Propellant-powered fluid jet cutting apparatus and methods of use

Abstract

Apparatus providing at least one high pressure fluid cutting jet and methods employing same. A gas generator powered by a combustible propellant supplies pressurized gas to propel a fluid through at least one nozzle to form a cutting jet suitable for cutting materials such as structural elements. Furthermore, nozzles may be configured to rotate in order to circumferentially sever a tubular structural element. Two or more fluid cutting jets may be configured to intersect, and may be configured to intersect proximate to at least a portion of the periphery of the tubular structural element to be severed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for severing a structural element, comprising: 
 a gas generator in communication with a pressure vessel and comprising a combustible propellant formulated, upon initiation, to supply pressurized gas to the pressure vessel;    a fluid within the pressure vessel; and    a nozzle assembly in communication with the pressure vessel, the nozzle assembly including at least one nozzle configured for producing a fluid cutting jet.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid includes an additive selected from the group consisting of glass, garnet, silica sand, cast iron, alumina, and silicon carbide.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a pressure relief element for releasing gas from the pressure vessel when pressure therein substantially exceeds a preselected pressure magnitude.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the pressure relief element is configured and sized to release gas from the pressure vessel when the pressure therein exceeds 50,000 psi.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the pressure relief element is configured and sized to release a gas flow of about an excess of the gas generator gas volume production rate over a total fluid volume flow rate of the at least one nozzle at a selected pressure.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the selected pressure is the preselected pressure magnitude.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one nozzle comprises a plurality of nozzles.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein at least two nozzles of the plurality of nozzles are configured, sized, and located to create fluid cutting jets that intersect at a selected location exterior to the apparatus.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the selected location comprises a location proximate at least a portion of the outer periphery of the structural element to be severed.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one nozzle is configured, sized, and located to produce a substantially circumferential fluid cutting jet.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one nozzle configured, sized, and located to produce a substantially circumferential fluid cutting jet comprises a plurality of nozzles, each configured, sized, and located to produce a substantially circumferential fluid cutting jet.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein at least two nozzles of the plurality of nozzles, each configured, sized, and located to produce a substantially circumferential fluid cutting jet are configured, sized, and located to create substantially circumferential fluid cutting jets that intersect at a selected location exterior to the apparatus.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the selected location comprises a region proximate at least a portion of an outer periphery of the structural element to be severed.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the nozzle assembly is configured to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one nozzle comprises a plurality of nozzles.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein at least two nozzles of the plurality of nozzles are configured, sized, and located to create fluid cutting jets that intersect at a selected location exterior to the apparatus.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the at least two nozzles create fluid cutting jets that intersect proximate at least a portion of the outer periphery of the structural element to be severed.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one nozzle is configured to produce a fluid cutting jet that creates a reaction force that causes a rotational moment about the longitudinal axis of the nozzle assembly.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one nozzle comprises a movable nozzle.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one movable nozzle comprises a plurality of movable nozzles.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein at least two movable nozzles of the plurality of movable nozzles are configured, sized, and located to create fluid cutting jets that intersect at a selected location exterior to the apparatus.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the selected location comprises a location proximate at least a portion of an outer periphery of the structural element to be severed.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an anchoring mechanism for preventing motion in at least one degree of freedom of the at least one nozzle with respect to a bore of the structural element to be severed.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the anchoring mechanism for preventing motion in at least one degree of freedom of the at least one nozzle is configured, sized, and positioned to substantially align a longitudinal axis of the nozzle assembly with a longitudinal axis of the bore of the material to be severed.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the nozzle assembly is configured to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis.  
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one nozzle is configured, sized, and located to produce a substantially circumferential fluid cutting jet.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an energy storage device in communication with the pressure vessel.  
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a separation element defining a gas-containing volume and a fluid-containing volume associated with the pressure vessel.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the separation element comprises a membrane.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the separation element comprises a piston.  
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the piston comprises an annular piston.  
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including an initiator for the combustible propellant, located in proximity thereto.  
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , further including a radio frequency receiver operably coupled to the initiator and a radiofrequency transmitter located remotely from the radio frequency transmitter for providing an initiation signal thereto.  
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the radio frequency transmitter is carried by the apparatus.  
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the radio frequency transmitter is configured to receive a coded firing signal to enable the initiation signal.  
     
