Patent · US Expired

Microwave assisted hard rock cutting

US5003144A · kind A · utility

63Cited by
7References
1Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 9, 1990
Grant dateMar 26, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 9, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH05B6/80
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus for the sequential fracturing and cutting of subsurface volume of hard rock (102) in the strata (101) of a mining environment (100) by subjecting the volume of rock to a beam (25) of microwave energy to fracture the subsurface volume of rock by differential expansion; and , then bringing the cutting edge (52) of a piece of conventional mining machinery (50) into contact with the fractured rock (102).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.