New High-Temperature Downhole Hammer Designed for Geothermal Drilling (Engineering.com)
A collaboration between Sandia National Laboratories and industrial manufacturer Atlas Copco has resulted in just such a technology: a new type of downhole hammer that can endure the heat required for geothermal drilling.
Downhole hammers employ a rapid hammering action, much like a jackhammer, in order to cut through rock. They have been used in the oil, gas, and mining industries since the 1950s, but because of their use of oil-based lubricants and plastic parts, the conventional design is unsuitable for the high temperatures of geothermal drilling.
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