Application of high powered Laser Technology to alter hard rock properties towards lower strength materials for more efficient drilling, mining, and Geothermal Energy production

Jamali, Shahin; Wittig, Volker; Börner, Jascha; Bracke, Rolf; Ostendorf, Andreas

doi:10.1016/j.gete.2019.01.001

Cited by 46 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Although such a decrease in drillability is in the same range as that observed in our research, the lithologies and heating rates (20 • C/s) are very different. Jamali et al [36] applied high powered laser technology and performed scratch tests to indirectly measure reductions in rock strength, drilling strength, and fracture toughness at rates of 60% in granite and 30% in sandstone, but such results cannot be directly compared to the DRI reduction observed in our research, because the achieved temperatures and applied heating rates cannot be deduced. A decrease in the DRI with temperature for watercooled samples coincided with a marginal porosity and a volume decrease at 200 • C [51].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…Therefore, researchers aim to improve drilling performances using emerging drilling technologies, and one alternative approach is to thermally assist conventional rotary drilling by heating the rock. Rossi et al [35] explored the feasibility of thermally assisted drilling using a flame jet to achieve high local heating rates, and determined a drop of 30% in UCS for temperatures up to 600 • C. Jamali et al [36] used high powered laser technology to decrease rock strength, drilling strength, and fracture toughness at rates of 60% in granite and 30% in sandstone. Rossi et al [37] studied a combined thermo-mechanical drilling (CTMD) using a flame jet and stated that the thermal treatment of rocks causes extensive thermally induced cracks in granite and sandstone, which significantly enhances the penetration performance of cutting tools.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermal Effects on the Drilling Performance of a Limestone: Relationships with Physical and Mechanical Properties

et al. 2021

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This work evaluates the effect of high temperatures and cooling methods on the drillability of Prada limestone. Samples from boreholes drilled during the design stage of the Tres Ponts Tunnel in the Catalan south Pyrenean zone (Spain) were subjected to temperatures of 105, 200, 300, 400, and 600 °C, and then cooled at a slow rate or by quenching. Sievers’ J-value (SJ) and brittleness (S20) were determined on thermally treated samples, and the drilling rate index (DRI) was calculated for each temperature. The results show that thermal treatment implied a sustained increase in the drillability of the rock of up to 40% at 600 °C and a change in the drillability category (from medium to high). At 600 °C, SJ and S20 tripled and doubled, respectively, the initial values obtained for the intact rock. The results were inconclusive about the influence of the cooling method on the drilling performance of Prada limestone for the tested range of temperatures. The substantial improvement observed in the drillability of Prada limestone when heated, measured in terms of DRI, could help in the development of novel thermally-assisted mechanical excavation methods. Additionally, strong correlations between drillability variables (i.e., SJ and S20) and physical and mechanical variables of Prada limestone (i.e., P- and S-wave velocities, uniaxial compression strength, elastic modulus, and Poisson’s ratio) are proposed. Correlations will help make preliminary predictions of drillability based on properties such as uniaxial compression strength and ultrasound wave velocities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal Effects on the Drilling Performance of a Limestone: Relationships with Physical and Mechanical Properties

et al. 2021

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“…Therefore, reducing the drilling cost can effectively reduce the development and utilization cost of EGS project, especially in granite. New methods and processes had been proposed to improve the drilling efficiency in rocks of high temperature and pressure …”

Section: Economic Analysis Of Heatingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Economic analysis of heating for an enhanced geothermal system based on a simplified model in Yitong Basin, China

Huang

Zhang

et al. 2019

Energy Science & Engineering

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Yitong Basin is located in subfrigid zone, and it has a good prospect to use geothermal clean heating. The evaluation of economic efficiency for heating with enhanced geothermal system (EGS) is indispensable. A simplified single‐fracture hydrothermal coupling model with laboratory test is developed in the EGS project to calculate temperature and pressure based on Yitong Basin data. The effects of four factors (K, q, D, and T) on heat production and reservoir characteristics are discussed. The parameters and results of H‐T coupling were applied to economic analysis for heating with EGS from private and social perspectives considering costs and revenues. The results indicate that the combination of laboratory tests (rock physical properties) makes the numerical simulation results more suitable for the study area. The production temperature and heating power will decrease with continuous injection of cold water, and the injection pressure and flow impedance will increase due to the increase in μ/ρ. Four factors (K, q, D, and T) will affect difficulty of fluid injection and reservoir thermal breakthrough, and the high injection rate q may trigger secondary fracturing of reservoir. Heating with EGS in single‐fracture model was uneconomical due to expensive drilling costs. However, heating with EGS can be considered from social perspective based on environment, which can provide advice for decision‐making of the government and business.

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“…Fortunately, the field test was completely successful and demonstrated the FHT to be a feasible approach to preweakening rocks [8,9]. After that, a series of preweakening rock methods (e.g., laser technology [10][11][12], plasma blasting [13], and electric pulses [14][15][16]) were widely applied in the oil and mining industry to preweakening hard rock hardness by inducing microcracks within them. In these conventional methods, heat is transferred by thermal conduction and convection, which could be significantly influenced by the geology formation (e.g., aquicludes and faults).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal Response and Mechanical Behaviors of Compact Basalts Induced by Microwave Irradiation

Zhang

Chen

et al. 2022

Geofluids

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Microwave pretreatment could be an invaluable method to improve the efficiency of the rock breakage in the excavation and comminution operations. To investigate the influence of microwave irradiation on the thermal response and mechanical behavior of compact rocks, a series of physical and mechanical experiments were conducted on the nontreated and treated basalts. The mineral compositions of the basalts were obtained by X-ray diffraction (XRD) test. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and geological sketch were utilized to analyze the propagation pattern of the microcracks and macrofractures caused by the microwave irradiation. High power density microwave can induce the complication of the microcracks and exchange the pattern of the macrofracture network. Based on the uniaxial compression strength (UCS) test, the mechanical performance of the basalts was evidently reduced with the increase of the microwave power and exposure time. The experimental results prove that microwave-assisted method has significant potential application to preweakening rocks in civil and mining engineering.

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Application of high powered Laser Technology to alter hard rock properties towards lower strength materials for more efficient drilling, mining, and Geothermal Energy production

Cited by 46 publications

References 7 publications

Thermal Effects on the Drilling Performance of a Limestone: Relationships with Physical and Mechanical Properties

Thermal Effects on the Drilling Performance of a Limestone: Relationships with Physical and Mechanical Properties

Economic analysis of heating for an enhanced geothermal system based on a simplified model in Yitong Basin, China

Thermal Response and Mechanical Behaviors of Compact Basalts Induced by Microwave Irradiation

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