NOVEL MECHANICAL TYPES INVOLVE TURBINES, PELLETS, IMPLOSION, ULTRASONICS, SPARKS

MECHANICAL NOVEL DRILLS ARE DEFINED IN THIS STUDY AS THOSE WHICH REMOVE ROCK BY MECHANICALLY INDUCED STRESSES. ENERGY SOURCES FOR THESE DRILLS ARE NOT NECESSARILY MECHANICAL AS EVIDENCED BY THE PRESENCE OF EXPLOSIVE, EROSION, AND SPARK DRILLS IN THIS CLASSIFICATION. THESE DRILLS INDUCE MECHANICAL STRESSES IN THE ROCK BY IMPACT, EROSION, AND ABRASION. THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF DRILLS ARE REVIEWED: TURBINE DRILLS, PELLET DRILLS, CONTINOUS PENETRATORS, IMPLOSION DRILLS, ULTRASONIC DRILLS, SPARK DRILLS, EXPLOSIVE DRILLS, AND EROSION DRILLS. MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS NEED TO BE MADE IN THE EFFICIENCY OF THE SINGLE-STAGE TURBINE OR IN THE ROCK-REMOVAL MECHANISM BEFORE SINGLE-STAGE TURBINE DRILLS CAN COMPETE WITH ROTARY DRILLS. PELLET DRILLS DEMONSTRATED THEY CAN DRILL EVEN THE HARDEST ROCKS, BUT THE DRILLING RATES WERE LOW DUE TO LOW POWER OUTPUT. THE NECESSARY HIGH THRUST MAKES THE CONTINUOUS PENETRATOR IMPRACTICAL EXCEPT FOR DRILLING VERY WEAK ROCKS. IMPLOSION DRILLS SEEM TO HAVE LITTLE POTENTIAL FOR DRILLING OIL WELLS BECAUSE OF THEIR LOW POWER OUTPUT AND HIGH CAPSULE REQUIREMENT. BECAUSE OF THEIR LOW DRILLING RATES, ULTRASONIC DRILLS APPEAR TO HAVE LITTLE POTENTIAL UNLESS MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE IN THE ROCK REMOVAL MECHANISM. LOW POWER OUTPUT AND LOW EFFICIENCY LIMIT APPLICATION OF THESE DRILLS. SPARK DRILLS, BECAUSE OF THEIR HIGH/POWER OUTPUT AND HIGH-POTENTIAL DRILLING RATE, APPEAR TO HAVE MORE POTENTIAL THAN MANY OF THE OTHER NOVEL DRILLS. TESTS INDICATE THAT EXPLOSIVE DRILLS WOULD BE MOST EFFECTIVE FOR DRILLING DEEP OIL WELLS WHERE ROTARY DRILLING RATES ARE LOW AND COSTS ARE HIGH. EROSION DRILLS APPEAR TO BE ONE OF THE MORE PROMISING NOVEL DRILLING METHODS BECAUSE OF THEIR HIGH POWER OUTPUT AND HIGH DRILLING RATE.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 169, No 7, PP 77-82, 13 FIG, 8 TAB, 38 REF
• Authors:
  • Maurer, W C
• Publication Date: 1968-7

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Engineering and Mining Journal
  • Publisher: McGraw-Hill, Incorporated

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Drilling; Drills; Erosion; Explosives; Machinery; Pellets; Pendulum tests; Rock drilling; Rotary drilling; Sparks; Turbines; Ultrasonics
• Old TRIS Terms: Drilling methods; Implosions; Mechanical equipment; Rock drills
• Subject Areas: Highways; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00219346
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 4 1994 12:00AM