Borehole sealing and improved foam properties for controlled foam injection (CFI) fragmentation of hard compact materials

Apparatus comprising:

• a rock or concrete breaker further comprising:
• a barrel having a proximal end and a distal end,
• a conical tip bulb radially extending from the distal end of the barrel and configured for fitting within a borehole and pressing against an inner wall of the borehole,
• a proximal end of the conical tip bulb being configured as a cone for capturing and pressing particulate sealing material against the inner wall of the borehole,
• a crush tube having a proximal end and a distal end and concentrically mounted externally on the barrel and configured for sliding back and forth on the barrel with the distal end of the crush tube variably spaced from the tip bulb on the distal end of the barrel, for packing particulate sealing material in an annular seal cavity formed between the barrel and the inner wall of the borehole, the distal end of the crush tube and the tip bulb,
• a groove extending lengthwise along an exterior surface of the barrel, the groove having a distal end and a proximal end,
• a nose cone having a proximal end and a distal end and configured for holding the proximal end of the barrel,
• a cylinder mounted in the nose cone with an inner piston configured for receiving and securing the proximal end of the crush tube and driving the crush tube back and forth on an outer surface of the barrel, between an extended position and a retracted position,
• first and second inlets in the nose cone, the first inlet being configured for connecting with the proximal end of the groove when the crush tube is in the retracted position, the second inlet positioned in the nose cone and configured for connecting with the groove when the crush tube is in an at least partially extended position,
• a particulate sealing material and a delivery fluid selectively connected to and disconnected from the first inlet and configured for providing the particulate sealing material by the delivery fluid to the first inlet and through the first inlet, through the groove and out of the groove to the annular seal cavity formed between the barrel, the inner wall of the borehole and limited lengthwise by the distal end of the crush tube and the conical tip bulb,
• wherein the particulate material is trapped in the annular seal cavity by the distal end of the crush tube and the conical tip bulb,
• and the piston connected to the proximal end of the crush tube adapted for reciprocating the crush tube toward and away from the conical tip bulb and packing the particulate sealing material radially outward so as to form a tight annular seal of highly crushed and compacted particulate sealing material in the annular cavity,
• a wash out fluid selectively connected to and disconnected from the second inlet and configured for delivering wash out fluid through the second inlet and the groove, cleaning out the annular seal cavity between the inner wall of the borehole, the barrel, the distal end of the crush tube and the conical tip bulb during at least a portion of travel of the crush tube relative to the barrel.