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.

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 tunnel boring machine including a propulsion system, an enclosure carried by the propulsion system, and a torch support structure carried by the enclosure. The torch support structure can include a primary disc mounted on a rotatable shaft carried by the enclosure, a first plurality of plasma torches mounted to the primary disc, and a power supply cable coupled to the enclosure and adapted to supply power to the boring machine from one or more power sources.

The invention provides a microwave plasma adaptive rock breaking device for microwave-insensitive rocks and a using method thereof, and relates to the technical field of rock breaking. The microwave plasma adaptive rock breaking device comprises a microwave system, a microwave plasma conversion system and a cutter head system. The microwave system and the microwave plasma conversion system are mounted in the cutter head system, and the microwave system is connected with the microwave plasma conversion system. Under the premise that only a microwave source is used to supply energy, the combined action of ordinary microwave irradiation and plasma irradiation in the form of high-temperature flame is realized, and a full-section hard rock tunnel boring machine is in cooperation for breaking rocks, so that the problem of microwave-induced cracks of the microwave-insensitive rocks is solved, and the application scope of a microwave rock breaking technology is enlarged.

A boring method is provided and can include directing a laser beam at an exposed face of a bulk target in a longitudinal direction. The laser beam can be configured to liquefy and/or gasify the target within the laser beam. The method can also include removing, by the laser beam, a channel of predetermined length and width within the target. The method can further include moving the laser beam in a closed loop of predetermined diameter to define a cut portion of the target laterally bounded by the closed loop. A ligament of the cut portion can remain attached to the target. The method can additionally include separating the ligament from the target. The method can also include removing the cut portion from the target after separating the ligament to form a bore.

There are provided high power laser and laser mechanical earth removing equipment, and operations using laser cutting tools having stand off distances. These equipment provide high power laser beams, greater than kW to cut and volumetrically remove targeted materials and to remove laser affected material with gravity assistance, mechanical cutters, fluid jets, scrapers and wheels. There is also provided a method of using this equipment in mining, road resurfacing and other earth removing or working activities.

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 the 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 tunnel boring machine including a propulsion system, an enclosure carried by the propulsion system, and a torch support structure carried by the enclosure. The torch support structure can include a primary disc mounted on a rotatable shaft carried by the enclosure, a first plurality of plasma torches mounted to the primary disc, and a power supply cable coupled to the enclosure and adapted to supply power to the boring machine from one or more power sources.

A plasma tunnel boring machine including a plurality of plasma torches on the cutting head, and a plurality of nozzles on the cutting head to provide a stream to cool an area while the plasma torches are active, and a tractor providing propulsion to the cutting head, the tractor to move the cutting head to cut a tunnel.

Systems to bore or tunnel through various geologies in an autonomous or substantially autonomous manner can include 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. The 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 trigger an optical sensor to capture images at the bore face, generate temperature profiles, identify spall fragments and hot zones and/or adjust a set of boring controls. For example, the system can execute methods to adjust a standoff distance between the system and the bore face, and adjust power and/or gas supply to the non-contact boring element.