Methods of using a laser to spall and drill holes in rocks
Abstract
Apparatus and methods of using lasers are provided for spalling and drilling holes into rocks. A rock removal process is provided that utilizes a combination of laser-induced thermal stress and laser induced superheated steam explosions just below the surface of the laser/rock interaction to spall the rock into small fragments that can then be easily removed by a purging flow. Single laser beams of given irradiance spall rock and create holes having diameter and depth approximately equal to the beam spot size. A group of the single laser beams are steered in a controllable manner by an electro-optic laser beam switch to locations on the surface of the rock, creating multiple overlapping spalled holes thereby removing a layer of rock of a desired diameter. Drilling of a deep hole is achieved by spalling consecutive layers with an intermittent feed motion of the laser head perpendicular to the rock surface.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1531562
- Patent Number(s):
- 7416258
- Application Number:
- 11/404,698
- Assignee:
- UChicago Argonne, LLC (Chicago, IL)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B23 - MACHINE TOOLS B23K - SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B28 - WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE B28D - WORKING STONE OR STONE-LIKE MATERIALS
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-38
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 2006-04-14
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; 58 GEOSCIENCES; 02 PETROLEUM; 03 NATURAL GAS
Citation Formats
Reed, Claude B., Xu, Zhiyue, Parker, Richard A., Graves, Ramona M., and Stone, Thomas W. Methods of using a laser to spall and drill holes in rocks. United States: N. p., 2008.
Web.
Reed, Claude B., Xu, Zhiyue, Parker, Richard A., Graves, Ramona M., & Stone, Thomas W. Methods of using a laser to spall and drill holes in rocks. United States.
Reed, Claude B., Xu, Zhiyue, Parker, Richard A., Graves, Ramona M., and Stone, Thomas W. Tue .
"Methods of using a laser to spall and drill holes in rocks". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1531562.
@article{osti_1531562,
title = {Methods of using a laser to spall and drill holes in rocks},
author = {Reed, Claude B. and Xu, Zhiyue and Parker, Richard A. and Graves, Ramona M. and Stone, Thomas W.},
abstractNote = {Apparatus and methods of using lasers are provided for spalling and drilling holes into rocks. A rock removal process is provided that utilizes a combination of laser-induced thermal stress and laser induced superheated steam explosions just below the surface of the laser/rock interaction to spall the rock into small fragments that can then be easily removed by a purging flow. Single laser beams of given irradiance spall rock and create holes having diameter and depth approximately equal to the beam spot size. A group of the single laser beams are steered in a controllable manner by an electro-optic laser beam switch to locations on the surface of the rock, creating multiple overlapping spalled holes thereby removing a layer of rock of a desired diameter. Drilling of a deep hole is achieved by spalling consecutive layers with an intermittent feed motion of the laser head perpendicular to the rock surface.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2008},
month = {8}
}
Works referenced in this record:
Mining method for steeply dipping ore bodies
patent, February 2005
- Hames, Marilyn Patricia Ann; Dimock, Timothy B.; Anwyll, Edward William Drew
- US Patent Document 6,857,706
Method and apparatus for laser treatment of geological formations
patent, May 1978
- Welch, Albert B.
- US Patent Document 4,090,572
Downhole lens assembly for use with high power lasers for earth boring
patent, June 2004
- Parker, Richard A.
- US Patent Document 6,755,262
Works referencing / citing this record:
Control system for high power laser drilling workover and completion unit
patent, May 2015
- Zediker, Mark S.; Makki, Siamak; Faircloth, Brian O.
- US Patent Document 9,027,668
Apparatus for advancing a wellbore using high power laser energy
patent, September 2014
- Zediker, Mark S.; Land, Mark S.; Rinzler, Charles C.
- US Patent Document 8,820,434
Optical fiber configurations for transmission of laser energy over great distances
patent, October 2013
- Rinzler, Charles C.; Zediker, Mark S.
