Method and apparatus for a plasma-hydraulic continuous excavation system

A method of breaking rock using plasma-hydraulic projectors, comprising:

• providing a first plurality of plasma-hydraulic projectors that each comprise a plurality of electrodes forming at least a first gap;
• providing a liquid, wherein said liquid occupies at least a portion of said at least a first gap of each of said projectors;
• providing a plurality of enclosures, wherein at least a first enclosure is provided for each of said plasma-hydraulic projectors;
• interconnecting a high voltage supply cable to an end of an electrode within an interior of each of said enclosures;
• providing a high voltage across a gap of each of said projectors using transformers interconnected to a voltage source in parallel;
• positioning said projectors adjacent a rock surface;
• and
• providing an electrical current to each gap of said projectors from a current source interconnected to said projectors in series to ignite said projectors, wherein a breakdown voltage of said liquid is exceeded, and wherein said rock surface adjacent of said projectors is broken.

An ignition circuit for a plasma-hydraulic mining system, comprising:

• a plurality of projectors interconnected to one another in series, wherein each of said projectors includes:
• at least a first hot electrode;
• at least a first ground electrode;
• a gap between said at least a first hot electrode and said at least a first ground electrode;
• a trigger circuit, including:
• a voltage source;
• a trigger circuit switch in series with said voltage source;
• a plurality of primary windings interconnected to said voltage source in parallel, wherein each of said primary windings comprises a primary winding of a voltage transformer;
• a plurality of secondary windings, wherein each of said secondary windings comprises a secondary winding of said voltage transformer, wherein for each of said gaps a one of said secondary windings interconnects said at least a first hot electrode and said at least a first ground electrode, wherein each of said plurality of secondary windings is paired with a one of said primary windings, and wherein a polarity of each of said transformers is alternated so that a potential between interconnected electrodes is zero;
• and
• a current source circuit interconnected to said series interconnected projectors.

A method of igniting a plurality of plasma-hydraulic projector gaps, comprising:

• interconnecting said projector gaps to one another in series;
• providing a first voltage potential across said projector gaps from a voltage source circuit;
• and
• providing a source of current to said series interconnected projector gaps, wherein a current is conducted across said projector gaps to ignite said projector gaps, whereby a plasma is created in a liquid to create a high pressure shock wave capable of fracturing rock.