Earthgrid, a San Francisco-based startup, is developing a plasma boring robot capable of digging tunnels up to 100 times faster than current boring methods while costing 98 percent less. The company plans to use its technology to rewire the US utility grids, the internet, and energy. The boring machine runs on electricity.
Yellow lighted arc tunnel
Plasma Robot Speed Beating Its Competitors
Using a technique known as spallation, Earthgrid's Rapid Burrowing Robot (RBR) blasts rocks at high temperatures to break and even vaporize them. This contrasts with conventional boring machines, which normally use large cutting wheels to construct tunnels gently.
The RBR does not have to touch the rocks while it excavates directly. It has several 48,600°F plasma torches mounted on large discs. When used, the RBR will ignite the torches and turn the discs to pulverize the rocky surface that stands in its path. The torches are positioned on the discs in a Fibonacci spiral, which means they broaden out toward the center for complete coverage. Small pushcarts are used to collect debris.
A version of the RBR using 72 plasma torches would need about 40 megawatts of electricity on the low power setting to drill a 3.3-foot bore. Operators would have to use the high-power option and pull a steady 120 MW if they needed to move faster. All that for a rather small opening a person could barely fit into.
According to the New Atlas website, massive rigs with a power of roughly 1.38 gigawatts would need to be mounted to the back of the RBR to power large tunnels. Earthgrid claims it can tunnel up to 0.62 miles daily using a high-speed setup, which is around 100 times faster than the current system. As a reference, the Prufrock mechanical tunneling machine from Elon Musk's Boring Company travels around 0.15 miles daily. Musk's company plans to increase the machine's speed to 0.7 miles daily.
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Earthgrid Rapid Burrowing Robot Cost
Earthgrid claims that it is less expensive than its competitors due to lower operating costs. Based on its website, the low operating cost is possible because the user does not need to change out drill bits and cutter heads multiple times daily. It also means much lower energy consumption. Through robotics, far fewer workers are needed. There is no drilling mud and/or drilling chemicals to dispose of, and spoils removal is easier.
The company estimates that a low-cost boring machine setup might run about $300 for every 3.3 feet of tunnel. However, because energy requirements vary based on changing energy demands, expenses may also vary widely depending on the project.
Earthgrid is approaching its seed funding phase. Yet, it is in rivalry with Petra, creating a plasma boring robot. Earthgrid's CEO, Troy Helming, wrote on LinkedIn that the business hoped to start boring tunnels later this year for client revenue.
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