The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 03, 2015
Filed:
Dec. 22, 2009
Philipp Rudolf Von Rohr, Muttenz/BL, CH;
Tobias Rothenfluh, Zürich, CH;
Martin Schuler, Zürich, CH;
ETH Zurich, Zurich, CH;
Abstract
A method and a device to thermally fragment rock for excavation of vertical and directional boreholes in rock formations, preferentially hard rock, using highly exothermic reactions. Exothermic reactions are initiated directly in the pressurized, aqueous environment of a water-based drilling fluid preferably above the critical pressure of water (221 bar). After reaction onset temperatures within the reaction zone exceed the critical temperature for water (374° C.) providing supercritical conditions, which favor the stabilization of the reaction, e.g. a supercritical hydrothermal flame. Since reactions can be run directly in a water-based drilling fluid, the method proposed here allows high density drilling action as in conventional rotary drilling. A part from the hot reaction zone of the proposed reaction can be brought directly to the rock surface in case of hard polycrystalline rock, where high temperatures are required.