Jet-Assisted Turbodrill

Although geothermal energy represents a renewable resource for electric power generation, the development of this resource has been hampered by the high cost of drilling wells. The cost of drilling geothermal wells is high largely because of slow drilling rates in the hard rock associated with this resource. Research has shown that high-pressure, jet-assisted drill bits operating at very high rotary speed have the potential to speed drilling rates and reduce cutter wear. This project will develop a jet turbodrill capable of spinning a high-pressure jet-assisted drill bit at ultra-high speed, in order to improve rate of penetration and reduce cutter wear while drilling hard rock. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: Reduced hard rock drilling costs would ease the recovery of geothermal energy. The technology also could be used to remove hard mineral scale from existing geothermal wells and for deep hard rock drilling of natural gas.