US 12,281,573 B2
Pulsed power drilling tool and a method for breaking a mineral substrate
Harald Merkel, Örebro (SE); and Erik Jakobsson, Örebro (SE)
Assigned to EPIROC ROCK DRILLS AKTIEBOLAG, Örebro (SE)
Appl. No. 18/574,740
Filed by EPIROC ROCK DRILLS AKTIEBOLAG, Örebro (SE)
PCT Filed May 16, 2022, PCT No. PCT/SE2022/050472
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 27, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/277751, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 5, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 2130178-3 (SE), filed on Jun. 28, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0344402 A1, Oct. 17, 2024
Int. Cl. E21B 7/15 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 7/15 (2013.01) 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
12. A method for breaking a mineral substrate by passing a pulsed electrical current through the mineral substrate by means of a pulsed power drilling tool, the method comprising:
positioning a drill head that comprises at least one pair of a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode comprising a first solid electrode portion and the second electrode comprising a second solid electrode portion so that the first solid electrode portion and the second electrode portion are at least in proximity of a surface of the mineral substrate,
generating at least one ionized fluid volume,
generating and passing a high voltage current pulse from the first electrode to the second electrode via the at least one ionized fluid volume and the mineral substrate.