GENERATING ELECTRIC ARC, WHICH DIRECTLY AREALLY THERMALLY AND MECHANICALLY ACTS ON MATERIAL, AND DEVICE FOR GENERATING ELECTRIC ARC

• US 20160024849A1
• Filed: 03/04/2014
• Published: 01/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GA Drilling, a.s.
• Original Assignee: GA Drilling, a.s.
• Inventors: Kocis, Ivan, Horvth, Gabriel, Dvonc, Luks
• Granted Patent: US 10,094,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/15 of electrically generated heat
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/40 using applied magnetic fields, e.g. for focusing or rotating the arc cf. B23K9/08, B23K9/073
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/50 and using applied magnetic fields, e.g. for focusing or rotating the arc

Abstract

Generating electric arc, which thermally and mechanically acts on material in such manner that the electrical arc is shaped and guided by the action of magnetic field and hydro-mechanical forces on the electrical arc, wherein: —the substantial part of the electric arc acts directly and areally on conductive and/or non-conductive material to be disrupted, —the substantial part of the electric arc'"'"'s heat flow is directed into the material to be disrupted, —wherein both electric arc roots move on the electrodes of the generator and the electric arc has preferably a shape of a spiral. A device for generating an electric arc with thermal and mechanic action on material containing axially symmetrical electrodes, i.e. an anode (4) and a cathode (6), a spark gap (7), nozzles (5) for the working medium flow, cooling media inlet and outlet (12), electric power supply (14), ring-shaped magnets (9) whose section has the shape of a triangle and the anode (4) has the shape of the diffuser with an angular span from 5 0 to 130°.

Claims

1. Generating electric arc with thermal and mechanic action on material, being formed between electrodes in a spark gap characterized in that the electrical arc is shaped and guided by the action of magnetic field, composed of external magnetic field and of electric field of the arc itself, and hydro-mechanical forces, which are created by the interaction of smoothly expanding working medium with the electric arc, on the electrical arc generated between the electrodes forming an axially symmetrical electrode assembly, in such manner that:

the substantial part of the electric arc acts directly and areally on conductive and/or non-conductive material to be disrupted,

the substantial part of the electric arc'"'"'s heat flow is directed into the material to be disrupted,

at least part of the electric arc is formed into the shape of a spiral,

wherein both electric arc roots are moved on the electrodes of the generating device.

2. Generating electric arc according to claim 1 characterized in that the electrical arc is shaped and guided also in such manner that by interaction of magnetic field and hydro-mechanical forces a substantial part of the electric arc is moved and is directed and pushed outside the space of the generator towards the rock to be disrupted.

6. Generating electric arc according to claim 1 characterized in that the electrode having the shape of the diffuser provides increase of an area through which working medium flows and said electrode interacts with the magnetic field and hydro-mechanical forces and thus heat-exposed surface of the electrodes on which roots of the electric arc move is being increased.

7. Generating electric arc according to any of claim 1 characterized in that the magnetic field and hydrodynamic forces are set by their characteristic parameters in such manner that by their action on the electric arc the part of the electric arc is stabilized near the axis of the device in the vicinity of the cathode.

8. Generating electric arc according to any of claim 1 characterized in that distribution of the magnetic field and its orientation allows to increase effect of force action on the electric arc in the narrowed part of the electrode by that the magnetic field located before the region where the cathode narrows by curving or the axial part of the magnetic field has an orientation opposite to orientation of the axial part of the magnetic field in the diffuser.

9. Generating electric arc according to claim 1 characterized in that increased level of intensity of magnetic field in interaction with hydrodynamic forces generates intensive force action in the spark gap (7) and thereby the electric arc is spun and pushed out of the spark gap (7) and thus the spark gap (7) is protected against melting.

10. Generating electric arc according to claim 1 characterized in that the magnetic field acts on the electric arc in such manner that the arc root on the electrodes moves in a circular path.

12. Generating electric arc according to claim 1 characterized in that part of the electric arc shaped as a spiral rotates in a discoid space and can be moved in axial direction.

