Patent Grant
8550182
The present invention relates to an electromagnetic energy assisted drilling system and method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method wherein a material such as rock, which prior to excavation using a cutting tool such as a drill is first exposed to low energy microwave radiation in order to reduce the strength of the rock and improve drilling efficiency.
A variety of mechanical machines, such as drilling, tunnelling and continuous mining machines are available for cutting rock formations. One drawback of these prior art machines is that they are designed primarily for working relatively soft rock formations and as a result, application of these machines and techniques to hard rock such as granite and basalt is either not possible or inefficient due to slow speed and increased tool wear.
In order to address this problem, the prior art reveals thermally treating the hard rock formations prior to cutting in order to introduce subsurface fractures and weaken the rock. These prior art methods and devices reveal the use of a variety of thermal sources such as gas jets, lasers and radiant electric heaters and the like, but have proven less than optimal due to their limited effect, large expense and additional time required.
The prior art also reveals thermally treating rock formations using microwaves in order to introduce thermal expansion causing tensile stress thereby fracturing and weakening the rock so that it is more susceptible to subsequent excavation by mechanical mining machines. One drawback of these prior art methods is that, as the microwaves are not optimised in order to maximise the effect of thermal expansion weakening of the rock is reduced, or alternatively high power microwave sources must be used thereby reducing efficiency.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides a drill bit for penetrating a material. The drill bit comprises a cutting face comprising at least one cutting tool, an emitter of microwaves positioned behind the cutting face, wherein at least a portion of the microwaves are emitted in a direction away from the cutting face, and a reflector for directing the portion to the cutting face. In operation the emitted microwaves irradiate the material prior to the irradiated material being removed by the at least one cutting tool.
The present invention further provides a microwave-assisted drilling system for penetrating a material. The system comprises a source of electromagnetic energy, a hollow drill rod, a source of motive energy for driving the drill rod, an elongate coaxial waveguide positioned along an inside of the drill rod, a drill bit attached at a distal end of the drill rod, the drill bit comprising: a cutting tool, and a microwave antenna terminating the coaxial waveguide adjacent to the cutting tool and in operative interconnection with the source of electromagnetic energy. In operation the antenna irradiates the material with the electromagnetic energy prior to the irradiated material being removed by the cutting tool.
The present invention further provides a method of thermally treating an aggregate, the aggregate comprising a heterogeneous mixture of materials suspended in a matrix, the method comprising: selecting one of the materials, the selected material increasing in temperature when excited by an electromagnetic field, determining a frequency of electromagnetic radiation which induces a thermal expansion in the selected material that is greater than a thermal expansion induced in a non-selected material, and subjecting the material to electromagnetic radiation at the selected frequency with an intensity and duration sufficient to introduce fractures into the aggregate.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of specific embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the appended drawings:
a) through 3(d) show different types of excavation bits in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;
a) and 6(b) show a front plan view and a bottom plan view in accordance with an alternative illustrative embodiment of the present invention; and
a) and 7(b) show plan of an electromagnetic energy assisted mining system in accordance with another alternative illustrative embodiment of the present invention.
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Electromagnetic energy generators come in two classes, namely solid-state devices and vacuum tubes. Solid-state devices are expensive and short of power output requirements when compared to vacuum tubes and thus their use for industrial applications is not widespread. Vacuum tube generators are of three types, namely magnetron, klystron and travelling wave tubes. Magnetrons are the most commonly used microwave generators given their low cost, compact size, support for low power devices and excellent frequency stability.
The magnetron 28, whose power intensity is controlled by the control unit 30, is used to reduce the strength of the aggregate 20 and improve drilling efficiency by exposing the aggregate 20 to electromagnetic energy (in the form of RF/microwaves) prior to cutting by the excavation bit 18. It converts electrical energy from an external electrical power source (not shown) used to supply electrical power to the system 10 into microwave energy. Although standardised frequencies of 915 MHz, 2.45 GHz, 5.8 GHz and 22.125 GHz have been designated for industrial, scientific and medical applications (with many conventional sources of microwave heating operating at 2.450 GHz), illustratively it is foreseen that electromagnetic energy from 300 MHz to 300 GHz can be supplied, although as will be discussed in more detail below, the selection of the frequency or frequencies ultimately to be supplied depends on the nature of the material (rock) being excavated. The power output of electromagnetic energy generators typically ranges from 500 W to 10 KW at 2.45 GHz and as high as 75 KW for a frequency of 915 MHz. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the magnetron 28 is illustratively operated at a frequency of 2.45 GHz and at a power of 3 kW.
