Laser beam device and method for subterranean recovery of fluids

Claim 2

In a method of recovering subterranean reserves from a formation cavity through a bore hole, the steps of: positioning a plurality of widely spaced quantum devices above the bore hole aligned in a generally horizontal plane; projecting beams emitted from said quantum devices along closely spaced parallel paths extending through the bore hole into the formation cavity; and reflecting the parallel beams within the cavity transversely into the formation.

Claim 3

In a method of recovering subterranean reserves from a formation cavity through a bore hole, the steps of: positioning a plurality of laser devices above the bore hole aligned in a generally horizontal plane; projecting beams emitted from said laser devices along closely spaced parallel paths extending through the bore hole into the formation cavity; reflecting the parallel beams within the cavity transversely into the formation, and sealing an inert fluid under pressure within the cavity.

Claim 4

In a method of recovering subterranean reserves from a formation cavity through a bore hole, the steps of: positioning a plurality of laser devices above the bore hole aligned in a generally horizontal plane; projecting beams emitted from said laser devices along closely spaced parallel paths extending through the bore hole into the formation cavity; reflecting the parallel beams within the cavity transversely into the formation, and sealing an inert fluid under pressure within the cavity.

Claim 5

The method of claim 2 wherein said beams are of equal length from the laser devices to said parallel paths and monochromatically identical.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 wherein said beams are of equal length from the quantum devices to said parallel paths and monochromatically identical.

Claim 7

Apparatus for use in recovering subterranean reserves from a formation cavity through a bore hole, including a plurality of widely spaced quantum devices emitting Individual beams, frame means for positioning said quantum devices to direct said beams of coherent monochromatic electromagnetic energy in radial relation toward a common optical axis extending through the bore hole, lens means operatively mounted on the frame means for projecting said beams along closely spaced paths parallel to said common optical axis to form a composite beam of concentrated energy, and reflective means positioned within the cavity for reflecting the composite beam transversely into the formation at a predetermined depth.

Claim 8

Apparatus for use in recovering subterranean reserves from a formation cavity through a bore hole, including a plurality of widely spaced quantum devices emitting Individual beams, frame means for positioning said quantum devices to direct said beams of coherent monochromatic electromagnetic energy in radial relation toward a common optical axis extending through the bore hole, lens means operatively mounted on the frame means for projecting said beams along closely spaced paths parallel to said common optical axis to form a composite beam of concentrated energy, and reflective means positioned within the cavity for reflecting the composite beam transversely into the formation at a predetermined depth.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 5 including adjusting means for directionally deflecting the common optical axis and the spacing between said parallel paths.

Claim 10

Apparatus for use in recovering subterranean reserves from a formation cavity through a bore hole, including a plurality of laser devices emitting individual beams, frame means for positioning said laser devices to direct said beams in radial relation toward a common optical axis extending through the bore hole, lens means operatively mounted on the frame means for projecting said beams along closely spaced paths parallel to said common optical axis to form a composite beam of concentrated energy, reflective means positioned within the cavity for reflecting the composite beam transversely into the formation at a predetermined depth, adjusting means for directionally deflecting the common optical axis and the spacing between said parallel paths, and means for sealing an inert gas under pressure within the cavity.

Claim 11

Apparatus for use in recovering subterranean reserves from a formation cavity through a bore hole, including a plurality of laser devices emitting individual beams, frame means for positioning said laser devices to direct said beams in radial relation toward a common optical axis extending through the bore hole, lens means operatively mounted on the frame means for projecting said beams along closely spaced paths parallel to said common optical axis to form a composite beam of concentrated energy, reflective means positioned within the cavity for reflecting the composite beam transversely into the formation at a predetermined depth, adjusting means for directionally deflecting the common optical axis and the spacing between said parallel paths, and means for sealing an inert gas under pressure within the cavity.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 7 including means mounted by the sealing means for rotatably positioning the reflective means relative to a rotational axis aligned with the common optical axis by the adjusting means.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 8 wherein said lens means includes an axially adjustable reflecting device having a multiple faceted, converging reflecting surface on which the individual beams from the laser devices impinge at a common incident angle, a focusing lens mounted by the frame means in axially spaced alignment with the reflecting device for converging the individual beams reflected from the multiple faceted reflecting surface into said composite beam.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 9 including a reference laser device mounted by the frame means in optical alignment with said common optical axis, all of the laser devices being equidistant from the multiple faceted reflecting surface of the reflecting device.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 5 wherein said lens means includes an axially adjustable reflecting device having a multiple faceted, converging reflecting surface on which the individual beams from the laser devices impinge at incident angles of 45*, a focusing lens mounted by the frame means in axially spaced alignment with the reflecting device for converging the individual beams reflected from the multiple faceted reflecting surface into said composite beam.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 11 including a reference laser device mounted by the frame means in optical alignment with said common optical axis, all of the quantum devices being equidistant from the multiple faceted reflecting surface of the reflecting device.

Claim 17

Apparatus for directing a concentrated beam of energy at a remote location including a plurality of quantum devices emitting monochromatically identical beams, frame means for positioning said quantum devices to direct said beams in radial relation toward a common optical axis, lens means operatively mounted on the frame means for projecting said beams along closely spaced paths parallel to said common optical axis to form said concentrated beam of energy, and reflective means positioned in optical alignment with said common optical axis at a predetermined distance from the lens means for reflecting the concentrated beam transversely of the common optical axis.

Claim 18

Apparatus for directing a concentrated beam of energy at a remote location including a plurality of quantum devices emitting monochromatically identical beams, frame means for positioning said quantum devices to direct said beams in radial relation toward a common optical axis, lens means operatively mounted on the frame means for projecting said beams along closely spaced paths parallel to said common optical axis to form said concentrated beam of energy, and reflective means positioned in optical alignment with said common optical axis at a predetermined distance from the lens means for reflecting the concentrated beam transversely of the common optical axis.

Claim 19

The combination of claim 13 including adjusting means for directionally deflecting the common optical axis and the spacing between said parallel pathS. Apparatus for directing a concentrated beam of energy at a remote location including a plurality of laser devices emitting monochromatically identical beams, frame means for positioning said laser devices to direct said beams in radial relation toward a common optical axis, lens means operatively mounted on the frame means for projecting said beams along closely spaced paths parallel to said common optical axis to form said concentrated beam of energy, and reflective means positioned in optical alignment with said common optical axis at a predetermined distance from the lens means for reflecting the concentrated beam transversely of the common optical axis, said lens means including an axially adjustable reflecting device having a multiple faceted, converging reflecting surface on which the individual beams from the laser devices impinge at incident angles of 45*, a focusing lens mounted by the frame means in axially spaced alignment with the reflecting device for converging the individual beams reflected from the multiple faceted reflecting surface into said composite beam.

Claim 20

The combination of claim 15 including a reference laser device mounted by the frame means in optical alignment with said common optical axis, all of the laser devices being equidistant from the multiple faceted reflecting surface of the reflecting device.