Spiral Electric Arc Generator for Direct Material Disruption
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal plasma generators for material disintegration and drilling in geological formations face inefficiencies in heat transfer and stabilization of the electric arc, particularly due to the use of plasma as an intermediary medium, which limits the direct application of high-temperature heat flows and leads to unstable arc control and low energy transfer efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A device generating a transferred electric arc with a spiral shape, guided by magnetic and hydrodynamic forces, allows direct areal action on materials, minimizing the plasma medium's role and enhancing heat transfer efficiency by shaping and stabilizing the arc to maintain close proximity with the material, utilizing electro-hydraulic phenomena for pressure shock waves and centrifugal forces to remove disintegrated material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If plasma medium is used as intermediary for heat transfer, then heat can be transferred to material, but heat transfer efficiency is reduced and arc stability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the plasma medium from the system by using direct contact between the electric arc and the material surface. The arc is transferred directly to the material without being carried by plasma gas flow, eliminating the intermediary plasma medium that caused energy loss and instability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention eliminates the need for plasma gas as an intermediary heat transfer medium. Instead, the electric arc itself directly contacts and transfers energy to the material surface, removing the mediating plasma flow that reduced efficiency and caused arc wandering.
2Ease of operation
If plasma gas flow is used to carry the arc, then the arc can reach the material, but the arc becomes unstable and wanders
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the arc from the plasma gas flow and establishes direct contact between the arc and the material surface. This removes the cause of arc instability (plasma carry) while maintaining the ability to control and position the arc through direct surface interaction.
3Loss of energy
If the arc is transferred close to the material, then heat transfer is improved, but the plasma medium limits the direct application of high-temperature heat flows
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the high-temperature arc from the cooler plasma gas medium and brings it into direct contact with the material surface. This allows the full temperature potential of the arc (up to 20,000 K) to be applied directly to the material without being diluted or limited by the plasma medium temperature.
4Productivity
If conventional plasma generators are used, then material disintegration can be achieved, but device complexity increases and lifespan is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the complex plasma generation and delivery system. By using direct arc contact with the material surface, the device structure is simplified while maintaining or improving material disintegration efficiency through direct high-temperature energy transfer.
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
This approach achieves high-efficiency heat transfer and material disintegration with increased arc stability, allowing for the use of high-power pulses and extended device lifespan by minimizing the plasma medium's presence and optimizing heat flow concentration, thereby improving drilling efficiency and rock removal capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
generating an electric arc which acts directly areally thermally and mechanically on the material
Implementation Method 2
The transferred arc reaches temperatures up to 15-20 thousand K, at high pressure (up to 1000 bar) 50-60 thousand K, with a significantly higher radiating (radiation) performance.
Implementation Method 3
A device generating a transferred electric arc with a spiral shape, guided by magnetic and hydrodynamic forces
Implementation Method 4
A device generating a transferred electric arc with a spiral shape, guided by magnetic and hydrodynamic forces
Implementation Method 5
utilizing electro-hydraulic phenomena for pressure shock waves and centrifugal forces to remove disintegrated material
Implementation Method 6
utilizing electro-hydraulic phenomena for pressure shock waves
Implementation Method 7
utilizing electro-hydraulic phenomena for pressure shock waves and centrifugal forces to remove disintegrated material
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Generating electric arc, which thermally and mechanically acts on material in such manner that the electrical arc is shaped and guided by the action of magnetic field and hydro-mechanical forces on the electrical arc, wherein: - the substantial part of the electric arc acts directly and areally on conductive and/or non- conductive material to be disrupted, - the substantial part of the electric arc's heat flow is directed into the material to be disrupted, - wherein both electric arc roots move on the electrodes of the generator and the electric arc has preferably a shape of a spiral. A device for generating an electric arc with thermal and mechanic action on material containing axially symmetrical electrodes, i.e. an anode (4) and a cathode (6), a spark gap (7), nozzles (5) for the working medium flow, cooling media inlet and outlet (12), electric power supply (14), ring-shaped magnets (9) whose section has the shape of a triangle and the anode (4) has the shape of the diffuser with an angular span from 5 0 to 130 °.