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The location of the microwave assembly 12 relative to the drilling assembly 14 (i.e. inside or outside the shaft 26) depends on design requirements. Illustratively, the microwave assembly 12 may be housed inside the shaft 26 in a compartment placed on the drill rod 16 directly above the excavation bit 18. However, in this case, the diameter of the compartment would preferably have to be smaller than that of the excavation bit 18 (illustratively about three (3) inches or eight (8) cm), thus leaving little room for the microwave components. Moreover, electrical wires would need to be routed through the drill rod 16 to connect the excavation bit 18 to an external electrical power source (not shown), which provides power to the system 10. As a result, it is desirable, for sake of simplicity, to keep the microwave components outside of the shaft 26.
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A first alternative would be to decrease the size of the waveguide 22. However, as known in the art, microwaves are prevented from propagating in smaller waveguides and decreasing the size of the waveguide 22 would therefore result in large power losses. Another option would be to use an excavation bit 18 having a larger diameter. This would however increase the torque required to drive the excavation bit 18, resulting in higher costs. Using a coaxial cable for microwave transmission within the shaft 26 thus appears as a more suitable solution. Indeed, coaxial cables have the advantage of being very small compared to waveguides of circular cross-section as well as being capable of handling the desired operating power and frequency range. A high load shielded and armoured coaxial cable is therefore illustratively used as the waveguide 22 connecting the microwave assembly 12 to the drilling assembly 14 and transmitting microwave energy to the excavation bit 18.
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In order to prevent the potentially dangerous microwaves emitted by the microwave assembly 12 from leaking out of the shaft 26 and into the surrounding environment, a safety box (not shown) could be used to enclose the components of the drilling assembly 14. Although a safety box enclosing all the components would be the simplest solution, this would eliminate access to the drilling components while the system 10 is in operation. Also, all components would be subject to microwave energy, which is not desirable. In addition, such a design would necessitate the use of additional material, thus proving costly. Another option would be to use a bottomless box resting on the floor outside the shaft 26. However, relatively large gaps, through which microwaves could escape, would be expected in this case. Alternatively, a box resting on the flat surface of the slab of rock 20 to be drilled could be used. In this case, it would be desirable to use a box small enough to rest on the rock slab, yet large enough to contain a significant amount of rock debris. Illustratively, the top of the safety box would have a hole surrounding the drill rod 16, thus allowing for motion (rotary and vertical) of the latter. In order to prevent leakage of microwaves, a microwave-reflective material could also be used to close the gap between the inner edge of the hole and the drill rod 16. Since a drilling fluid is circulated through the drill rod 16 and excavation bit 18 to bring the rock debris to the surface, it is also desirable for the safety box be fixed in place and to comprise air escape holes. Preferably, to prevent the microwaves from passing through them, the holes would have a diameter smaller than the microwave's wavelength. For the operating frequency of 2.45 GHz, holes of few millimeters in diameter would prove sufficiently small for example.
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It is further desirable to manufacture the inner walls of the housing 60 with a microwave-transparent material, which ensures that the microwaves emitted by the antenna 48 are reflected towards the rock to be excavated. The conical cavity of the housing 60 is also filled with the same microwave-transparent material in order to stabilise the antenna while ensuring proper transmission of the electromagnetic energy towards the rock being excavated. Quartz and Teflon® are microwave-transparent materials commonly used in the art. As Teflon® is less brittle than quartz, it is easier to machine and less liable to crack or break in the harsh drilling environment. In addition, Teflon® is low in price so it was therefore used in the design illustrated in
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As discussed briefly above, electromagnetic energy such as microwaves is a non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation with frequencies in the range of 300 Mhz to 300 GHz. These frequencies include 3 bands: the ultrahigh frequency (UHF, 300 MHz to 3 GHz), the super high frequency (SHF, 3 GHz to 30 GHz) and extremely high frequency (EHF, 30 GHz to 300 GHz). It is well known that electromagnetic energy have extensive applications in communication. However, the industrial application of electromagnetic energy for heating was suggested in the forties when the magnetron was developed. It was finally implemented in the fifties after the extensive work on material properties. Four microwave frequencies have been designated for Industrial, Scientific and Medical applications (ISMI): 915 MHz, 2.45 GHz, 5.8 GHz and 22.125 GHz. When microwaves are studied as a source of energy they are immediately linked to the heating of dielectric materials.
