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US3463249A - Method of flame drilling with abrasives - Google Patents

Method of flame drilling with abrasives Download PDF

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Publication number
US3463249A
US3463249A US725030A US3463249DA US3463249A US 3463249 A US3463249 A US 3463249A US 725030 A US725030 A US 725030A US 3463249D A US3463249D A US 3463249DA US 3463249 A US3463249 A US 3463249A
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United States
Prior art keywords
burner
jet
drilling
flame
air
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US725030A
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English (en)
Inventor
James A Browning
Ernest M Fitzgerald
Original Assignee
Browning Engineering Corp
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Publication of US3463249A publication Critical patent/US3463249A/en
Assigned to BROWNING, JAMES A. reassignment BROWNING, JAMES A. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: BROWNING ENGINEERING CORPORATION
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
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    • EFIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21BEARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B7/00Special methods or apparatus for drilling
    • E21B7/14Drilling by use of heat, e.g. flame drilling
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F23COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
    • F23DBURNERS
    • F23D14/00Burners for combustion of a gas, e.g. of a gas stored under pressure as a liquid
    • F23D14/34Burners specially adapted for use with means for pressurising the gaseous fuel or the combustion air

Definitions

  • Our invention relates to the drilling of holes and the cutting of channels in rock and soils.
  • the principles involved provide for increased working speeds for a given hole or channel as compared to conventional flame jet drilling.
  • Flame jet drilling and channelling is accomplished using two basically different techniques. Where the rock or soil is susceptible to working by heat action of the flame, said flame alone is capable of producing the drilled hole. Many of the harder rocks are flame drilled in this manner. They include granite, taconite, dolomite, and quartzite among others.
  • a conventional 600 s.c.f.m. air-fuel burner drills a 10-inch diameter hole in a particular taconite at 25 ft./hr.
  • This burner operates with a chamber pressure of 70 p.si.g. with a jet nozzle diameter of 1.250 inches. Decreasing the nozzle diameter to .875 inch increases the chamber pressure to nearly 200 p.si.g.
  • an air compressor of increased pressure output is required.
  • the higher pressure unit consuming the same 600 s.c.f.m. of compressed-air, drills an 8-inch hole at 35 ft./hr.; it is notable that while the volume of material removed in the latter case is actually less, the action is far more effective in producing the desired result in terms linear of drilling speed.
  • FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional isometric view of a flame drilling operation.
  • FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a burner capable of practicing the invention.
  • FIGURE 3 is a modification of the burner of FIGURE 1, by which abrasive particles may be introduced into the burner.
  • FIGURES 4a, 4b, and 4c are schematic views of rock surfaces impacted by flame jets of different velocity.
  • FIGURE 1 illustrates flame jet drilling of a heat-spallable material 13, for example, taconite.
  • the internal burner 11 produces flame jet 15 which impacts against the advancing face 21 of the hole 12. Spalled material and the exhausting products of combustion 16 issue upward and out of the hole at ground surface 14.
  • Flame jet 15 is supersonic and is characterized by shock diamonds 49 which are described in more detail in connection with the discussion of FIGURE 2.
  • Burner 11 is held by tube 17 which serves also to conduct compressed-air from hose 19 to the burner. Oil, or other fuel, is introduced from hose 20 through tube 18 contained within the larger tube 17. An O-ring seal is provided between tube 18 and hose 20. As the hole is drilled, the burner apparatus is advanced at a corresponding rate.
  • FIG- URE 2 A detailed view of an air fuel burner is shown in FIG- URE 2.
  • This design may be referred to as a three-tube design which provides a compact, symmetric unit.
  • Air for combustion passes from tube 17 into distribution chamber 39 and then to the forward, or nozzle, end of the burner through annular space 41 contained between outer tube 31 and the middle tube 32. The air then reverses direction as shown by the arrows to pass upward between tube 32 and an inner liner 33 into well cavity 44 through radially disposed holes 43 in end piece 38-.
