Ram accelerator augmented drilling system
AssigneeHypersciences, Inc.
InventorsMARK C. RUSSELL, LANCE D. UNDERWOOD, TRISTEN CUTSHALL
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems for drilling or tunneling include an assembly for accelerating a projectile into a region of geologic material. An interaction between the projectile and the geologic material extends a borehole and forms debris. The debris may be reduced in size by moving the debris to a crushing device. The reduced-size debris is then moved toward the surface using fluid movement. Water jets or other types of devices may be used to cut or deform a perimeter of a region of geologic material before the projectile is accelerated to control the shape of the borehole and the manner in which debris is broken from the geologic material.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a projectile assembly comprising:
- a first launch tube having a first end oriented toward a region of geologic material;
- a first projectile within the first launch tube;
- a first propellant material within the first launch tube, wherein ignition of the first propellant material applies a force to the first projectile to accelerate the first projectile out from the first launch tube and into contact with the region of the geologic material to extend a borehole within the geologic material, and wherein an interaction between the first projectile and the geologic material generates debris proximate to the region of the geologic material, and at least a portion of the debris has a first size that at least partially impedes movement of the debris using a fluid;
- and
- a crushing assembly comprising:
- a crushing device within the borehole, wherein the crushing device reduces the at least a portion of the debris from the first size to a second size;
- and
- a first conduit within the borehole, wherein the fluid within the first conduit moves the at least a portion of the debris having the second size away from the region of geologic material.
A method comprising:
- accelerating a projectile into contact with a region of geologic material to extend a borehole, wherein an interaction between the projectile and the geologic material forms debris having a first size that at least partially impedes movement of the debris away from the region of geologic material;
- crushing the debris with a crushing device to reduce the debris from the first size to a second size;
- and
- moving the debris having the second size away from the region of geologic material.
A system comprising:
- a first conduit having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
- a first projectile;
- a first propellant material, wherein the first propellant material applies a force to the first projectile to accelerate the first projectile into contact with a region of geologic material, and an interaction between the first projectile and the geologic material generates debris having a first size that at least partially impedes movement of the debris;
- and
- a crushing device, wherein the crushing device reduces the debris having the first size to form debris having a second size smaller than the first size.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.