13. Generating electric arc according to claim 1 characterized in that the electric arc is moved along the surface shaped as a circular ring, wherein circular ring'"'"'s symmetry axis is identical to the symmetry axis of the whole device.

14. Generating electric arc according to claim 1 characterized in that a power pulse is fed into the electric arc in operation mode working in gaseous or aqueous medium to generate pressure shock wave, wherein electric arc is preferably induced into contraction prior to the introduction of power pulse.

16. Generating electric arc according to claim 1 to 15 characterized in that the radiation component of the electric arc'"'"'s heat flow directed into the device is reflected from reflection surfaces with high degree of reflection and heat resistance and thereby increases energy flow towards the material to be disrupted, in the direction in which the electric arc is transferred.

17. Generating electric arc according to claim 1 to 16 characterized in that following the passage of the pressure shock wave initiated by the electro-hydraulic phenomenon, a reduction in density of the working medium occurs in the vicinity of the electric arc, working medium'"'"'s original density is subsequently restored by further input of the working medium.

18. Generating electric arc according to claim 1 characterized in that characteristic parameters of the magnetic field and the hydrodynamic forces are set in such manner that by their interaction with the electric arc the part of the electric arc situated near the cathode is stabilized in such way manner that the axis of symmetry of the part of the electric arc is parallel to the axis of the device, so as to widen to maximum the active, spiral part of the electric arc over the surface to be disrupted.

19. Generating electric arc according to claim 1 characterized in that by the concurrent action of the magnetic field and hydrodynamic forces the root of the arc near the anode is pushed to the outer edge of the anode, so as to widen to the greatest possible extent the active part of the electric arc.

20. Generating electric arc according to claim 1 characterized in that the electric arc shaped as a spiral rotating under the influence of the magnetic field and the hydrodynamic forces acts by centrifugal forces also on the material located in the space between the device and material to be disrupted, and thus the material is removed from this area.

21. Generating electric arc according to claim 1 characterized in that cooling medium supplied to the surface of electrodes protects the parts of electrodes exposed to heat.

22. Generating electric arc according to claim 1 characterized in that the resulting magnetic field acting on the electric arc is amplified by a magnet situated on the on the cathode.

23. Generating electric arc according to claim 1 characterized in that the speed of rotation of the electric arc spiral is increased by increasing the magnetic field intensity, and thus the centrifugal forces and action on the material in the space defined by the spiral motion are increased, which can be achieved also by the magnet in the area of the cathode.

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

24. A device for generating an electric arc with thermal and mechanic action on material, containing an axially symmetrical electrode assembly, i.e. an anode (4) and a cathode (6), nozzles (5) for the working medium flow, cooling media inlet and outlet (12), electric power supply characterized in that it further contains a spark gap (7) in the narrowed part of the diffuser, ring-shaped magnets (9) whose section has the shape of a triangle and the anode (4) has the shape of the diffuser with an angular span from 5°

to 130°

.

25. The device for generating the electric arc according to claim 24 characterized in that it further contains permanent magnets (11), wherein the magnets (9) and the permanent magnets (11) are situated in the electrodes (4, 6).

26. The device for generating the electric arc according to claim 24 characterized in that it further contains electromagnets (16, 17) designed to create time-variable component of the magnetic field.

27. The device for generating the electric arc according to claim 24 characterized in that at least a part of an inner surface (8) of the anode (4) and/or the cathode (6) is covered with a layer of reflective material.

29. The device for generating the electric arc according to claim 24 characterized in that thermally exposed parts (8) of the electrodes (4, 6) are made of porous ceramics.

30. The device for generating the electric arc according to claim 24 characterized in that it further contains cooling medium inlets (12) into the electrodes (4, 6) which are made of layered porous structure through which the cooling medium penetrates on the surface of the electrodes (4, 6) and creates protective film on the surface of the electrodes (4, 6) providing them protection and cooling.

31. The device for generating the electric arc according to claim 24 characterized in that parts of the electrodes (4, 6) are made of composite materials, for example Cu—

W.

28. (canceled)