Electromagnetic energy such as microwaves causes molecular motion by migration of ionic species and/or rotation of dipolar species. Heating a material with electromagnetic energy depends to a great extent on its dissipation factor, that is the ratio of the dielectric loss or loss factor to dielectric constant, of the material. The dielectric constant is a measure of the ability of the material to retard electromagnetic energy as it passes through: loss factor is a measure of the ability of the material to dissipate energy. In other words, loss factor represents the amount of input electromagnetic energy that is lost in the material by being dissipated as heat. Therefore, a material with high loss factor is easily heated by electromagnetic energy.
All the materials can be classified into one of the three groups, that is conductors, insulators and absorbers. In particular electromagnetic energy is reflected from the surface of, and therefore does not heat, metals. Metals in general have high conductivity and are classified as conductors and are often used as conduits (waveguides) for the electromagnetic energy. Materials which are transparent to electromagnetic energy are classified as insulators and are often used to support the material to be heated. Materials which are absorbers of electromagnetic energy are easily heated and are classified as dielectrics.
The advantages of electromagnetic energy heating over conventional heating are well known in the art and include:
Non-contact heating;
Energy transfer and not heat transfer;
Rapid heating;
Material selective heating;
Volumetric heating;
Quick start up and stopping;
Heating starts from the interior of the material body; and
High level of safety and automation.
Referring now to TABLE 1 varying heating characteristics have been observed in different minerals exposed to electromagnetic energy (illustratively microwave energy at a frequency of 2.45 GHz):
Similarly, when a variety of materials are subject to electromagnetic energy supplied by a 1 kW 2.45 GHz source, the maximum temperatures for the given heating duration as tabled in TABLE 2 were observed:
A number of important conclusions can be drawn from the above:
Additionally, it has also been found that ores having consistent mineralogy and which contain a good absorber of electromagnetic energy in a transparent gangue matrix are more responsive to treatment with electromagnetic energy. Additionally, ores that contain small, finely disseminated particles in discrete elements respond poorly to treatment with electromagnetic energy.
Breaking rocks using electromagnetic energy is primarily based on inducing stresses by differential thermal expansion and is based on a principle similar to fire setting technique. From the above it follows, therefore, that heating an aggregate such as rock, which is comprised of a heterogeneous mixture of materials such as minerals suspended in a matrix, electromagnetic energy, causes the different materials within the aggregate to heat at different rates (for example, as discussed above the metals in metal bearing rocks, or ores, tend to remain cool while reflecting heat into the surrounding materials, thereby increasing this effect). As a result, and as aggregate materials such as rocks (although typically of high compressive strength) have relatively low tensile strengths, even relatively small thermally induced expansion of one material in the aggregate can serve to introduce micro cracks into or fracture the aggregate.
The complex permittivity of a material defines the interaction of the material with electromagnetic energy (or electromagnetic waves), determines how the material interacts with the electromagnetic energy and is sensitive to changes in frequency. When the complex permittivity is normalized with respect to the constant permittivity of the vacuum ε0 (8.854×10-12 F/m) it is termed as the complex relative permittivity εr.
εr=jε″ (1)
tan(δ)=/ε′ (2)
where:
εr=complex relative permittivity;
ε′=relative dielectric constant (referred to hereinafter simply as the dielectric constant);
ε″=relative dielectric loss factor (referred to hereinafter simply as the loss factor); and
tan(δ)=loss tangent.
The loss factor combines all forms of losses including polarization and conduction losses. The ratio of the real part to the imaginary part is called the loss tangent and can be used to characterize materials: in a low loss material ε″/ε′<<1, in a high loss material /ε′>>1. When a material is much greater than 1 it is very much affected by electromagnetic energy. The dielectric constant
for rock forming minerals ranges between 3 and about 200, however most values are between 4 and 15. The loss factor
ranges between 0.001 and 50 and is sensitive to changes in frequency and temperature. Dielectric properties at 25° C. of various geotechnical related materials are given in TABLE 3.
