Science & Technology:

Shell Backs Plans to Fire Giant Bullets into Ground to Reach Geothermal Energy (Daily Mail)

The answer to Earth’s energy crisis could lie a few thousand feet beneath the planet’s surface. Here, scientists are hoping a nearly limitless amount of geothermal power will provide enough energy to replace Earth’s rapidly depleting fossil fuel resources. But harnessing this renewable energy source is currently a slow and expensive process, with costs ranging from $5 million to $20 million.

Now one company believes it has a solution; repeatedly firing projectiles at 4,500 mph (2 km/s) to blast deep holes in the ground. Washington-based drilling technology company HyperSciences, has been awarded a patent on a new type of ram accelerator funded by a $1 million grant from oil company Shell.

The latest patent details a system in which ‘bullets’ would fire at high velocity causing whatever is in its part to vaporize. The ram accelerator in this design serves as both the chamber and barrel of this ‘Earth gun.’ Gas is pumped in and then ignited pushing the bullet forward at speeds of up to 4,500 mph (2 km/s).

The company hopes the 'gun' could be used to reach geothermal resources at depths up to two miles, by being fired repeatedly.

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