How Tunneling Robots Help Utilities Move Infrastructure Underground
If you think tunneling robots are the stuff of science fiction, think again! California-based robotics company Petra has created a robotic device that can tunnel through cumbersome terrain like bedrock. In fact, the company recently conducted a demo where a robot bore through Sioux quartzite bedrock, averaging 1 inch per minute. Not too shabby.
The technology allows utility companies to bury their infrastructure deeper, and in more complicated terrain, than was previously possible. This not only helps utilities expand into previously inaccessible areas, but it also boosts reliability by providing additional protective measures against damage from severe weather events.
Nuts and Bolts of Petra’s Tunneling Robots
The company’s tunneling robots differ from the “typical” trenchless boring-robot machines that are pervasive throughout the market. These devices utilize cutter heads that tend to break when moving through dense rock. This is obviously not ideal.
Petra’s tunneling robots, on the other hand, utilize a special drilling process that creates tunnels by shooting the rock with high-energy particles, avoiding having the cutter heads make direct contact with the rock. This obviously reduces the risk of cutter head damage, saving both time and money. For this reason, the drilling technology is generally more cost effective than traditional methods, and is capable of creating “micro tunnels” anywhere from 20 inches to 60 inches in diameter.
To be clear, Petra is still akin to a startup, but its technology seems to be better than the more widely available options. And, investors seem to agree, as the company just raised $33 million in venture capital funding from a handful of VC firms.
In the final analysis, this is a great development for the electric utility industry overall (and perhaps utilities in other sectors as well). Undergrounding is an effective way to reduce outages, but the process has traditionally been expensive and time-consuming. Thanks to Petra’s tunneling robots, these limitations are drastically reduced.
