The management team at I-Pulse's R&D subsidiary, I-CUBE, has unrivalled experience in pulsed power and fast dynamic mechanics. These disciplines form the essential scientific building blocks necessary to incubate new pulse-power-based applications for roll-out into new or existing subsidiaries, as well as provide ongoing solutions and support to I-Pulse's business lines.
The company's expertise in the relevant specialized areas of electronics, physics and engineering is unrivaled anywhere in the world. Some of I-CUBE's current R&D projects are relevant to mining and oil and gas applications, such as efficient rock crushing, geothermal power generation, oil-sand separation, and pulse power drilling.
Hard rock drilling
This I-CUBE project involves the development of a pulse power drilling tool that would use electrical discharges to explode rock in front of the tool, rather than abrading the rock through friction.
Rock crushing
In a liquid medium, pulse power can efficiently fragment rock down to small particles while reducing energy consumption. This is important because the energy consumed in rock crushing is one of the largest contributors to the operating cost of most functioning base-metal mines.
Oil-sand separation
Pulse power has the potential to separate oil from bituminous sand with significant advantages in terms of energy consumption when compared to conventional solutions. The pulse power solution facilitates separation at a lower temperature and in a shorter amount of time, which reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions without compromising the effectiveness of the separation.