A method for fragmenting of pourable material by means of high-voltage discharges is disclosed. Thereby, a material flow of the material, immersed in a process liquid, is guided past an electrode assembly by means of a conveying device carrying the material flow, while by charging of the electrode assembly with high-voltage pulses, high-voltage punctures through the material of the material flow are produced. The electrodes of the electrode assembly are thereby immersed in the process liquid from above, and those of these electrodes between which the high-voltage punctures are produced face each other with an electrode spacing transversely to the material guiding-past direction.

Ore rock is disintegrated into extremely fine rock fraction in a slurry by subjecting the slurry in selective orders of application of excitation forces and energy to cause spontaneous cavitation to occur in the slurry. The excitation forces and energy are provided by electrodynamic discharges, hydrostatic force, hydrodynamic energy, and sonic vibrations.

The invention relates to the field of excavation systems, and more particularly to excavation systems including tools for excavation by electric pulses. An excavation system of the invention comprises a support frame (34), a hydraulic circuit with a pump, and first and second excavation tools. One of said first and second excavation tools is a mechanical excavation tool (1) having a hydraulic actuator and a mounting interface with at least one mechanical fastener member and at least one hydraulic coupling in fluid flow communication with said hydraulic actuator, while the other one of said first and second excavation tools is a tool (1) for excavation by electric pulses, comprising an electricity generator (3) with a rotary shaft for generating electricity from rotation of the rotary shaft, a hydraulic motor coupled to said rotary shaft to drive rotation of the rotary shaft, and an electronic power module (4) electrically connected to the electricity generator (3) in order to be powered by the electricity generator (3) so as to generate electric pulses of instantaneous power that is higher than an instantaneous power of the electricity generator (3), a plurality of electrodes (5a, 5p) including at least one electrode (5a) connected to said electronic power module (4), the electrodes being arranged on said front face, and a mounting interface (14) with at least one mechanical fastener member (22), and at least one hydraulic coupling (20) in fluid flow communication with said hydraulic motor (2). Each of the mounting interfaces of the first and second excavation tools is suitable for releasably mounting the corresponding excavation tool in alternation under the support frame (34) of the excavation system, with the corresponding hydraulic coupling in fluid flow communication with said hydraulic circuit of the excavation assembly.

A method for fragmenting and/or weakening material by high-voltage pulses is provided. The material and a processing fluid are arranged in a processing zone formed between two electrodes such that the entire processing zone is flooded with processing fluid, and high-voltage pulses are applied to the electrodes such that high-voltage breakdowns occur between the two electrodes and/or such that predischarge channels are formed without breakdowns. An electrode with a metallic conductor is chosen for at least one of the two electrodes, the conductor being provided partially or completely with an insulator or insulating coating at the working end of the electrode that is in contact with the processing fluid, the permittivity of the insulator/insulating coating being at least 75% of the permittivity of the processing fluid.

A method of fragmenting and/or weakening of material is provided that utilizes high voltage discharges. The material is together with a process liquid introduced into a process area, in which two electrodes face each other at a distance, and is arranged therein in such a manner that the area between the two electrodes is filled with the material and process liquid. Between the two electrodes high voltage discharges are generated for fragmenting or weakening of the material. During the fragmenting or weakening, respectively, of the material, process liquid is discharged from the process area and process liquid is fed into the process area. The process liquid which is fed has a lower electrical conductivity than the process liquid which is discharged.

A method for producing basic products from ash, which includes the provision of a starting material in particle form, crushing the particles of the starting material by high-frequency pressure impulses and the in situ separation of at least two fractions with different average particle sizes, where the energy-efficient production of a basic product with a defined particle size and high reactivity is effected, such that the produced basic products can be used directly for further product production, e.g. as alkalizing agent, for ground stabilization or as filler.

A method for fragmenting and/or weakening of pourable material by means of high-voltage discharges is disclosed. Thereby, a material flow of the pourable material is, immersed in a process liquid, guided past a high-voltage electrode assembly with one or more high-voltage electrodes, while high-voltage punctures through the material are produced by means of charging of the high-voltage electrodes with high-voltage pulses. The zone of the material flow in which the high-voltage punctures through the material are produced is delimited laterally by substantially unmoved zones of the same material as viewed in a guiding-past direction. With the disclosed method, it becomes possible to fragment and/or weaken pourable material in a continuous process by means of high-voltage punctures in a low-wear and low-contamination manner.

Systems and methods for cooling and processing materials are disclosed.

An electronic device incorporating a high voltage power supply connected to a pair of metal plates spaced to maintain a continuous high current arc of electricity creating an Ion Plasma discharge for the purpose of vaporizing documents placed between the plates. Magnetic containment coils around the outside of the metal plates are phase synchronized to the magnetic field created by the Ion Plasma arc to maintain the position of the arc between the plates and to direct the position of the arc in a predetermined pattern to search for any material between the plates that has not been disintegrated.

An electrocrushing drill bit comprises a bit body and at least one electrode coupled to a power source and the bit body, wherein the at least one electrode having a distal portion for engaging with a surface of a wellbore. The electrocrushing drill bit comprises a ground structure coupled to the bit body proximate to the at least one electrode and having a distal portion for engaging with the surface of the wellbore, wherein the ground structure comprises a transverse ground structure.