Plasma drilling is one of the latest innovations in the field of drilling. It belongs to a family of non-conventional drilling practices and is a part of the shift from the traditional contact-based drill bit systems. Plasma is essentially the byproduct of electrical discharge from inert gases. Such gases are usually nonconductive media, but when electricity is passed through them forcibly, they undergo a continuous discharge, producing plasma.
One of the major uses of a plasma drill is in drilling operations in water-based locations. This is due to the fact that a plasma drill uses the technology of high energy electrical plasma which makes drilling in such environments possible. It is also an important step in making drilling processes sustainable and more cost effective.
There are a number of advantages of using plasma drilling over conventional methods of drilling, including the following:
Speed of Drilling:
One of the major advantages which plasma drills, is the increased speed of drilling. This is because of the increased number of revolutions which is attained in plasma drilling. A plasma-based drill can rotate up to 5 times faster than a traditional drill bit, thereby producing much faster cutting, and going up to as much as 500 inches per minute. In addition to this, plasma drilling is much more efficiently automation able, producing higher rates with robotic drilling than with traditional manual practices.
Usable on Different Materials and Thickness:
One of the key factors which set apart a plasma drill from traditional drill is the fact that it is equally effective on different types of materials, and of materials of different thickness. With traditional methods, the drill bits used needs to be changed based on the material and thickness of the material. However, there are no such requirements in a plasma drilling procedure, as with the appropriate change of settings, an operator can drill through different materials without having to change any parts.
Ease of Use and Multi-tasking:
Since the entire process can be easily automation enabled, it empowers multitasking in different drilling tasks. With manual operators, drilling can involve a long learning curve and even then inaccurate results. But with an automated plasma drill, one can get the drill operation up and running much quicker and with relative ease. Automated systems also have the added advantage of having the capability to deal with rocks and debris which are produced in the drilling process. So no separate manual debris removal needs to be done.
Environmentally Sustainable and Cost Effective:
One of the key factors which push plasma drilling ahead of its counterpart technologies is its environmentally sustainable nature. Not only does it cause less damage to the environment while drilling, but it also significantly reduces the cost of the drilling procedure, making it a winning process for the operator. The environmentally sustainable factor is brought about by the use of inert nitrogen and passing of electric discharge through it to get activated plasma. There is no need for the use of traditional fuel-based machinery.
Safety:
Last but not least; a plasma drill is significantly safer than using a traditional drill. This is because of multiple reasons. Firstly, they are mainly automated, thereby reducing human involvement and the chances of accidents. The entire process is also much more precise, and the debris produced is much less, which also reduced the risk of accidents.
With drilling operations increasing around the world, there is a definite need for sustainable and cost-effective drilling options. Plasma drilling provides such an alternative option and is definitely a technology that is likely to dominate the drilling industry in the coming years.
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