Earth potential unit is employed to derive benefit from seams of pit-coal located very deeply beneath ground, the traditional mining of which would not be economical

摘要

The earth potential unit is employed to derive benefit from seams of pit-coal located very deeply beneath the ground, the traditional mining of which would not be economical. The coal exploitation is effected economically by direct conversion into electricity using several earth potential units, the function of which is on a battery principle. From the earth surface (1) a flow lance (3) is drilled through the earth layer (2) into a pit-coal seam (4), which can be kilometers below ground. The lance sprays oxygen into the coal, converting it into carbon dioxide. The fluid provides the lance with an electrical potential difference which is converted into an electrical current. By coupling together several earth potential units, the electrical voltage is increased.