Acoustic source fragmentation system for breaking ground material

Abstract

A system for fragmenting material includes an energy source, an acoustic transmitter coupled to the energy source and having a unit acoustic source configured to emit an acoustic wave through a volume of ground material, a signal reflecting device, and a controller configured to engage the acoustic transmitter such that the unit acoustic source emits an acoustic locating wave toward the signal reflecting device. The controller is configured to engage the acoustic transmitter such that the unit acoustic source emits the acoustic wave toward a target location, and the acoustic wave is configured to fracture the volume of ground material at the target location.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A system for fragmenting material, comprising:
 an energy source;   an acoustic transmitter coupled to the energy source and including a unit acoustic source configured to emit an acoustic wave through a volume of ground material;   a signal reflecting device; and   a controller configured to engage the acoustic transmitter such that the unit acoustic source emits an acoustic locating wave toward the signal reflecting device, and wherein the controller is configured to engage the acoustic transmitter such that the unit acoustic source emits the acoustic wave toward a target location, wherein the acoustic wave is configured to fracture the volume of ground material at the target location.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , the acoustic transmitter defining a first acoustic transmitter, the unit acoustic source defining a first unit acoustic source and the acoustic wave defining a first acoustic wave, further comprising a second acoustic transmitter including a second unit acoustic source configured to emit a second acoustic wave through the volume of ground material. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first acoustic transmitter and the second acoustic transmitter are arranged in a specified pattern. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to engage the first acoustic transmitter and the second acoustic transmitter such that the first unit acoustic source and the second unit acoustic source emit the first acoustic wave and the second acoustic wave toward the target location, wherein the first acoustic wave and the second acoustic wave are configured to additively fracture the volume of ground material at the target location. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one of the first acoustic transmitter and the second acoustic transmitter is configured to receive an acoustic wave such that a reflected acoustic locating wave produced after the acoustic locating wave interacts with the signal reflecting device is receivable by the at least one of the first acoustic transmitter and the second acoustic transmitter. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a propagation characteristic associated with the volume of ground material. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the propagation characteristic based on a time difference between the acoustic locating wave and the reflected acoustic locating wave. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to determine an acoustic path delay between at least one of the first acoustic transmitter and the second acoustic transmitter and the signal reflecting device. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the acoustic path delay based on a time difference between the acoustic locating wave and the reflected acoustic locating wave. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first acoustic wave and the second acoustic wave comprise tensile waves configured to subject the volume of ground material to tensile stresses. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first acoustic wave and the second acoustic wave comprise compressive waves configured to subject the volume of ground material to compressive stresses. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first acoustic wave and the second acoustic wave comprise shear waves configured to subject the volume of ground material to shear stresses. 
     
     
         13 . A system for fragmenting material, comprising:
 an energy source;   an acoustic transmitter coupled to the energy source and including a unit acoustic source configured to emit an acoustic wave through a volume of ground material;   at least one of a bidirectional acoustic transmitter and an acoustic receiver; and   a controller configured to engage the acoustic transmitter such that the unit acoustic source emits the acoustic wave toward a target location, wherein the acoustic wave is configured to fracture the volume of ground material at the target location.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one of the bidirectional acoustic transmitter and the acoustic receiver is positioned at the target location. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one of the bidirectional acoustic transmitter and the acoustic receiver is positioned below a ground surface of the volume of ground material. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to engage the acoustic transmitter such that the unit acoustic source emits a test signal toward the at least one of the bidirectional acoustic transmitter and the acoustic receiver. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , the acoustic transmitter defining a first acoustic transmitter, the unit acoustic source defining a first unit acoustic source and the acoustic wave defining a first acoustic wave, further comprising a second acoustic transmitter including a second unit acoustic source configured to emit a second acoustic wave through the volume of ground material. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the first acoustic transmitter and the second acoustic transmitter are arranged in a specified pattern. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to engage the first acoustic transmitter and the second acoustic transmitter such that the first unit acoustic source and the second unit acoustic source emit the first acoustic wave and the second acoustic wave toward the target location, wherein the first acoustic wave and the second acoustic wave are configured to additively fracture the volume of ground material at the target location. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the first acoustic wave and the second acoustic wave comprise tensile waves configured to subject the volume of ground material to tensile stresses. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the first acoustic wave and the second acoustic wave comprise compressive waves configured to subject the volume of ground material to compressive stresses. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the first acoustic wave and the second acoustic wave comprise shear waves configured to subject the volume of ground material to shear stresses. 
     
     
         23 . A system for fragmenting material, comprising:
 an energy source;   an acoustic transmitter including a unit acoustic source configured to emit a test signal through a volume of ground material;   at least one of a bidirectional acoustic transmitter and an acoustic receiver configured to detect the test signal and provide an output signal; and   a controller configured to:
 determine a propagation characteristic associated with the volume of ground material based on the test signal and the output signal, wherein the propagation characteristic includes at least one of a homogeneity, a sound propagation speed, a presence of defects, and a location of defects within the volume of ground material; and 
 provide an output based on the propagation characteristic that facilitates fracturing the volume of ground material at a target location. 
   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one of the bidirectional acoustic transmitter and the acoustic receiver is configured to provide signals relating to at least one of a time of arrival, a frequency, an amplitude, and a phase of the test signal. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the propagation characteristic as a time difference between the emission and detection of the test signal. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the propagation characteristic as an acoustic path delay between the unit acoustic source and the at least one of the bidirectional acoustic transmitter and the acoustic receiver. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , the acoustic transmitter defining a first acoustic transmitter, the unit acoustic source defining a first unit acoustic source, wherein at least one of the first acoustic transmitter and a second acoustic transmitter including a second unit acoustic source are configured to emit an acoustic wave through the volume of ground material. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the controller is configured to engage the at least one of the first acoustic transmitter and the second acoustic transmitter such that the at least one of the first unit acoustic source and the second unit acoustic source emits the acoustic wave toward the target location. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the at least one of the first acoustic transmitter and the second acoustic transmitter are configured to emit the acoustic wave in response to receiving the output provided by the controller. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the at least one of the first acoustic transmitter and the second acoustic transmitter are configured to emit the acoustic wave based on the output provided by the controller. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the output includes an activation timing for the acoustic wave. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the acoustic wave varies based on the output provided by the controller, wherein the output includes at least one of an amplitude, a wave type, a wave shape, a phase, and a frequency for the acoustic wave. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the acoustic wave comprises a tensile wave configured to subject the volume of ground material to tensile stresses. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the acoustic wave comprises a compressive wave configured to subject the volume of ground material to compressive stresses. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the acoustic wave comprises a shear wave configured to subject the volume of ground material to shear stresses.