Heating using electromagnetic energy such as microwaves involves the conversion of electromagnetic energy into heat. The amount of thermal energy deposited (power density) into a material due to electromagnetic energy heating is given by the equation:
Pd=2πfε0ε″Ei2 (3)
where:
In light of the above, it will now be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that the heat induced using electromagnetic energy in the materials which combine to form an aggregate such as rock is determined by a number of factors including the frequency and power density of the electromagnetic energy as well as the length of exposure. Additionally, the thermal expansion sufficient to weaken the aggregate rock can vary depending not only on these features but also in relation to the speed at which one material within the aggregate expands relative to another. As a result, by selecting a frequency which increases the speed of thermal expansion of one material relative to another and/or by increasing the power density of the selected frequency, the application of electromagnetic energy to the aggregate can be optimised.
In order to better understand the thermal stresses which are induced in an aggregate by exposure to electromagnetic radiation a simulation was carried out using a finite element numerical model. Firstly, an electromagnetic analysis was performed to calculate the electric field within a dielectric load. Secondly, a transient thermal analysis was conducted to predict the temperature response of the dielectric load. Thirdly, a stress equilibrium calculation was done to estimate the resulting thermal stresses due to the microwave heating.
For the purpose of the analysis the dielectric load selected was limestone with sulphide mineral (Pyrite). This particular rock was selected as the dielectric load because of the availability of the thermal and electrical properties of the calcite and the pyrite phases of the limestone.
For the simulation, excitation in the form of a waveguide modal source was used. Here an input port and an output port were defined for the waveguide and the input port was excited with a harmonic frequency of 2.45 GHz. Three input power values of 150 W, 750 W and 1000 W were used for the present analysis for excitation source. The finite element model was solved for the harmonic analysis to get the electric field distribution within the dielectric load.
A transient thermal analysis was carried out as the next stage of analysis to simulate the temperature profiles for different microwave input power. In this regard, calcite has a very low value of dielectric loss factor and as a result microwave heating of the calcite was not included in the model, that is only heating of the pyrite phase was considered. For the calculation of the electromagnetic energy power dissipation density of the pyrite phase, electric fields within the dielectric load obtained from the high frequency electromagnetic analysis and the dielectric loss factor (ε″) were used.
The simulation was geometrically and computationally simplified by considering a very small (4 mm diameter) hemispherical portion of the cylindrical rock (limestone). A single hemispherical pyrite particle of diameter 1 mm was considered, surrounded by a calcite host rock of diameter 4 mm. Additionally, the axial symmetry of the hemisphere allows the modeling in a two (2) dimensional domain. The material properties of the pyrite and calcite phases used in the simulation are provided in TABLE 4 and the calcite and pyrite were assumed to be perfectly bonded and initially at ambient temperature.
The thermal behaviour of the model can be described by the following equations:
ρcp(∂T/∂t)=1/r∂/∂r(kr∂T/∂r)+∂/∂z(k∂T/∂z)+Pd (4)
where:
Thermal stresses due to the differential microwave heating were extracted for various microwave power absorption densities and time intervals using the following methodology. The analysis was stepped in to the coupled field mode and the temperature field obtained as a result from the transient thermal analysis was input as the load and the resulting thermal stresses were calculated assuming a linear elastic model for the pyrite and calcite phases. The stress strain relationship to cover the thermal strains and stresses were combined with equations of equilibrium for a isotropic material to predict the thermal response of the model as follows:
εrr=1/E{σrr−ν(σθθ+σzz)}+αT (5)
εθθ=1/E{σθθ−ν(σrr+σzz)}+αT (6)
εzz=1/E{σzz−ν(σθθ+σrr)}+αT (7)
∂σrr/∂r+∂τrz/∂z+(σrr−σθθ)/r=0 (8)
∂τrz/∂r+∂σzz/∂z+τrz/r=0 (9)
where:
As the analysis was stepped in to a coupled field mode, the geometry and mesh properties of the model remained the same as in the transient thermal analysis but with the exception that the elements were changed to two dimensional structural element. The material was assumed to behave as a linear isotropic elastic medium with mechanical properties determined by the Elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio using the values found in TABLE 5.
The results of the high frequency electromagnetic simulation are tabled in TABLE 6.
It can be seen using Maxwell's equations that the electric field intensity is a function of number of variables such as the geometry of the load, geometry of the applicator, the dielectric constant of the load and the input microwave power. Modifying one or more of these variables can lead to a change in the electric field intensity. In the simulation it was assumed that the impedance of the load is perfectly matched with that of the waveguide, and hence the values of the electric field intensity are slightly higher than that which might be obtained in an actual microwave cavity.