  • Oil passes into spray nozzle 37 from tube 18 to form spray cone 46 which mixes and burns with the compressed air in combustion chamber 45.
  • the products of combustion expand from the elevated pressure region of chamber 45 through nozzle 47 to form flame jet 48.
  • the burner itself is rather simple.
  • a combustor end piece 38 and a nozzle piece 47 forms the forward face of the combustion chamber 45, being an integral part of that chamber by virtue of weld 52.
  • the piece 38 forms the opposite face of the combustion chamber 45 and is integrally connected to liner 33 and with nozzle 47 by weld 53.
  • the middle tube 32 conducts the air flow to the forward end of the burner, this air flow providing adequate cooling of the outer tube 31 which is subject to heating by the exhausting hot gases passing up through the hole 12 (F IG- 3 URE l).
  • Liner 33 operates red hot to facilitate the intense reactions taking place in chamber 45.
  • the lower end of the middle tube 32 is free to float and said tube can expand or contract independently of the amount of expansion of any of the other elements.
  • the liner 33 may expand, and its elongation is accommodated by motion of tube 18, sliding on oil hose 20.
  • the construction of the burner permits not only elongation of parts, but lateral displacement occasioned by any unequal heating around the circumference of the tubular elements.
  • the oil hose 20 is not mechanically fixed, thus permitting such movement.
  • nozzle duct 47 is shown (in solid lines) as a converging nozzle, an expanding section 57 (in dotted lines) contained in nozzle piece 58 may also be used.
  • the various portions of the flame jet issuing from nozzle 47 are due to the supersonic jet velocity of the flame itself.
  • Shock diamonds 49 are characteristic of the situation where unbalanced gas pressures exist. At the exit plane of nozzle 47 the gas pressure (for high combustion chamber pressure) is much greater than that of the surrounding atmosphere. The jet expands as it passes into the atmosphere. But, due to the lower sound velocity as compared to the jet velocity, the jet pressure and atmospheric pressure do not immediately balance. Shock patterns result and the jet surface itself alternately expands and contracts.
  • V 1,500 ft./sec.
  • This flame jet is subsonic and is characterized by drilling a relatively large diameter hole.
  • the impacting gases must turn and pass radially away from stagnation point 74, since their momentum is relatively low.
  • heat transfer to the rock is strongly governed by the component of the spreading gas velocity more or less horizontally along the rock surface.
  • the tangential contact velocity gradient is relatively low.
  • the increase of velocity from point 75 to point 76 (in unit distance) is not great.
  • Low heat transfer near the stagnation point 74 results in a lower removal rate of the rock at the jet centerline.
  • the hot gases expand outward and continue to spall the rock a relatively long distance away from the point 74.
  • a large hole diameter results, with slow axial progress.
  • the impaction of the jet gases covers a smaller central area and the tangential speedup from stagnation point 84 to arrows 85 and 86 is much greater than for the previous case.
  • a rather uniform rock removal rate results with the forward face of the hole being nearly hemispherical. The hole is smaller in diameter and the drilling rate is increased. However, the total amount of rock removed is less than for the case of FIGURE 4a.
  • FIGURE 3 illustrates a burner geometry providing for free motion of the unitized combustor, yet allowing abrasive particles to be fed into the combustor.
  • Abrasive feed tube 65 is firmly held by end piece 38.
  • the well cavity 44 is offset enough to permit the addition of the tube 65.
  • the fuel is provided as before and abrasive particles are airborne through tube 65 and become part of the burner eflluent.
  • the term internal burner applies to a combustion device wherein the oxidant and fuel are fed at a relatively steady rate into a chamber where combustion proceeds continuously. Devices which rely on one or more explosion reactions are not considered to be internal burners by this definition.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
  • Nozzles For Spraying Of Liquid Fuel (AREA)
  • Drilling And Exploitation, And Mining Machines And Methods (AREA)
  • Pressure-Spray And Ultrasonic-Wave- Spray Burners (AREA)
US725030A 1968-04-29 1968-04-29 Method of flame drilling with abrasives Expired - Lifetime US3463249A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US72503068A 1968-04-29 1968-04-29

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3463249A true US3463249A (en) 1969-08-26

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US725030A Expired - Lifetime US3463249A (en) 1968-04-29 1968-04-29 Method of flame drilling with abrasives