- US Patent Document 8,571,368
High power laser decomissioning of multistring and damaged wells
patent, May 2017
- Deutch, Paul D.; Marshall, Scott A.; Grubb, Daryl L.
- US Patent Document 9,664,012
Method and apparatus for delivering high power laser energy over long distances
patent, August 2013
- Zediker, Mark S.; Rinzler, Charles C.; Faircloth, Brian O.
- US Patent Document 8,511,401
Optical fiber cable for transmission of high power laser energy over great distances
patent, May 2016
- Zediker, Mark S.; Rinzler, Charles C.; Faircloth, Brian O.
- US Patent Document 9,347,271
Rugged passively cooled high power laser fiber optic connectors and methods of use
patent, June 2016
- Rinzler, Charles C.; Gray, William C.; Fraze, Jason D.
- US Patent Document 9,360,643
Optical fiber configurations for transmission of laser energy over great distances
patent, November 2014
- Rinzler, Charles C.; Zediker, Mark S.
- US Patent Document 8,879,876
Reduced mechanical energy well control systems and methods of use
patent, December 2017
- Wolfe, Daniel L.; Bailey, Andyle Gregory; Grubb, Daryl L.
- US Patent Document 9,845,652
Methods for enhancing the efficiency of creating a borehole using high power laser systems
patent, June 2014
- Zediker, Mark S.; Rinzler, Charles C.; Faircloth, Brian O.
- US Patent Document 8,757,292
High power laser perforating tools and systems
patent, April 2014
- Zediker, Mark S.; Rinzler, Charles C.; Faircloth, Brian O.
- US Patent Document 8,701,794
Electric motor for laser-mechanical drilling
patent, October 2017
- Grubb, Daryl L.; Faircloth, Brian O.; Zediker, Mark S.
- US Patent Document 9,784,037
Device for laser drilling
patent, June 2017
- Braga, Arthur Martins Barbosa; Martelli, Cicero
- US Patent Document 9,677,338
Systems and conveyance structures for high power long distance laser transmission
patent, July 2018
- DeWitt, Ronald A.; Zediker, Mark S.; Faircloth, Brian O.
- US Patent Document 10,036,232
Systems and conveyance structures for high power long distance laser transmission
patent, March 2014
- DeWitt, Ronald A.; Zediker, Mark S.; Faircloth, Brian O.
- US Patent Document 8,662,160
High power laser-mechanical drilling bit and methods of use
patent, February 2017
- Grubb, Daryl L.; Kolachalam, Sharath K.; Faircloth, Brian O.
- US Patent Document 9,562,395
Laser systems and methods for the removal of structures
patent, July 2015
- Zediker, Mark S.; Grubb, Daryl L.; De Witt, Ronald A.
- US Patent Document 9,089,928
High power laser ROV systems and methods for treating subsea structures
patent, May 2016
- Zediker, Mark S.; Faircloth, Brian O.; Rinzler, Charles C.
- US Patent Document 9,327,810
High power laser energy distribution patterns, apparatus and methods for creating wells
patent, March 2016
- Faircloth, Brian O.; Zediker, Mark S.; Rinzler, Charles C.
- US Patent Document 9,284,783
Device for performing deep drillings and method of performing deep drillings
patent, February 2015
- Ko{hacek over (c.)}i{hacek over (s.)}, Igor; Ko{hacek over (c.)}i{hacek over (s.)}, Ivan; Kri{hacek over (s.)}tofi{hacek over (c.)}, Tomá{hacek over (s.)}
- US Patent Document 8,944,186
Laser bottom hole assembly
patent, January 2014
- Underwood, Lance D.; Norton, Ryan J.; McKay, Ryan P.
- US Patent Document 8,627,901
Method and apparatus for delivering high power laser energy over long distances
patent, April 2015
- Zediker, Mark S.; Rinzler, Charles C.; Faircloth, Brian O.
