Conceptual design of a coring Subterrene Geoprospector
A rock-melting Subterrene system is described that can obtain a continuous core along the projected route of a tunnel. System specifications, individual component functions, preliminary design concepts, and design alternatives are included; and subcomponents that can be assembled from commercially available hardware are indicated. The device requires 150 kW of electric power to melt an accurate 300-mm (1-ft)-dia glass-lined hole and removes a 200-mm (8-in.)-dia glass-cased core at an advance rate of 0.4 mm/s (5 ft/h). The accurate hole diameter and stable hole lining allow the use of a packer- thruster located at the heated holemelting and hole-forming penetrator assembly. An orientation sensor and a guidance unit can also be located in this assembly. A hollow, flexible stem trailing behind the assembly contains the electric-power, coolant, and instrumentation lines, and provides a passage for debris removal. Core sections are removed through the flexible stem intermittently with wire-line core-retrieval hardware. This Subterrene system, named Geoprospector, is essentially a self-propelled and surface-guided minitunneler. It is a logical major development step in the Subterrene prograrm, directed toward a larger- diameter tunneling machine. Other practical Geoprospector applications are the forming of holes under obstacles such as rivers, highways, buildings, or other structures to accommodate utility lines or cables; the implantation of urban utilities; and the installation of underground pipelines or power-transmission lines without ditching. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- NSA Number:
- NSA-29-026788
- OSTI ID:
- 4329019
- Report Number(s):
- LA-5517-MS
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 30-JUN-74
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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