Back to results
US 12,709,944 B2Granted
Mass flow for non-contact boring
AssigneePhoenix Boring, Inc.
InventorsShivani Torres, Ryan Benson, Thorin Tobiassen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The systems and techniques described herein illustrate mass flow configurations for non-contact boring. Mass flow described herein may be utilized for various different purposes. In certain embodiments, a conical head may be disposed on the system of the non-contact boring system and may cause air to circulate in a manner that causes spoil to be airborne in front of the bore face, allowing for improved excavation of spoil generated by the non-contact boring.
Claims19
A system comprising
- a non-contact boring element configured to perform thermal spallation on a bore face of a borehole;
- a conical head comprising a spoil removal opening;
- a vacuum unit fluidically coupled to the spoil removal opening and configured to generate a vacuum to remove spoil created by the thermal spallation;
- a first sensor, configured to determine a rate of mass flow through the non-contact boring element;
- a second sensor, configured to determine an amount of the vacuum generated by the vacuum unit;
- and
- a controller, communicatively coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor, and configured to:
- receive the rate of mass flow through the non-contact boring element, determined by the first sensor;
- receive the amount of the vacuum, determined by the second sensor generated;
- and
- adjust operation of the non-contact boring element and/or the first vacuum unit based on the rate of mass flow, received from the first sensor, and the determined amount of the vacuum, received from the second sensor, wherein the operation, adjusted by the controller, is selected from the group consisting of power output, stand-off distance, and positioning of the non-contact boring element.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- performing, with a non-contact boring element, thermal spallation on a bore face of a borehole;
- generating, using a vacuum unit, a vacuum to remove spoil created by the thermal spallation;
- determining, with a first sensor, a rate of mass flow through the non-contact boring;
- determining, with a second sensor, an amount of the vacuum generated by a vacuum unit wherein the vacuum unit is fluidically coupled to a spoil removal opening in a conical head;
- and
- adjusting, with a controller, operation of the non-contact boring element and/or the vacuum unit based on the rate of mass flow, received from the first sensor, and the amount of the vacuum, received from the second sensor, wherein the operation, adjusted by the controller, is selected from the group consisting of power output, stand-off distance, and positioning of the non-contact boring element.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.