A Novel Phased Array Applicator for Efficient Microwave Pre-Conditioning of Hard Rocks
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Raphael Speck*, Roy Morgenstern, Ralph Behrend, Hartmut Krause
In microwave rock pre-conditioning for mechanical excavation, selecting the right applicator is crucial for overall performance. To date, most studies have used air-filled or dielectric-loaded single waveguide applicators at relatively low power levels. In this paper, a high-power phased array consisting of multiple waveguide antennas fed by coherent microwaves is proposed and evaluated by using multi-physics simulations. The new design concentrates power deep within the rock instead of the surface layers, thus significantly increasing rock damage while at the same time enabling a large stand-off distance from the rock surface, reducing necessary rock temperature and overcoming the power limitations of single waveguides. Furthermore, it allows the selective heating of different regions of the rocks by means of beam steering. Following a description of the arrangement and the innovative, fully thermally coupled simulation model, benchmarking results are presented, with the phased array achieving an up to 2.4 higher rock-breaking performance at 70% lower rock temperatures.
Keywords: Rock Face Pre-Conditioning; Power Focusing; Selective Heating; Beam Steering; Simulation.
Proscience vol. 10
Pp 71-76