The microwave power absorption densities of the pyrite phase at increasing electromagnetic energy input powers can also be observed.
The value of maximum electric field intensity obtained from the high frequency electromagnetic analysis was used for the computation of microwave power absorption density (W/m3) from equation (1) for different electromagnetic energy power levels of 150 W, 750 W and 1000 W as a function of temperature. It was shown that microwave power absorption density follows the same trend as the dielectric loss factor and has a linearly increasing trend with temperature up to 600° K and beyond that the power absorption density is a constant. This trend indicates that as the temperature of the load increases, the ability of the load to dissipate electromagnetic energy into heat also increases which results in a higher rate of temperature increase within the dielectric load.
Transient temperature distributions as a result of heating at increasing input powers can be observed as well. Results indicate that at longer exposure to electromagnetic energy, higher peak temperatures were obtained. In particular, it can be seen that the pyrite phase requires about 60 seconds to reach a temperature of 400° K with an input power of 150 W at 2.45 GHz. It can also be seen that just 5 seconds are required to reach the same temperature when the input power is 1000 W. As a result, it is readily apparent that the microwave power density has a large influence on the increase in temperature. Additionally, it is apparent from the results that as the input power increases, so does the temperature gradient between the pyrite and calcite phases. This is due to the lower exposure time and higher input power providing less time for the heat to diffuse into the calcite phase. The results also indicated that the temperature gradient across the pyrite and calcite phases increases as the duration of exposure to electromagnetic energy increases. This effect is more evident when individual plots are examined more closely. Indeed, it can be seen that for an input power of 750 W, the temperature gradient across the pyrite and calcite is 34K for a duration of 10 seconds and 63K for a duration of 60 seconds.
Simulation results for the thermal stress profile for varying input powers further indicate that within the pyrite phase a state of compressive stress exists and the stress state changes to tensile just near the calcite/pyrite interface.
For the same input microwave power it can be seen that as the time of exposure is increased the stresses also increase likewise due to the higher energy deposition rate. For the same duration of exposure, higher stress gradients are obtained at the calcite/pyrite interface at higher input powers. Comparing detailed individual plots, it can be seen that for the same time of exposure of 10 seconds, a tensile stress of 400 MPa is obtained for 1000 W microwave input power whereas a tensile stress of 250 MPa is obtained for a power input of 750 W. It can also be seen that the magnitudes of compressive stresses within the pyrite phase do not exceed the overall unconfined strength of the rock. Typically unconfined compressive strength of limestone is in the range of 125 to 130 MPa. However the tensile strength at the interface of calcite and pyrite exceeds the tensile strength of the rock, which for a limestone is substantially lower than the unconfined compressive strength. This trend shows that substantial damage occurs at the interface rather than within the individual mineral phases. Even at a low input power of 150 W, a peak tensile stress of 200 MPa is predicted near the interface indicating that low power electromagnetic energy can in fact induce sufficient thermal stresses to fracture the rock. The thermal damage induced from low power electromagnetic energy would be even more pronounced where both electromagnetic energy responsive and electromagnetic energy non-responsive mineral phases are present within a rock, as this creates a thermal mismatch between the different responsive and non-responsive mineral phases thereby creating stresses of a magnitude sufficient to induce damage at the grain boundaries.
In addition to the above simulations, the impact of low power microwaves (˜100 to ˜150 W) on Basalt was studied. Basalt was selected as the test specimen for the study because it is one of the hardest and most common igneous rocks and occurs with abundance on the surface of earth. Drilling or excavating such rocks is still a challenge.
The objective of the experiments were set at determining the temperature rise in the rock at different time intervals for a constant input of microwave power and determine the strength of the microwaved specimens using simple point load testing.
The point load test is a standard test method suggested by ISRM (1973) to determine the point load strength index. In essence, point load testing involves compressing a piece of rock between two points. Point-load index is calculated as the ratio of the applied load P to the square of the distance D between the loading points. Rock samples in different shapes such as core, block, and irregular lumps can be tested by this method and it is also applicable to hard rock with compressive strength above 15 MPa.
Uncorrected Point Load Stress Index, ls, is calculated as:
ls=P/De2(MPa) (10)
where:
ls varies as a function of De, therefore a size correction must be applied to obtain a unique point load strength value for the rock sample. The size corrected point load strength index, ls (50), of a rock specimen is defined as the value of ls that would have been measured by a diametral test with D=50 mm.
