Demolition Probe Gives Construction Workers a Break

Initially designed for use on the Moon, the Electro-Hydraulic Fracturing system — developed at Auburn University with NASA funding — relies upon short, high-pulse power created by ultra-high capacitors. Two electrodes featuring a high voltage difference are placed in a small amount of non-toxic liquid — an ounce of water, for example. After the proprietary probe is placed in a drilled hole within concrete or rock, a very rapid release of high-voltage electrical energy, stored in the capacitors, is discharged. The liquid provides the spark between electrodes, resulting in a high-temperature containable “plasma ball.” The ping-pong-ball-sized bead creates a shock wave with pressures that exceed the material’s compressive strength, causing a fracture.