Abstract: In a direct drill bit drive for tools for comminuting brittle materials and penetrating into brittle materials by percussive impact on the basis of a heat engine operated with a gaseous working medium, the heat engine is a hot gas engine operating in accordance with a real Stirling cycle process.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for determining a local mineral grain size of a valuable mineral in a rock of a deposit or an occurrence, where the rock comprises at least one other mineral, and wherein the valuable mineral has a higher density than the at least one other mineral. The method may include: performing a drilling operation using a drill in the rock, with cuttings being produced, forming an aerosol comprising the cuttings and a gas stream, transferring the aerosol from the drill to at least one air classifier, performing stream classification, wherein at least two fractions comprising in each case particles of the cuttings that sink at the same speed are formed, and determining a property of at least one of the fractions, which fraction is used as a measure for the local mineral grain size of the valuable mineral in the rock.

Abstract: A method for increasing the yield of a deposit including a rock which including at least one valuable mineral to be exposed by comminuting the rock and at least one further mineral, may include the following steps: performing a boring operation using a boring device prior to extracting the rock, determining at least one predetermined boring parameter for the boring device, determining at least one measured value characterizing a current boring behavior of the boring device, and performing a computational elimination of a dependency of the at least one measured value on the at least one boring parameter, wherein at least one rock texture-dependent characteristic value is obtained, and wherein the at least one characteristic value is used as a measure for a mineral particle size of the at least one valuable mineral in the rock and for setting an optimum degree of comminution when comminuting the rock.

Abstract: A method is provided for increasing the yield in a deposit comprising a rock that includes a valuable mineral, which can be exposed by virtue of the rock being comminuted, and at least one further mineral, wherein the valuable mineral has a higher density than the at least one further mineral, which method includes: carrying out a drilling operation using a drilling tool prior to the rock being extracted, drillings being generated in the process; forming an aerosol comprising the drillings and a gas stream; transferring the aerosol from the drilling tool to at least one air separator; carrying out hydraulic classification, wherein at least two fractions comprising in each case equal-falling particles of the drillings are formed; and determining a property which belongs to at least one of the fractions and is used as a measure for setting an optimum degree of comminution of the rock.

Abstract: In a direct drill bit drive for tools for comminuting brittle materials and penetrating into brittle materials by percussive impact on the basis of a heat engine operated with a gaseous working medium, the heat engine is a hot gas engine operating in accordance with a real Stirling cycle process.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for determining a local mineral grain size of a valuable mineral in a rock of a deposit or an occurrence, where the rock comprises at least one other mineral, and wherein the valuable mineral has a higher density than the at least one other mineral. The method may include: performing a drilling operation using a drill in the rock, with cuttings being produced, forming an aerosol comprising the cuttings and a gas stream, transferring the aerosol from the drill to at least one air classifier, performing stream classification, wherein at least two fractions comprising in each case particles of the cuttings that sink at the same speed are formed, and determining a property of at least one of the fractions, which fraction is used as a measure for the local mineral grain size of the valuable mineral in the rock.

Abstract: A method is provided for increasing the yield in a deposit comprising a rock that includes a valuable mineral, which can be exposed by virtue of the rock being comminuted, and at least one further mineral, wherein the valuable mineral has a higher density than the at least one further mineral, which method includes: carrying out a drilling operation using a drilling tool prior to the rock being extracted, drillings being generated in the process; forming an aerosol comprising the drillings and a gas stream; transferring the aerosol from the drilling tool to at least one air separator; carrying out hydraulic classification, wherein at least two fractions comprising in each case equal-falling particles of the drillings are formed; and determining a property which belongs to at least one of the fractions and is used as a measure for setting an optimum degree of comminution of the rock.

Abstract: A method for increasing the yield of a deposit including a rock which including at least one valuable mineral to be exposed by comminuting the rock and at least one further mineral, may include the following steps: performing a boring operation using a boring device prior to extracting the rock, determining at least one predetermined boring parameter for the boring device, determining at least one measured value characterizing a current boring behaviour of the boring device, and performing a computational elimination of a dependency of the at least one measured value on the at least one boring parameter, wherein at least one rock texture-dependent characteristic value is obtained, and wherein the at least one characteristic value is used as a measure for a mineral particle size of the at least one valuable mineral in the rock and for setting an optimum degree of comminution when comminuting the rock.