Mass flow for non-contact boring

1 . A system comprising

a non-contact boring element configured to perform thermal spallation on a bore face of a borehole;

a conical head comprising a spoil removal opening;

a vacuum unit fluidically coupled to the spoil removal opening and configured to generate a vacuum to remove spoil created by the thermal spallation;

a first sensor, configured to determine a rate of mass flow through the non-contact boring element;

a second sensor, configured to determine an amount of the vacuum generated by the vacuum unit; and

a controller, communicatively coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor, and configured to:

receive the rate of mass flow through the non-contact boring element, determined by the first sensor;

receive the amount of the vacuum, determined by the second sensor generated; and

adjust operation of the non-contact boring element and/or the first vacuum unit based on the rate of mass flow, received from the first sensor, and the determined amount of the vacuum, received from the second sensor, wherein the operation, adjusted by the controller, is selected from the group consisting of power output, stand-off distance, and positioning of the non-contact boring element.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine that back pressure for the non-contact boring element needs to be eliminated, as part of adjusting the operation of the non-contact boring element.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-contact boring element comprises a turbine.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the turbine comprises an afterburner.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the conical head is disposed around at least a portion of the non-contact boring element.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the conical head is configured to utilize the mass flow from operation of the non-contact boring element and/or the vacuum to cause spoil generated by the thermal spallation to circulate within air in front of the bore face.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a third sensor, configured to determine an orientation of the system, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive the orientation of the system from the third sensor; and

adjust the operation of the non-contact boring element and/or the vacuum unit based on the orientation of the system, received from the third sensor, in addition to the rate of mass flow, received from the first sensor, and the amount of the vacuum, received from the second sensor.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the determining the orientation of the system comprises determining that the system is oriented in a downward direction.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the adjusting the operation of the non- contact boring element and/or the vacuum unit based on the orientation of the system comprises increasing the amount of the vacuum generated and/or decreasing the rate of the mass flow.

10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the determining the orientation of the system comprises determining that the system is oriented in an upward direction.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the adjusting the operation of the non-contact boring element and/or the vacuum unit based on the orientation of the system comprises decreasing the amount of the vacuum generated and/or increasing the rate of the mass flow.

12 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a fourth sensor configured to detect movement of the conical head relative to the non-contact boring element, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive the movement of the conical head relative to the non-contact boring element from the fourth sensor; and

determine that the conical head has contacted a portion of the borehole.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

adjust a direction of the non-contact boring element based on determining that the conical head has contacted the portion of the borehole, in addition to adjust the operation of the non-contact boring element and/or the vacuum unit based on the rate of mass flow, received from the first sensor, and the amount of the vacuum, received from the second sensor.

14 . A method comprising:

performing, with a non-contact boring element, thermal spallation on a bore face of a borehole;

generating, using a vacuum unit, a vacuum to remove spoil created by the thermal spallation;

determining, with a first sensor, a rate of mass flow through the non-contact boring;

determining, with a second sensor, an amount of the vacuum generated by a vacuum unit wherein the vacuum unit is fluidically coupled to a spoil removal opening in a conical head; and

adjusting, with a controller, operation of the non-contact boring element and/or the vacuum unit based on the rate of mass flow, received from the first sensor, and the amount of the vacuum, received from the second sensor, wherein the operation, adjusted by the controller, is selected from the group consisting of power output, stand-off distance, and positioning of the non-contact boring element.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the adjusting the operation of the non-contact boring element comprises eliminating back pressure for the non-contact boring element.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

determining that the amount of the vacuum is less than or equal to the rate of the mass flow, wherein the eliminating the back pressure for the non-contact boring element comprises operating the vacuum unit such that the amount of the vacuum is greater than the rate of mass flow.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the conical head is configured to utilize the mass flow from operation of the non-contact boring element and/or the vacuum to cause spoil generated by the thermal spallation to circulate within air in front of the bore face.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the non-contact boring element comprises a turbine.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the turbine comprises an afterburner.