High pressure abrasive water jet for excavation purpose: a tridimensional approach for cutting strategy

Abstract

High pressure abrasive water jets (HPAWJ) are an emergent excavation technology. Despite being used for several applications since the nineteenth century, it is only in recent decades that this excavation purpose has been considered. This is the result of evolution in high pressure pump technology and parameter investigation. Special highlight should be given to optimization works which improve knowledge about the main parameters. However, studies usually neglect the importance of HPAWJ cutting strategies, and only consider bidimensional approaches as options for nozzle movement. This article analyzes and proposes an operational cycle based on a tridimensional approach for HPAWJ. Higher removal rates and lower energetic consumption are expected in comparison with traditional strategies.

Cutting Niches in Rock Salt by Means of a High-Pressure Water Jet in Order to Accelerate the Leaching of Storage Caverns for Hydrogen or Hydrocarbons

“…Both the salt leaching process and the water jet cutting technique have been known for many years and are well described theoretically [4,10,11]. Water cutting has many applications, both with the use of water alone and with an abrasive additive significantly supporting this process [12][13][14][15][16]. It is successfully used for stress relaxation in underground mines to prevent rock burst hazard [17,18] or to support excavating by roadheaders in coal mines [19,20] and in selective mining methods [21,22].…”

Rock Breaking Performance of TBM Disc Cutter Assisted by High-Pressure Water Jet

“…Being of great potential in the field of rock crushing, the high-pressure water jet is gaining attention by scholars gradually. In tunneling excavation, efficiency and capacity analyses of an abrasive water jet (AWJ) were carried out, obtaining perfect working parameters (pressure, traverse speed, abrasive feed rate, and standoff distance) and an optimum operational cycle for AWJ cutting strategies [21][22][23]. The water jet has been used in oil and shale oil exploitation, increasing the perforation depth and enhancing the well production [24,25].…”