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US3463249A (de)
JP (1) JPS5016281B1 (de)
DE (1) DE1918964B2 (de)
FR (1) FR2007166A1 (de)
GB (1) GB1224453A (de)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3849057A (en) * 1970-12-14 1974-11-19 Peck Co C Jet flame cleaning and coating apparatus and method
US3854997A (en) * 1970-12-14 1974-12-17 Peck Co C Jet flame cleaning
JPS5193103U (de) * 1976-01-07 1976-07-26
US4366860A (en) * 1981-06-03 1983-01-04 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Downhole steam injector
US4384434A (en) * 1980-01-16 1983-05-24 Browning Engineering Corporation High velocity flame jet internal burner for blast cleaning and abrasive cutting
US5125828A (en) * 1991-03-18 1992-06-30 Browning James A Granite flame finishing internal burner
WO1996003566A3 (en) * 1994-07-26 1996-05-09 John North Improvements in or relating to drilling with gas liquid swirl generator hydrocyclone separation combustion thermal jet spallation
US11780051B2 (en) 2019-12-31 2023-10-10 Cold Jet, Llc Method and apparatus for enhanced blast stream

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2175991A (en) * 1985-03-19 1986-12-10 Proprietary Coating Ind Limite Flame spraying gun

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2399680A (en) * 1945-04-12 1946-05-07 Pangborn Corp Abrasive blasting
USRE22964E (en) * 1948-01-20 Method of and apparatus for work
US2633332A (en) * 1946-11-08 1953-03-31 Union Carbide & Carbon Corp Flame process
US2675993A (en) * 1948-03-25 1954-04-20 Union Carbide & Carbon Corp Method and apparatus for thermally working minerals and mineral-like materials
US2990653A (en) * 1958-04-21 1961-07-04 G H Temant Company Method and apparatus for impacting a stream at high velocity against a surface to be treated
US3103251A (en) * 1957-06-19 1963-09-10 Fletcher Co H E Flame cutting method
US3173499A (en) * 1961-12-08 1965-03-16 Union Carbide Canada Ltd Mineral piercing apparatus
US3245721A (en) * 1962-06-07 1966-04-12 Irwin B Margiloff Flame working minerals
US3255802A (en) * 1963-09-05 1966-06-14 Fletcher Co H E Method and apparatus for producing flame jet and controlling temperature and flame stability of same

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
USRE22964E (en) * 1948-01-20 Method of and apparatus for work
US2399680A (en) * 1945-04-12 1946-05-07 Pangborn Corp Abrasive blasting
US2633332A (en) * 1946-11-08 1953-03-31 Union Carbide & Carbon Corp Flame process
US2675993A (en) * 1948-03-25 1954-04-20 Union Carbide & Carbon Corp Method and apparatus for thermally working minerals and mineral-like materials
US3103251A (en) * 1957-06-19 1963-09-10 Fletcher Co H E Flame cutting method
US2990653A (en) * 1958-04-21 1961-07-04 G H Temant Company Method and apparatus for impacting a stream at high velocity against a surface to be treated
US3173499A (en) * 1961-12-08 1965-03-16 Union Carbide Canada Ltd Mineral piercing apparatus
US3245721A (en) * 1962-06-07 1966-04-12 Irwin B Margiloff Flame working minerals
US3255802A (en) * 1963-09-05 1966-06-14 Fletcher Co H E Method and apparatus for producing flame jet and controlling temperature and flame stability of same

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3849057A (en) * 1970-12-14 1974-11-19 Peck Co C Jet flame cleaning and coating apparatus and method
US3854997A (en) * 1970-12-14 1974-12-17 Peck Co C Jet flame cleaning
JPS5193103U (de) * 1976-01-07 1976-07-26
US4384434A (en) * 1980-01-16 1983-05-24 Browning Engineering Corporation High velocity flame jet internal burner for blast cleaning and abrasive cutting
US4366860A (en) * 1981-06-03 1983-01-04 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Downhole steam injector
US5125828A (en) * 1991-03-18 1992-06-30 Browning James A Granite flame finishing internal burner
WO1996003566A3 (en) * 1994-07-26 1996-05-09 John North Improvements in or relating to drilling with gas liquid swirl generator hydrocyclone separation combustion thermal jet spallation
US11780051B2 (en) 2019-12-31 2023-10-10 Cold Jet, Llc Method and apparatus for enhanced blast stream

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS5016281B1 (de) 1975-06-12
DE1918964B2 (de) 1977-09-22
FR2007166A1 (de) 1970-01-02
DE1918964A1 (de) 1969-11-20
GB1224453A (en) 1971-03-10

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: BROWNING, JAMES A. P.O. BOX 6, HANOVER, NH 03755

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:BROWNING ENGINEERING CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:004217/0414

Effective date: 19840125