Pneumatic gun which contains a plurality of chambers in communication with each other including a chamber (1) containing and distributing pressurized gas, a chamber (2) containing a compressed gas storage chamber (11) and mechanisms for filling the storage chamber with gas and releasing gas from the storage chamber to fire the projectile, and a chamber (3) containing mechanisms for loading and launching the projectile. The electrical control unit preferably includes an electrical power source which activates an electrical timing circuit when the electrical switch is closed, and two electrically operated pneumatic flow distribution devices (35, 36) which are sequentially energized by the electrical timing circuit to enable the loading of a projectile for launching and to release compressed gas from the storage chamber (11) to fire the projectile, respectively.

Pneumatically operated projectile launching device

A pneumatic assembly preferably includes a compressed gas storage area, a firing valve, and a bolt arranged along substantially the same horizontal axis. A valve retainer, a compressed gas storage area housing, and a bolt assembly are preferably arranged to form a substantially contiguous assembly housing. The firing valve is preferably configured to open when gas pressure is applied to a surface area thereof through a control valve. The bolt is preferably configured to move to a closed position before the firing valve is actuated. The control valve is preferably an electro-pneumatic valve configured to actuate the firing valve in response to a trigger pull of a paintball gun.

Pneumatic assembly for a paintball gun

Various rock spallation devices and methods reduce the cost of deep hole excavation. A spallation head has rotating, circumferentially spaced jets. The jets may be combustion flame jets or very hot water. In a combustion embodiment, air and water are delivered to the spallation apparatus downhole in a mixture, and are separated. In a low density embodiment, the borehole is essentially empty. In a high density embodiment, more water is included in the mixture of air and water, and the borehole is filled with fluid. Instead of combustion, the kinetic energy of flowing water at the spallation device can be used to power a turbogenerator that generates electric energy to heat the water and spall the rock. The jets may also be aimed and configured to fuse the excavation material, if spallation is not feasible. New lengths of feed and return pipe can be added while spallation continues uninterrupted, either due to well head alternating equipment, or a downhole relative motion device.

Continuous drilling of vertical boreholes by thermal processes: including rock spallation and fusion

The present invention is directed to generating a range of petroleum products from bitumen or heavy oil reservoir by installing wells from a combination of surface and underground well-head platforms while controlling carbon dioxide emissions during thermal recovery operations.

Method of controlling a recovery and upgrading operation in a reservoir

The present invention discloses a selection process for installing underground workspace in or near a hydrocarbon deposit that is an appropriate workspace from which to drill, operate and service wells applicable to any of a number of methods of recovering hydrocarbons. The present invention includes a number of innovative methods for developing workspace for drilling from a shaft installed above, into or below a hydrocarbon deposit, particularly when the hydrocarbon reservoir is at significant formation pressure or has fluids (water oil or gases) that can enter the workspace. These methods can also be used for developing workspace for drilling from a tunnel installed above, into or below a hydrocarbon deposit. The present invention also discloses a procedure for evaluating the geology in and around the reservoir and using this information to select the most appropriate method of developing workspace for drilling from a shaft and/or tunnel.

Method of drilling from a shaft for underground recovery of hydrocarbons

A small bore liquid propellant weapon fires projectiles transported to the firing chamber in a projectile carrier. The projectile carrier is separated from the projectile just prior to firing the projectile. The projectile carrier can be reconnected with the projectile to extract the projectile from the weapon in the event of a misfire.

Liquid propellant weapon

A liquid propellant is burned in the bulk mode and in pulses to produce high combustion pressures with large power outputs. The pulsed high-pressure liquid propellant combustion is used in combination with a liquid jet drill to eject high-velocity and high-pressure jets of liquid from liquid jet nozzles in the drill for erosion drilling. The high combustion pressures produced by burning the liquid propellant in the bulk mode and in pulses may be used to overcome high-back pressures such as those existing at deep drilling depths and in deep ocean depths.