The size correction was obtained using the formula:
ls(50)=F·ls (11)
The “Size Correction Factor F” can be obtained from the Size Correction Factor chart (ASTM 1991) or from the expression:
F=(De/50)0.45 (12)
The uniaxial compressive strength can then be estimated by using the Size Correction Factor chart or the following formula:
σc=Cls(50) (13)
where:
σc=uniaxial compressive strength
C=factor that depends on site-specific correlation between σc and ls(50)
ls(50)=corrected point load strength index
The values for C can be obtained from TABLE 7
The Experimental apparatus used for this study was a standard batch type microwave dryer and a standard point load tester.
The microwaving setup consists of a microwave generator (750 W and 2.45 GHz), 3 port circulator, 3 stub tuners and a cavity (dimensions of 40 cm×35 cm×25 cm). The microwave generator has the capability of variable power operation with continuous microwave power output. The microwaves generated are transmitted to the main cavity through a series of rectangular waveguides. A 3-port circulator ensures that the microwaves reflected from the cavity are directed to the dummy load where the reflected microwaves are absorbed. Reflected and incident powers were monitored by the power meters integral with the microwave generator. The reflected microwave power was maintained at a near zero value during each run by manually adjusting a three stub tuner inserted at the top of the waveguide assembly. A standard infrared camera was used for the purposes of temperature measurements.
A standard portable point load-testing machine was used to test the irradiated samples. The unit consists of loading platens, loading system (ram and loading frame) and a pressure gauge. The point load tester uses a high-pressure hydraulic ram with a small hydraulic pump as the loading system. The loading platen consists of a set of hardened steel cones with a radius of curvature of 5 mm and an angle of cone equal to 60°. Load is measured by monitoring the hydraulic pressure in the jack by means of the pressure gauge. Specimens up to 100 mm in diameter can be used. A sliding crosshead and steel pins allows for quick adjustment of clearance. The maximum capacity of the point load tester is 5 tons.
The test specimens of Basalt in the form of uncut lumps were obtained from a quarry in New Jersey County, USA. The uncut samples were suitably cored using a diamond-coring bit into long cylindrical specimens with a diameter of 38.1 mm (1.5 inches). These specimens were later cut to obtain a L/D>1, L being the length of the specimen. A diamond band saw was used for the purpose. A total of 35 specimens were cored from the Basalt lumps.
The Basalt texture consists of large crystals of olivine, augite, pyroxene and plagioclase minerals set in fine crystalline or glassy matrix in addition to some iron oxides. Megascopic and microscopic description of the specimen used for the present study is provided in TABLE 8.
The rock specimens were divided into five (5) sets with each set containing seven (7) specimens. One set of specimens (termed the control specimens) were not exposed to microwave radiation in order to constitute the control specimens. The remaining four (4) sets of specimens were used for the microwave studies. Each set of specimens was exposed to different time intervals of microwave radiation.
A lower power density of 1 W/gram and time intervals for the exposure of 60 seconds, 120 seconds, 180 seconds, and 360 seconds were selected.
The experimental procedure was as follows:
The duration of exposure of the samples of the different sets is provided in TABLE 9.
For the present work diametral testing of the control and microwaved samples were carried out. For the diametral point load testing the load is applied to the specimen.
The testing procedure was as follows:
The variation of temperature with different microwave exposure times at a constant microwave power density of 1 W/gram shows that there is a steady increase in the temperature roughly at a rate of 287 K (14° C.) per minute. The highest average temperature obtained was 374K (101° C.) at an exposure time of 360 s. Temperatures up to 388K (115° C.) were recorded for some samples when exposed for 360 s. These results show that the Basalt rock specimens used are quite receptive to the microwave radiation such that a small input of microwave power provides for considerable heating. This is in part likely due to the presence of the microwave responsive metallic or semi-conducting mineral phases such as sulphides and iron oxides. Also pyroxene has a strongly polarizable structure that significantly increases the high temperature dielectric constant of pyroxene containing Basalt.
The specimens were allowed to cool after the microwave heating intervals, it was observed that the specimens exposed at 60 seconds and 120 seconds did not show observable cracking. However the specimens exposed at 180 seconds and 360 seconds showed some amount of cracking.