- US Patent Document 8,997,894
Laser assisted system for controlling deep water drilling emergency situations
patent, March 2016
- Zediker, Mark S.
- US Patent Document 9,291,017
Electric motor for laser-mechanical drilling
patent, July 2015
- Grubb, Daryl L.; Faircloth, Brian O.; Zediker, Mark S.
- US Patent Document 9,074,422
High power laser workover and completion tools and systems
patent, October 2014
- Zediker, Mark S.; Rinzler, Charles C.; Faircloth, Brian O.
- US Patent Document 8,869,914
High power laser offshore decommissioning tool, system and methods of use
patent, June 2017
- Linyaev, Eugene J.; Marshall, Scott A.; Grubb, Daryl L.
- US Patent Document 9,669,492
Total internal reflection laser tools and methods
patent, January 2016
- Zediker, Mark S.; Faircloth, Brian O.; Kolachalam, Sharath K.
- US Patent Document 9,242,309
Method and device for excavating submerged stratum
patent, September 2010
- Kobayashi, Toshio; Takayama, Kazuyoshi; Ueda, Ken
- US Patent Document 7,802,384
Methods and apparatus for delivering high power laser energy to a surface
patent, April 2013
- Faircloth, Brian O.; Zediker, Mark S.; Rinzler, Charles C.
- US Patent Document 8,424,617
Optics assembly for high power laser tools
patent, June 2016
- Fraze, Jason D.; Faircloth, Brian O.; Zediker, Mark S.
- US Patent Document 9,360,631
Laser assisted system for controlling deep water drilling emergency situations
patent, May 2014
- Zediker, Mark S.
- US Patent Document 8,720,584
High power laser perforating and laser fracturing tools and methods of use
patent, August 2017
- Linyaev, Eugene J.; Zediker, Mark S.; Grubb, Daryl L.
- US Patent Document 9,719,302
Methods and apparatus for removal and control of material in laser drilling of a borehole
patent, January 2014
- Rinzler, Charles C.; Zediker, Mark S.; Faircloth, Brian O.
- US Patent Document 8,636,085
Shear laser module and method of retrofitting and use
patent, April 2014
- Zediker, Mark S.; Bergeron, Henry; Clark, Philip V.
- US Patent Document 8,684,088
Laser assisted riser disconnect and method of use
patent, July 2014
- Zediker, Mark S.; Bergeron, Henry; Clark, Philip V.
- US Patent Document 8,783,360
Method and system for advancement of a borehole using a high power laser
patent, September 2014
- Moxley, Joel F.; Land, Mark S.; Rinzler, Charles C.
- US Patent Document 8,826,973
Laser assisted blowout preventer and methods of use
patent, July 2014
- Zediker, Mark S.; Bergeron, Henry; Clark, Philip V.
- US Patent Document 8,783,361
Flexible irradiance in laser imaging
patent, June 2016
- Martinsen, Robert J.; Karlsen, Scott R.
- US Patent Document 9,377,566
High power laser pipeline tool and methods of use
patent, September 2015
- McKay, Ryan P.; Rinzler, Charles C.; Moxley, Joel F.
- US Patent Document 9,138,786
Systems and assemblies for transferring high power laser energy through a rotating junction
patent, January 2016
- Norton, Ryan J.; McKay, Ryan P.; Fraze, Jason D.
- US Patent Document 9,244,235
High power laser downhole cutting tools and systems
patent, January 2015
- Zediker, Mark S.; Rinzler, Charles C.; Faircloth, Brian O.
- US Patent Document 8,936,108
Long distance high power optical laser fiber break detection and continuity monitoring systems and methods
patent, February 2016
- Rinzler, Charles C.; Gray, William C.; Faircloth, Brian O.
- US Patent Document 9,267,330
High power laser photo-conversion assemblies, apparatuses and methods of use
patent, July 2015
- Zediker, Mark S.; Jones-Albertus, Rebecca Elizabeth; Faircloth, Brian O.
- US Patent Document 9,080,425