Nuclear powered drilling method and system

• US 3,280,923 A
• Filed: 09/21/1962
• Issued: 10/25/1966
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1962
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nils L. Muench
• Original Assignee: Nils L. Muench
• Inventors: Muench, Nils L.
• Application Number:
  US04/225,288
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• US Class Current: 376/273
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 4/04 Electric drives E21B4/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 44/005 Below-ground automatic control systems
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/04 Directional drilling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 376/909 Mobile reactors

Claims

5. A DRILLING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF DRILLING A BOREHOLE AND OF BEING SUSPENDED ON A NONCONDUCTOR CABLE IN SAID BOREHOLE COMPRISING:

A DRILL MEMBER ADAPTED TO DRILL SAID BOREHOLE WHEN ACTUATED;

AN ELECTRIC MOTOR CONNECTED TO SAID DRILL MEMBER ADAPTED TO ACTUATE SAID DRILL MEMBER;

MEANS COUPLED TO SAID ELECTRIC MOTOR ADAPTED TO GENERATE ELECTRICAL ENERGY TO OPERATE SAID ELECTRIC MOTOR COMPRISING A NUCLEAR REACTOR FOR GENERATING HEAT, A HOT JUNCTION COMPRISING DISSIMILAR METALS LOCATED IN SAID REACTOR, A COLD JUNCTION COMPRISING DISSIMILAR METAL SEPARATED FROM SAID HOT JUNCTION, ELECTRICCL CONDUCTORS CONNECTING SAID HOT AND COLD JUNCTIONS;

AND COOLING MEANS PROVIDED ADJACENT SAID COLD JUNCTION TO FACILITATE HEAT TRANSFER FROM SAID COLD JUNCTION THROUGH THE DRILLING FLUID SURROUNDING SAID APPARATUS INTO THE EARTH FORMATION WHICH SERVES AS A HEAT SINK.