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WATER JET CONFERENCE - Waterjet Technology Association

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STANDOFF DISTANCE IMPROVEMENT USING PERCUSSIVE <strong>JET</strong>S<br />

Eugene B. Nebeker, Ph.D.<br />

Scientific Associates, Inc.<br />

Santa Monica, California<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

A fundamental modification of the fluid mechanics of an ordinary, continuous<br />

water jet was shown to increase the standoff distance or cutting range. This paper<br />

indicates how this was accomplished by using the Percussive Jet. Examples of the results<br />

are presented.<br />

In static firings, the maximum distance from the nozzle the Percussive Jet could<br />

cut cement block targets was 30 to 60 percent greater than an ordinary jet. At distances<br />

closer to the nozzle, the Percussive Jet often did 15 to 20 times the damage to the target<br />

material than the ordinary jet. These results will be useful to the Department of Energy<br />

high-volume and borehole hydraulic mining systems as well as to the other jet systems<br />

where cutting range is important.<br />

Percussive Jets apply force to rock as a sequence of high-frequency impacts,<br />

rather than steadily. These Jets can be produced with a conventional, continuous flow<br />

system by modulating the discharge, i.e., cycling the discharge rate by a small amount<br />

above and below its average. With modulated discharge, the faster part of each cycle<br />

overtakes the slower in the free stream. If this process is done properly, the stream<br />

becomes bunched instead of uniform, and a Percussive Jet is produced.<br />

The fluid mechanism by which the Percussive Jet can increase standoff is briefly<br />

discussed. Reliable and simple hardware was produced which could effectively create<br />

and control these Jets. A variety of interesting test specimen failures resulting from<br />

Percussive Jet loading were observed.<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

Hydraulic coal mining has been used in various parts of the world for many years, having<br />

been used in the Soviet Union, for example, since 1935. More recently, Kaiser Resources,<br />

Ltd., Canada, has operated a most successful hydraulic mine in British Columbia and has<br />

planned to design others. The reasons for the increasing popularity of hydraulic coal<br />

mining include less capital and operating cost per unit of coal cutting capacity and<br />

production, greater safety and reduced health hazards for operators, increased equipment<br />

simplicity and reliability, etc.<br />

Realizing these aspects of hydraulic mining, the Bureau of Mines and Department<br />

of Energy have sought to develop two basic types of large-diameter hydraulic mining<br />

systems: high-volume and borehole systems. The role of the Percussive Jet is similar in<br />

each system. The Percussive Jet technique will be used to improve the range of the jets or<br />

to improve ease by which the coal is cut at any distance from the nozzle. In practice, the<br />

conventional nozzle will be removed from these systems and replaced by a Percussive Jet<br />

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