     
         36 . A method for severing a structural element, comprising: 
 providing a pressure vessel;    disposing a fluid within the pressure vessel;    initiating a propellant to combustion; and    using gas generated by combustion of the propellant to force the fluid out of the pressure vessel and through at least one nozzle to form at least one fluid cutting jet.    
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , further including disposing a fluid including an additive selected from the group consisting of glass, garnet, silica sand, cast iron, alumina, and silicon carbide within the pressure vessel.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising releasing gas from the pressure vessel when the pressure therein exceeds a preselected magnitude of pressure.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein releasing gas from the pressure vessel when the pressure therein exceeds a preselected magnitude of pressure comprises releasing gas from the pressure vessel when the pressure therein exceeds 50,000 psi.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein releasing gas from the pressure vessel when the pressure therein exceeds a preselected magnitude of pressure comprises releasing gas flow of about an excess of a gas volume production rate over a total fluid volume flow rate of the at least one nozzle at a selected pressure.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein releasing gas flow of about the excess of the gas generator gas volume production rate over the total fluid volume flow rate of the at least one nozzle at a selected pressure comprises releasing gas flow of about the excess of the gas volume production rate over the total fluid volume flow rate of the at least one nozzle at the preselected magnitude of pressure.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the at least one nozzle comprises a plurality of nozzles and the at least one fluid cutting jet comprises a plurality of fluid cutting jets.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising orienting at least two of the plurality of fluid cutting jets to intersect at a selected location.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising orienting the at least two fluid cutting jets to intersect proximate at least a portion of a side of the structural element opposite origin points of the at least two fluid cutting jets.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein forming the at least one fluid cutting jet comprises forming a substantially circumferential fluid cutting jet.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein forming at least one fluid cutting jet comprises forming a plurality of substantially circumferential fluid cutting jets.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein forming a plurality of substantially circumferential fluid cutting jets comprises orienting at least two substantially circumferential fluid cutting jets to intersect at a selected location.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein orienting the at least two substantially circumferential fluid cutting jets to intersect at a selected location comprises orienting the at least two substantially circumferential fluid cutting jets to intersect proximate at least a portion of an outer periphery of the structural element from within which the circumferential fluid cutting jets emanate.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 36 , further including rotating the at least one nozzle about a longitudinal axis of a bore of the structural element.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein forming at least one fluid cutting jet comprises forming a plurality of fluid cutting jets.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising orienting at least two fluid cutting jets of the plurality of fluid cutting jets to intersect at a selected location.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising orienting the at least two fluid cutting jets to intersect proximate at least a portion of a side of the structural element opposite origin points of the at least two fluid cutting jets.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein forming at least one fluid cutting jet comprises orienting the at least one fluid cutting jet to create a reaction force causing a rotational moment about the longitudinal axis of the bore of the structural element.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 36 , further including moving the at least one fluid cutting jet.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein moving the at least one fluid cutting jet comprises moving a plurality of fluid cutting jets.  
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein forming a plurality of substantially circumferential fluid cutting jets comprises orienting at least two substantially circumferential fluid cutting jets to intersect at a selected location.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein orienting the at least two substantially circumferential fluid cutting jets to intersect at a selected location comprises orienting the at least two substantially circumferential fluid cutting jets to intersect proximate at least a portion of an outer periphery of the structural element from within which the circumferential fluid cutting jets emanate.  
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising anchoring the at least one nozzle in at least one degree of freedom with respect to a bore of the structural element.  
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein anchoring the at least one nozzle in at least one degree of freedom comprises anchoring the at least one nozzle to substantially align a longitudinal axis of a nozzle assembly including the at least one nozzle with a longitudinal axis of the bore of the structural element.  
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 58 , further comprising rotating the nozzle assembly about a longitudinal axis of the bore of the structural element.  
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein forming at least one fluid cutting jet comprises forming at least one substantially circumferential fluid cutting jet.