Pulsed high-pressure liquid propellant combustion-powered liquid jet drills

A liquid propellant modular gun has a slim profile and is constructed for wide latitude in gun cluster configuration. The modular gun has a stationary barrel and is externally driven and cam operated by a drive cam and a control cam. The drive cam has one internal spiral cam track for driving the bolt forward to a projectile firing position and another internal spiral cam track for driving the bolt rearward to a projectile loading position. The control cam is mounted for rotation at the forward end of the drive cam and controls the injection of liquid propellant into the combustion chamber and an electrical igniter. A water injection mechanism is also associated with the control cam for injecting a small amount of water into the combustion chamber after the firing of each round to cool the combustion chamber structure by internal water cooling. The water injection mechanism is also effective to purge propellant from the combustion chamber in the event of a misfire. The bolt is rotated to a locked position at the forward end of its travel where locking lugs on the bolt are engaged with mating lugs on the barrel so that all breach loads caused by chamber pressure are carried through the barrel rather than the receiver. This permits the receiver to be made quite light.

Liquid propellant modular gun incorporating dual cam operation and internal water cooling

A gun of the kind in which liquid propellant is burned in the firing chamber to fire a projectile from the gun is constructed so that a number of gun modules can be combined in a modular gun. Each gun module is cam controlled, and a common cam is used to control each gun module in the modular gun. The cam can be a flexible cam having a belt configuration to permit the gun modules to be arranged in both circular groupings and in non-circular groupings, such as side by side. The modular gun includes fixed, non-rotating gun modules to eliminate the need for tangential velocity correction factors in the fire control and the need to accelerate the mass of the barrel assembly to operational speed. The individual gun module includes propellant injection mechanism for injecting propellant at high pressure when a non-hypergolic bi-propellant is used as the propellant. One or more hydraulic actuators are used to develop the high injection pressures and to operate other components of the gun, such as the bolt. The hydraulic actuators are also engaged with the cam to interlock the actuators and the controls for the actuators through the cam. A source of pressurized hydraulic fluid independent of the gun is used to power the actuators so that the weight and profile of the gun are kept to a minimum. The hydraulic system includes a compound spool control valve which operates in a dual mode to permit normal cyclic operation of the gun during firing and to maintain the gun in an open bolt condition during armed but non-firing operations. The hydraulic system includes a misfire detection mechanism and module shutdown valve which locks a misfired gun module in the closed bolt condition without the need to depressurize the hydraulic circuits of the other gun modules and without the need to include additional bypass circuits. The injection mechanism for injecting the bi-propellant includes two pistons which are yoked together and operated by a single actuator to inject the propellant into the firing chamber both in metered amounts and in a constant mix ratio. The pistons for injecting the bi-propellant include valves in the pistons, and the pistons are drawn through the fuel on retraction strokes of the pistons. The injection mechanism is retracted away from the firing chamber after the firing of a burst to isolate the propellant in the injection mechanism from the heat of the firing chamber. A rotary lock is mounted closely adjacent the bolt mechanism and engages a relieved area of the bolt in the locked position of the lock so that a quite small force on the lock will hold the bolt mechanism locked against high combustion chamber pressures tending to open the bolt.

Modular liquid propellant gun

A liquid propellant is burned in the bulk mode and in pulses to produce high combustion pressures with large power outputs. The pulsed high pressure liquid propellant combustion is also used for producing sound waves for underwater seismic exploration. The high combustion pressures produced by burning the liquid propellant in the bulk mode and in pulses may be used to overcome high back pressures such as those existing at deep drilling depths and in deep ocean depths.

Lester C. Elmore

Papers

Liquid propellant weapon

Pulsed high-pressure liquid propellant combustion-powered liquid jet drills

Liquid propellant modular gun incorporating dual cam operation and internal water cooling

Modular liquid propellant gun

Pulsed high pressure liquid propellant combustion powered seismic sources