prepares it for new action of the heat flow.
The water streams are directed into one direction or they are directed parallely with the direction of the heat flow action or they are directed tangentially around the area of the heat flow action or they are directed eccentrically from the area of the heat flow action, so that they disintegrate the rock by synergism of the water streams and local acting of heat flow, until phase transition of it into the melt occurs.
Heat flow and synergism of at least one water stream acts on the rock and the melt along the abscissa (linearly).
The action of the water streams, which act on the created melt along one side or from all sides of the created melt, is being interrupted in dependence on heat balance of heating process causing melting of the rock.
By repeating of process of disintegrating the rock by melting, the sphere of action extends into the depth of the rock.
By repeating of process of disintegrating the rock by melting successive on different rock area, the sphere of action extends sideways next to the original area.
Main advantage of solution according to the present invention is increasing the efficiency of drilling processes, particularly of hard rocks.
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