Deep Cavern Construction via Jet Drilling and Rotary Reaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for constructing deep human-made caverns for hazardous waste storage are costly, time-consuming, and inefficient, particularly in enlarging wellbores to sufficient diameters for large-scale disposal, as existing technologies are limited in achieving diameters greater than 75% enlargement of the initial wellbore size.
Innovation Solution
Combining jet drilling processes with rotary drilling systems to create a system for building large diameter human-made caverns, utilizing high-pressure jointed pipes and coiled tubing to convey fluid to downhole jet drill tools, allowing for rapid and economical enlargement of rock formations to diameters up to 120 inches, facilitated by programmed indexing and translational control measures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional rotary drilling systems are used to enlarge wellbores, then the initial wellbore can be enlarged, but the maximum enlargement is limited to 75% of the initial wellbore size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines jet drilling technology with conventional rotary drilling systems to create a hybrid approach. The jet drilling system uses high-pressure fluid jets to erode and remove rock, enabling wellbore enlargement beyond the 75% limitation of conventional rotary drilling alone. This merging of mechanical drilling with hydraulic jet erosion allows achievement of diameters up to 120 inches while maintaining operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes high-pressure hydraulic jet systems to deliver abrasive fluid streams to the wellbore face. These high-pressure fluid jets (pneumatic/hydraulic system) erode rock material enabling significant wellbore enlargement. The hydraulic system delivers controlled high-velocity fluid that mechanically removes rock, overcoming the size limitations of purely mechanical rotary drilling systems.
2Reliability
If deeply located human-made caverns are constructed for hazardous waste storage, then large volumes of waste can be stored safely, but construction costs and time requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces purely mechanical rotary drilling systems with a hybrid system incorporating jet drilling technology. The high-pressure fluid jet system substitutes for some mechanical rock removal processes, enabling faster and more efficient wellbore enlargement. This substitution reduces construction time and costs while achieving the necessary cavern sizes for hazardous waste storage, maintaining safety through controlled, precise wellbore creation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the operational parameters of the drilling system by introducing high-pressure fluid injection. By adjusting fluid pressure, flow rate, and abrasive particle concentration, the system optimizes rock erosion efficiency. This parameter control enables faster wellbore enlargement compared to conventional mechanical drilling, improving construction productivity while maintaining the safety and stability required for deep hazardous waste storage caverns.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the construction of large diameter human-made caverns capable of storing substantial quantities of waste, such as radioactive materials, in a safe and cost-effective manner, with the ability to achieve significant rock penetration rates and efficiently form caverns several thousand feet below the Earth's surface.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing high-pressure jointed pipes and coiled tubing to convey fluid to downhole jet drill tools
Implementation Method 2
Combining jet drilling processes with rotary drilling systems to create a system for building large diameter human-made caverns
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and/or methods of waste disposal use human-made caverns that are constructed within deep geological formations. A given human-made cavern may be constructed by first drilling out a vertical wellbore to a deep geological formation. Then a bottom portion of the vertical wellbore is jet drilled using an abrasive jetting fluid to form a launch chamber of void volume, that is sized to fit a reaming tool in its deployed open configuration. A reaming tool, in a closed configuration, is then inserted into the vertical wellbore for landing in the launch chamber. The reaming tool is then deployed into its open configuration while in the launch chamber. Reaming operations then occur from the launch chamber directed downwards within the deep geological formation, forming a given human-made cavern. The newly formed human-made cavern may be conditioned and/or configured for receiving amounts of the waste for long-term disposal and/or storage.