Sub-surface gyrotron drill for deep microwave drilling

Abstract

A drill head (1) and corresponding method for drilling a borehole (2) into a sub-surface formation (3) comprises at least one drill housing (4) configured to be arranged sub-surface, and at least one gyrotron (5, 5a, ...). The gyrotron (5, 5a, ...) comprises an electron gun (6) configured to produce an electron beam, at least one magnet (7) configured to produce a magnetic field, and a cavity (8) configured to receive the electron beam and to generate microwaves by a resonance coupling between the electron beam and the magnetic field produced by the magnet (7). The microwaves are injectable into the sub-surface formation (3) for drilling the borehole (2). The gyrotron (5, 5a, ...) is at least partially arranged in the drill housing (4) such, that the microwaves are generated sub-surface.

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