Hyper-Pressure Pulse Excavator
AssigneeTempress Technologies, Inc.
InventorJack J. Kolle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hyper-pressure water cannon, or pulse excavator, is able to discharge fluid pulses at extremely high velocities to fracture a rock face in excavation applications. A compressed water cannon can be used to generate hyper-pressure pulses by discharging the pulse into a straight nozzle section which leads to a convergent tapered nozzle. The hyper-pressure water cannon design is relatively compact, and the pulse generator can readily be maneuvered to cover the face of an excavation as part of a mobile mining system.
Claims23
A hyper-pressure water cannon system for producing a fluid pulse comprising:
- a pressure vessel configured to couple to a source of pressurized fluid, the pressure vessel comprising a dump valve;
- and
- a nozzle comprising a straight section and a convergent tapered section, the nozzle coupled to the pressure vessel after the dump valve,
- wherein pressurized fluid discharged from the pressure vessel by the dump valve increases in velocity as it travels through the nozzle.
A method of producing a fluid jet pulse with discharge velocity of 1 to 2 km/s, comprising:
- charging a pressure vessel to 100 to 400 MPa with a water-based fluid;
- releasing the water-based fluid though a discharge passage with a dump valve;
- directing the flow of the water-based fluid into an elongated straight nozzle section;
- and
- directing the flow of the water-based fluid into an elongated convergent tapered section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.