A method for the fragmentation and/or weakening of a piece of material by means of high-voltage discharges includes immersing the piece of material in a process fluid, guiding the material past a matrix formed by a number of high-voltage electrodes, which are supplied with high-voltage pulses. As such, high-voltage disruptive discharges occur through the piece of material whilst same is guided past the matrix. The high-voltage electrodes can be moved independently from one another along movement axes running substantially perpendicular to the passing direction of the work piece. And the electrodes are moved whilst the piece of material is guided past and whilst the high-voltage disruptive discharges are generated, in such a way that each follows the contour of the piece of material at a determined distance and are thereby immersed in the process fluid.

A electrocrushing drill bit may include a bit body; an electrode coupled to a power source and the bit body, the electrode having a distal portion for engaging with a surface of a wellbore; a ground ring coupled to the bit body proximate to the electrode and having a distal portion for engaging with the surface of the wellbore, the electrode and the ground ring positioned in relation to each other such that an electric field produced by a voltage applied between the ground ring and the electrode is enhanced at a portion of the electrode proximate to the distal portion of the electrode and at a portion of the ground ring proximate to the distal portion of the ground ring; and an insulator coupled to the bit body between the electrode and the ground ring.

An electrocrushing drill bit, comprising a bit body, an electrode coupled to a power source and the bit body, the electrode having a distal portion for engaging with a surface of a wellbore; a ground ring coupled to the bit body proximate to the electrode and having a distal portion for engaging with the surface of the wellbore, the electrode and the ground ring positioned in relation to each other such that an electric field produced by a voltage applied between the ground ring and the electrode is enhanced at a portion of the electrode proximate to the distal portion of the electrode and at a portion of the ground ring proximate to the distal portion of the ground ring. wherein the ground ring further includes a fluid flow port; and an insulator coupled to the bit body between the electrode and the ground ring.

The invention provides an integrated separator system for the preconcentration of a material comprising one or more grizzly bars and one or more electrodes which provide a high voltage pulse (HVP) discharge to the material. The invention also provides a process for preconcentration of a material preferably a mineral within a rock which comprises: providing the material into an integrated separator system comprising one or more grizzly bars and one or more electrodes which are capable of providing at least one high voltage pulse discharge(s) to the material; applying one or more high voltage pulse discharge(s) to the material as the material is travelling along the grizzly bar(s) to preferentially disintegrate the particles containing mineral grains of high conductivity/permittivity; separating the disintegrated particles by way of the grizzly bar(s) resulting in the separation of the feed material into low grade (oversize) and high grade (undersize) products; and wherein the disintegrated particles from step b) pass through a screening element for further treatment. The present invention also relates to a process for comminution of a material.

An electric pulse decomposition method for separating a composite material by an electric pulse, the composite material being obtained by bonding or joining a plurality of conductors to each other with an insulating member, the electric pulse decomposition method including a protrusion formation step for forming a protrusion in a specific site, on a side on which the composite material is arranged, of at least one of the plurality of conductors, and a separation step for separating the plurality of conductors in the composite material 1 by respectively bringing electrodes into contact with surfaces of the plurality of conductors and applying an electric pulse between the electrodes to destroy the insulating member. This makes it possible to separate the plurality of conductors from the composite material by making a shock wave caused by a current of the dielectric breakdown functioning as an adhesive to effectively destroy the insulating member.

A disassembling apparatus that shatters an object by means of pulsed discharge includes a container that can be filled with a liquid, an anode that is disposed within the container, a cathode that is disposed such that the object can be placed so as to straddle the anode and the cathode, object scattering prevention means that encloses an object disassembling region above the anode and the cathode, and a pulsed power supply that applies a high voltage pulse between the anode and the cathode.

A method for fragmenting and/or weakening pourable material with high-voltage discharges includes guiding an annular or arcuate material flow past a high-voltage electrode assembly while immersed in a process liquid, by means of which high-voltage electrode assembly high-voltage punctures through the material flow are produced in that high-voltage pulses are applied to the high-voltage electrodes of the high-voltage electrode assembly by means of a high-voltage generator. Material is fed to the flow upstream of the high-voltage electrode assembly, and material is led away from the flow downstream of the high-voltage electrode assembly. This enables a continuous process, in which the speed of the material and the intensity of the high-voltage punctures can be set in wide ranges, and any insufficiently processed material can be fed back to the process zone over a short distance and practically without additional space requirement.

Systems and methods for cooling and processing materials are disclosed.

An apparatus for processing materials includes a chamber within which frequency turbine plates rotate relative to a circumferential wall having diametrically opposed portions which are asymmetric relative to each other. The circumferential wall with asymmetric arrangement in this manner promotes the generation of pressure differentials and interference wave phenomena when plates are rotated relative to such asymmetric arrangements, and thereby facilitates materials being processed through the associated apparatus. One suitable form of the apparatus comprises a pressure interference wave mill suitable for processing materials, such as slag.

A roller press machine capable of applying an electric field includes a base, a frame, press rollers, a distance adjusting device, a speed adjusting device, a voltage applying device, a feeding baffle, and a discharging device. The press roller has a roller surface made of conductive material, and an electric field is created when a charge is applied to the press roller. In the roller press, an alternating or direct current electric field is applied between the press rollers to create an electrochemical action, such that particles or a solution in a system is induced to undergo a physical or chemical change, thereby enhancing interaction therebetween, and accordingly increasing grinding and dispersion efficiency of a solid-liquid dispersion system.