As indicated above by the results of the simulations for a calcareous rock the magnitude of the tensile stresses developed at the grain boundaries of the microwave responsive minerals and non responsive matrix exceeds the strength of the rock, which essentially indicates that damage which was initiated at the grain boundary can actually propagate into the matrix, thereby weakening the matrix. Even in the present experiments, a similar phenomenon is observed. The Basalt rock specimens used are composed of minerals which are very good microwave absorbers such as magnetite and iron rich chlorite embedded in a matrix of labrodarite and glass which are very poor absorbers of microwaves. This mineral composition of the present rock samples makes it susceptible to differential heating when exposed to microwave radiation, thereby facilitating the development and propagation of thermal cracks. These cracks are quite apparent at higher microwave exposure times. Conversion of moisture that may be present in the rock sample into steam, creating regions of localized high pressures may also promote the formation of fractures, however this phenomenon is likely not dominant due to the fact that Basalt is a dense fine grained volcanic rock. Another generator of crack formation might be the expansion of the entrapped gas pockets within the voids of the rock, as the presence of such voids is quite common in aphanitic rocks such as Basalt.
The average point load index and compressive strengths at different times of microwave exposure is provided in TABLE 10.
Graphed results of the point load tests, the correlated compressive strength obtained from the point load index tests as well as typical failure pattern of the specimens by point load testing were obtained. Values of the mean compressive strength for microwave exposure times of 180 seconds and 360 seconds were also obtained from the trend line.
The point load index and hence the compressive strength show a decreasing trend with an increased exposure to microwaves, giving an indication that low power microwaves does have the potential of reducing the strength of the Basalt rock specimen.
It should be noted that point load tests could be done for the control set (not exposed to microwaves) and specimens exposed to 60 seconds and 120 seconds of microwave radiation only. The specimens that were exposed to 180 seconds and 360 seconds of microwave radiation could not be tested because of the fact that they had both localized micro cracks and macro cracks due to microwave radiation. When they were loaded in the point load tester they showed the tendency of local failure at the point of loading. As indicated earlier in the discussion the rock matrix is weakened by thermal cracks due to increased microwave exposure. This weakened matrix actually makes the specimen susceptible to indentation by point load platens rendering the test unsuitable for the specimens exposed to higher microwave times. However, this very same phenomenon makes it ideal to facilitate percussion or rotary drag drilling. Drilling involves disintegration of the rock mass by fracturing the rock at the bit rock interface under the action of different cutting forces. If the rock matrix already has induced cracks as in the present case, easier penetration is achieved with much less applied thrust. That is a rock matrix which has cracks and which previously was quite hard is now relatively soft and as a result a drilling or excavation technique suitable for soft rocks can actually be applied in place of a much more energy demanding mechanical processes.
For example as a cursory step the effect microwaves have on the rate of drilling during a typical percussive drilling process (for a top hammer having a power of drill 14-17.5 kW, blow frequency, 3000-6000 blows/min, bit diameter, 76-89 mm) can be quantified considering the fact that compressive strength of the rock has close correlation with drilling rate of percussive drilling.
A plot between the Microwave exposure times for the rock sample and penetration rate for the percussive drilling process indicates that penetration rate increases with increasing microwaving times. It is seen that there is an increase of 42% (at a microwave exposure time of 360 s) in penetration rate as compared to unmicrowaved samples. Since the specimens exposed to higher microwave times had local failures and cracks as well, at the point of loading during the point load tests it might also be the case that we might expect higher penetration rates.
It can be concluded that Basalt, which is considered one of the hardest rocks and very difficult to drill or excavate, has been weakened because of numerous thermal cracks due low power microwave exposure, and supports the further conclusion that such weakened rocks can be drilled or subjected to subsequent breakages using reduced mechanical energies.
In the present a multimode cavity was used as the microwave applicator because of its mechanical simplicity and versatility. Use of single mode applicators or focused microwave beam could induce more damage in to the rocks as with in multimode applicators there are a number of mixed modes, which tend to lower the power handling capabilities of such cavities.
Referring back to
Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of specific embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit and nature of the subject invention as defined in the appended claims.
This application is a National Entry Application of PCT application no PCT/CA2007/001343 filed on Jul. 30, 2007 and published in English under PCT Article 21(2), which itself claims priority on U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/820,687, filed on Jul. 28, 2006. All documents above are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CA2007/001343 | 7/30/2007 | WO | 00 | 9/14/2009 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2008/011729 | 1/31/2008 | WO | A |
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