Simulate process in unprecedented detail
All across the world, deep beneath the surface, lies the most abundant energy source on Earth: superhot rock geothermal. Capable of powering civilization continuously for millions of years, superhot geothermal remains largely untapped because conventional drill bits cannot reliably reach the necessary depths and temperatures.
The solution is millimeter wave drilling. Since Quaise Energy was founded, the University of Cambridge has been a close research partner, providing foundational insights into the physics underlying the company’s revolutionary technology.
Recently, the group led by Professor Nikos Nikiforakis, together with our Vice President of Research, Franck Monmont, developed a state-of-the-art multiphysics computational model capable of simulating the drilling process in unprecedented detail. The model allows Quaise to optimize millimeter wave rock removal in ways not possible with existing simulation tools.
The work was reported in the January 29 online issue of Computers and Geotechnics.
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This work is providing unique insights into the physics of millimeter wave drilling to unlock ever faster drilling rates.—Carlos Araque CEO and Co-founder
Crucially, the model was validated against Quaise laboratory experiments and accurately predicted material removal rates across a range of beam intensities. Beyond validation, the simulations revealed concrete pathways to increase Quaise’s rate of penetration by an additional order of magnitude.
Says Carlos Araque, CEO and co-founder of Quaise: “Nikiforakis, Monmont, and colleagues have pushed the state-of-the-art in computational multiphysics to provide us with unprecedented insights into the millimeter wave drilling process. This work is providing unique insights into the physics of millimeter wave drilling to unlock ever faster drilling rates.”
As millimeter wave drilling scales up, access to superhot rock goes from a geological limitation to a repeatable engineering capability. Because superhot geothermal is available everywhere, the ability to reach it unlocks a globally deployable, always-on energy source for millions of years to come.