Disclosed are systems and methods to bore or tunnel through various geologies in an autonomous or substantially autonomous manner including one or more non-contact boring elements that direct energy at the bore face to remove material from the bore face through fracture, spallation, and removal of the material. Systems can automatically execute methods to control a set of boring parameters that affect the flux of energy directed at the bore face. Systems can further automatically execute the methods to: monitor, direct, maintain, and/or adjust a set of boring controls, including for example a standoff distance between the system and the bore face, a temperature of exhaust gases directed at the bore face, a removal rate of material from the bore face, and/or a thermal or topological characterization of the bore face during boring operations.

A mining machine applicable to fluidized mining and a mining method therefor are provided herein. A microwave transmitting mechanism, a liquid jet drill rod and a cutter-head are arranged at the head of a first excavation device of the mining machine. The ore body in front is first processed by the microwave transmitting mechanism and the liquid jet drill rod to reduce the strength of the ore body, which facilitates subsequent mining of the ore body, lowers the hardness requirements of the cutter-head, and reduces the wearing of the cutter-head. With this mining machine mining the ore body, the mined ores can be directly converted, under the ground, into resources in the easily transportable form, without transporting the ore to the surface for conversion, which saves the cost of transporting the ore to the surface.

Disclosed are systems and methods to bore or tunnel through various geologies in an autonomous or substantially autonomous manner including one or more non-contact boring elements that direct energy at the bore face to remove material from the bore face through fracture, spallation, and removal of the material. Systems can automatically execute methods to control a set of boring parameters that affect the flux of energy directed at the bore face. Systems can further automatically execute the methods to: monitor, direct, maintain, and/or adjust a set of boring controls, including for example a standoff distance between the system and the bore face, a temperature of exhaust gases directed at the bore face, a removal rate of material from the bore face, and/or a thermal or topological characterization of the bore face during boring operations.

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods for utilizing hybrid mechanical-laser drilling tools, such as drill bits and hole-openers, are provided. Such drilling tools may include mechanical cutters in addition to laser cutting mechanisms designed to focus laser beams toward a subterranean formation. The mechanical cutters and laser cutting mechanisms may work in combination to advance a wellbore through the subterranean formation. The drilling tools may be controlled to vary the amount of energy output through the mechanical drilling via the cutters and through the laser-assisted drilling via the lasers.

Disclosed are systems and methods to bore or tunnel through various geologies in an autonomous or substantially autonomous manner including one or more non-contact boring elements that direct energy at the bore face to remove material from the bore face through fracture, spallation, and removal of the material. Systems can automatically execute methods to control a set of boring parameters that affect the flux of energy directed at the bore face. Systems can further automatically execute the methods to: monitor, direct, maintain, and/or adjust a set of boring controls, including for example a standoff distance between the system and the bore face, a temperature of exhaust gases directed at the bore face, a removal rate of material from the bore face, and/or a thermal or topological characterization of the bore face during boring operations.

Multimodal rock disintegration by non-contact thermal effect, spallation, melting, evaporation of a rock through a movable electric arc, arc thermal expansion and subsequent shock pressure wave allows in comparison with currently available and known technologies to drill into the rock by direct action of the electric arc and heat flows generated by the electric arc. The principle of the disintegration is based on the electric arc generation, force action to it and pressing it towards the rock intended to disintegrate, which causes heating of the rock so that a phase change and thermal disintegration of the rock occurs. Subsequently, the crushed rock is transported by a fluid streams, which are involved in stabilizing and guiding of the electric arc, from the area between the rock and the electric arc, which is the area of the rock disintegration.

Multimodal rock disintegration by non-contact thermal effect, spallation, melting, evaporation of a rock through a movable electric arc, arc thermal expansion and subsequent shock pressure wave allows in comparison with currently available and known technologies to drill into the rock by direct action of the electric arc and heat flows generated by the electric arc. The principle of the disintegration is based on the electric arc generation, force action to it and pressing it towards the rock intended to disintegrate, which causes heating of the rock so that a phase change and thermal disintegration of the rock occurs. Subsequently, the crushed rock is transported by a fluid streams, which are involved in stabilizing and guiding of the electric arc, from the area between the rock and the electric arc, which is the area of the rock disintegration.

A high power laser drilling system utilizing an electric motor laser bottom hole assembly. A high power laser beam travels within the electric motor for performing a laser operation. A system includes a down hole electrical motor having a hollow rotor for conveying a high power laser beam having a wavelength less than 1060 nm through the electrical motor.

A high power laser drilling system utilizing an electric motor laser bottom hole assembly. A high power laser beam travels within the electric motor for performing a laser operation. A system includes a down hole electrical motor having a hollow rotor for conveying a high power laser beam having a wavelength less than 1060 nm through the electrical motor.

A spallation drilling apparatus is also disclosed that uses jets of hot fluid for drilling. This is compatible with drilling wells in high temperature zones, such as a lava dome. A simplified pyrolysis reactor for use in a lava dome is also disclosed, in which the dome functions to contain the reaction, and the apparatus to facilitate pyrolysis is far more compact.