Patent Grant
10760358
Embodiments described herein generally relate to directional drilling. Specific examples may include drill stem vices for adding or removing segments from a drill string.
Directional drills are used for a number of types of jobs. A bore is made in the ground by piercing with a drill stem. In one use, new pipe may be drawn back through the bore that was formed. In this way, new pipe may be installed without the need to dig a trench in the ground first. For example, a utility line may be installed beneath a roadway without the need to close the road during the installation process. Progress of a directional drill stem may be monitored, and the tip of a drill stem may be steered to direct the bore over long distances. As a bore progresses, commonly, drill stem segments are added to increase a length of the drill stem until the bore reaches its intended destination. After the bore is complete, the drill stem may be retracted from the bore, and drill stem segments may be removed as the drill stem is retracted.
It is desirable to have a reliable system to add and remove segments of drill stem. It is further desirable to reduce cost of the directional drill.
The following description and the drawings sufficiently illustrate specific embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may incorporate structural, logical, electrical, process, and other changes. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in, or substituted for, those of other embodiments. Embodiments set forth in the claims encompass all available equivalents of those claims.
A power supply 154 is coupled to the directional drill 100 to drive the drill stem 110, and to operate other aspects of the directional drill 100. A cockpit 150 is further included in the directional drill 100, the cockpit 150 including a number of controllers and gauges to control and monitor a drilling operation. In on example, a track system 152 is included on the directional drill 100 to move and position the directional drill 100. A stake down system 130 is also shown coupled to a front end of the directional drill 100 in the example of
A first linear actuator 210 and a second linear actuator 220 are shown adjacent to the drill stem magazine 144. In one example, the linear actuators 210, 220 are coupled to a pair of drill stem grippers. Although two linear actuators are shown, the invention is not so limited. Other configurations may include a single linear actuator, or more than two linear actuators. In one example, the directional drill vice 120 includes a slot that coordinates with the first linear actuator 210 and a second linear actuator 220 to load a drill stem segment laterally into the directional drill vice 120.
A drill head 142 is shown at a rear of the drill stem loader 140. The drill head 142 is mounted to a carriage frame 143 along a movable track. In one example, a drill fluid supply system 160 is coupled to the directional drill 100, adjacent to the drill head 142. During a drilling operation, the drill head 142 is operated to both rotate the drill stem 110, and to drive the drill stem 110 forward into the ground. The drill stem vice 120 is shown at a front end of the drill stem loader 140. During a drilling operation, the directional drill vice 120 selectively holds or releases individual segments of the drill stem 110 to aid in the adding or removal of drill stem segments (by screwing or unscrewing a threaded joint at either end of the drill stem segment).
Although pairs of actuators are shown associated with both the first gripping device 310 and the second gripping device 330, the invention is not so limited. In other examples, a single actuator may operate the first gripping device 310, and a single actuator may operate the second gripping device 330. In the example shown, the actuators are hydraulic cylinders, however the invention is not so limited. In other examples, other types of actuators, such as solenoids, stepper motors, etc. may be used.
In one example, the second gripping device 330 is rigidly fixed to the base 302, while the first gripping device 310 is mounted to the base 302 through a rotation joint 306. As shown, the rotation joint 306 has an axis of rotation that is concentric with a drill string axis 304. A rotation actuator 308 is shown coupled between the base 302 and the first gripping device 310 to provide controlled rotation about the rotation joint 306.
