EPP Drilling

 

Electro Pulse Power technology (EPP, also named Electro Impulse Technology) is based on the effect of electrical discharges that are led through the material/rock to be destroyed. The basic structure is shown in the figure below. The simplest arrangement consists of a pair of electrodes. The passive electrode is connected to electrical ground, the active electrode is subjected to high-voltage impulses of up to several 100 kV. The electrodes only have loose contact with the rock and are surrounded by a liquid. In general, the dielectric strength of solids is greater than that of liquids. However, this relationship is reversed in very short periods of stress. In the case of very fast voltage impulses, the dielectric strength of liquids is greater than the dielectric strength of solids. Therefore, extreme short pulses are required to cut through the rock in an efficient way.