IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,566,819
Granted Patent B2
US 11,566,819 · App. 17/658,364 · Granted Jan 31, 2023

Method and system for deep-drilling for renewable energy

Inventor: John Wesley Hanback (Jeffersonton, VA)
Assignee: Mass Flow Energy, Inc.
F24T10/13E21B7/04E21B19/16F24T10/20E21B19/06F24T2010/53
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,566,819
App. No.
17/658,364
Granted
Jan 31, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A multivessel system is provided for drilling an ultra-deep borehole into the Earth's lithosphere. The system includes a plurality of gate valves, a first pressure vessel configured with a first vessel elevator that engages and holds a train section as the first vessel elevator moves in the first pressure vessel along a portion of a length of a drill train channel; a second pressure vessel configured with a second vessel elevator that engages and holds the train section as the second vessel elevator moves in the second pressure vessel along another portion of the length of the drill train channel; a third pressure vessel configured with a smooth cylinder bore and a burn gas ejection piston configured to hold and connect the train section to the drill train; an input-output separator configured to segregate an exhaust waste gas up-flowing from the borehole from a gas being supplied into the borehole; and a drill train clamp configured to engage and hold a drill train in a borehole.

Claims (35)

1. A multivessel system comprising a plurality of pressure vessels for drilling an ultra-deep borehole into the Earth's lithosphere, the system comprising:

a plurality of gate valves, each gate valve being configured to provide a hermetic seal between at least two spaces;

a first pressure vessel comprising a first vessel upstream opening configured to receive a train section through a first one of said plurality of gate valves and a first vessel elevator configured to engage and hold the train section as the first vessel elevator moves in the first pressure vessel along a portion of a length of a drill train channel, the first pressure vessel further comprising a first vessel downstream opening;

a second pressure vessel comprising a second vessel upstream opening configured to receive the train section from the first vessel downstream opening through a second one of said plurality of gate valves and a second vessel elevator configured to engage and hold the train section as the second vessel elevator moves in the second pressure vessel along another portion of the length of the drill train channel, the second pressure vessel further comprising a second vessel downstream opening;

a third pressure vessel comprising a third vessel upstream opening configured to receive the train section from the second vessel downstream opening through a third one of said plurality of gate valves, the third pressure vessel being configured with a smooth cylinder bore and a burn gas ejection piston with a center hole through which the train section passes and containing a pressure sealing clamp configured to hold and connect the train section to a drill train, the third pressure vessel comprising a third vessel downstream opening;

an input-output separator configured to segregate an exhaust waste gas up-flowing from the borehole from a gas being supplied into the borehole; and

a drill pipe clamp configured to engage and hold the drill train in the borehole,

wherein each of said first vessel elevator and said second vessel elevator includes a clamp configured to engage and hold the train section as the respective first vessel elevator or the second vessel elevator moves along the drill train channel.

2. A multivessel system comprising a plurality of pressure vessels for drilling an ultra-deep borehole into the Earth's lithosphere, the system comprising:

a plurality of gate valves, each gate valve being configured to provide a hermetic seal between at least two spaces;

a first pressure vessel comprising a first vessel upstream opening configured to receive a train section through a first one of said plurality of gate valves and a first vessel elevator configured to engage and hold the train section as the first vessel elevator moves in the first pressure vessel along a portion of a length of a drill train channel, the first pressure vessel further comprising a first vessel downstream opening;

a second pressure vessel comprising a second vessel upstream opening configured to receive the train section from the first vessel downstream opening through a second one of said plurality of gate valves and a second vessel elevator configured to engage and hold the train section as the second vessel elevator moves in the second pressure vessel along another portion of the length of the drill train channel, the second pressure vessel further comprising a second vessel downstream opening; and

a drill pipe clamp configured to engage and hold a drill train in the borehole,

wherein each of said first vessel elevator and said second vessel elevator includes a clamp configured to engage and hold the train section as the respective first vessel elevator or the second vessel elevator moves along the drill train channel.

3. The multivessel system in claim 2 , further comprising:

a third pressure vessel comprising a third vessel upstream opening configured to receive the train section from the second vessel downstream opening,

wherein at least one of the first pressure vessel, the second pressure vessel and the third pressure vessel comprises a robotic arm that is configured to connect the train section to the drill train.

4. The multivessel system in claim 3 , wherein the third pressure vessel comprises a smooth internal cylinder bore and a piston having a pressure sealing clamp attached to the second vessel elevator by a fixed steel tube to allow the drill train section to pass through the piston and be pressure sealed and at the same time allow an exhaust waste gas to be ejected and separated from an incoming at least one of a cooling liquid, an electrical supply cable, a gas supply, and an ancillary material and whisker feed.

5. The multivessel system in claim 2 , wherein the first vessel elevator or the second vessel elevator comprises an internal spiral hydraulic ball screw elevator.

6. The multivessel system in claim 5 , wherein the drill pipe clamp comprises a fixed hydraulic conical clamp located between the third pressure vessel and a gas flow separator.

7. The multivessel system in claim 2 , wherein a pressure sealing clamp comprises a hydraulic conical clamping mechanism mechanism for clamping at least one a waveguide, a drill tube, a water cooling system, an electrical supply cable, a gas supply, an ancillary material and whisker feed, and a burn gas waste tube.

8. The multivessel system in claim 5 , wherein the ancillary material and whisker feed comprise a ceramic powder and ceramic whiskers.

9. The multivessel system in claim 2 , further comprising an input-output separator configured to segregate an exhaust waste gas up-flowing from the borehole from a gas supply to the borehole.

10. The multivessel system in claim 2 , further comprising an energy beam drill, wherein the energy beam drill comprises at least one of a plasma-arc infrared beam drill, a laser guided plasma beam drill and a direct electrical discharge energy drill.

11. The multivessel system in claim 10 , wherein the energy beam comprises:

a laser guided plasma beam drill or a direct electrical discharge energy beam drill attached to a distal end of the drill train;

a plasma arc infrared energy beam drill that comprises an extendable drill tube; and

one or more lower mounted waveguide sections configured to drill the borehole and form a ceramic borehole liner by transmitting a directed energy beam to vaporize rock in a geological formation.

12. The multivessel system in claim 10 , wherein the drill pipe clamp is configured to hold and lower the drill train as it descends through a geological formation to form a ceramic borehole liner at the circumference of the borehole, while maintaining a predetermined fixed distance between energy beam drill and a melt created at a bottom of the borehole.

13. The multivessel system in claim 2 , wherein the drill train comprises a carbon fiber-ceramic layer.

14. The multivessel system in claim 2 , further comprising:

a particle separator configured to segregate fine particles from an exhaust waste gas.

15. The multivessel system in claim 2 , wherein the drill train comprises high temperature Hastelloy X or nickel alloy.

16. The multivessel system in claim 2 , wherein the drill train comprises train connectors between each pair of train sections.

17. The multivessel system in claim 16 , wherein the train connectors each include an upstream sub-connector and a downstream sub-connector.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 9, 2026
From: MASS FLOW ENERGY, INC.
To: SUPERCRITICAL ENERGY, LLC
Reel/Frame 074890/0756 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2022
From: HANBACK, JOHN WESLEY
To: MASS FLOW ENERGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 059545/0627 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63258153 · Apr 15, 2021
Related Publication 20220333827A1 · Oct 20, 2022