Method of mining rock with an electron beam

摘要

A method of mining rock utilizes a high-intensity electron beam to break the rock. The electron beam is directed onto the surface of the rock, and has sufficient energy either to ablate the rock at the zone of beam impingement and generate an ablation pressure that is sufficiently high to fracture the rock or to expand thermally the rock and generate a dynamic pressure in a lateral direction to fracture the rock. The electron beam is moved along the surface of the rock at a speed in phase with the speed of crack propagation in the rock.