In a drill stem removal operation, a drill string, composed of multiple drill stem segments, may be located within both the first gripping device 310 and the second gripping device 330 along drill string axis 304. A connection interface between two adjacent drill stem segments may be aligned between the first gripping device 310 and the second gripping device 330. The rigidly connected second gripping device 330 may then hold one drill stem segment in place, while the entire first gripping device 310 is rotated about the rotation joint 306, while gripping the adjacent drill stem segment. This rotation of the first gripping device 310 and the adjacent drill stem segment may loosen, or “break” loose a threaded joint between the adjacent drill stem segments. Once the threaded joint is loosened, the drill head 142 from
In a drill stem extension operation, the first gripping device 310 may grip an end of the drill stem, while the drill head 142 from
The example drill stem vice 120 shown in
Using the vertical orientation of the slot 309 shown in
In one example a new drill stem segment may be directly loaded sideways into the second gripping device 330 of the drill stem vice 120. The second gripping device 330 may then clamp onto the new drill stem segment and hold it secure while the drill head 142 screws into the new drill stem segment. In other configurations without a slot 309, a new drill stem segment cannot be gripped immediately after being placed in line with the drill stem axis 304. In such configurations, a transfer system such as the first linear actuator 210 and the second linear actuator 220, must be made more robust, to hold the new drill stem segment while the drill head 142 screws into the new drill stem segment. Configurations with a slot 309 allow the complexity of the transfer system such as the first linear actuator 210 and the second linear actuator 220 to be reduced, thus reducing cost and improving reliability of the directional drill 100.
Although
To better illustrate the method and apparatuses disclosed herein, a non-limiting list of examples is provided here:
Example 1 includes a directional drill vice. The vice includes a first pair of gripping jaws located in a vice frame, at least one actuating device coupled to the first pair of gripping jaws, and a common jaw pivot coupled to both jaws in the first pair of gripping jaws, the common pivot coupled to the vice frame; wherein both jaws in the first pair of gripping jaws are constrained to only rotational motion about the common jaw pivot.
Example 2 includes the directional drill vice of example 1, wherein the first pair of gripping jaws includes replaceable jaws held in jaw carriers.
Example 3 includes the directional drill vice of any one of examples 1-2, wherein each jaw in the first pair of gripping jaws is actuated by a separate actuating device.
Example 4 includes the directional drill vice of any one of examples 1-3, wherein each jaw carrier includes the common pivot on a first end of the jaw carrier and an actuating device coupled to a second end of the jaw carrier.
Example 5 includes the directional drill vice of any one of examples 1-4, further including a second pair of gripping jaws.
Example 6 includes the directional drill vice of any one of examples 1-5, further including a rotation joint between the first pair of gripping jaws and the second pair of gripping jaws to provide rotation about a drill stem axis, and a rotation actuator to drive relative rotation between the first pair of gripping jaws and the second pair of gripping jaws.
Example 7 includes a directional drill. The directional drill includes a first gripper, including a first pair of gripping jaws located in a vice frame, at least one actuating device coupled to the first pair of gripping jaws, and a first common jaw pivot coupled to both jaws in the first pair of gripping jaws, the first common pivot coupled to the vice frame; wherein both jaws in the first pair of gripping jaws are constrained to only rotational motion about the first common jaw pivot.
The directional drill includes a second gripper, including a second pair of gripping jaws located in a vice frame, at least one actuating device coupled to the second pair of gripping jaws, and a second common jaw pivot coupled to both jaws in the second pair of gripping jaws, the second common pivot coupled to the vice frame; wherein both jaws in the second pair of gripping jaws are constrained to only rotational motion about the second common jaw pivot.
The directional drill includes a slot in the vice frame to allow lateral insertion of a drill stem segment into the first gripper, a rotation joint between the first gripper and the second gripper to provide rotation about a drill stem axis, and a rotation actuator to drive relative rotation between the first gripper and the second gripper.
Example 8 includes the directional drill of example 7, wherein the actuating devices are hydraulic actuating devices.
Example 9 includes the directional drill of any one of examples 7-8, wherein the rotation actuator is a hydraulic rotation actuator.
Example 10 includes the directional drill of any one of examples 7-9, wherein the first gripper is fixed with respect to the vice frame, and the second gripper rotates relative to the vice frame about the rotation joint.
Example 11 includes a method of directional drilling. The method includes rotating a first pair of gripping jaws about a first common pivot in a directional drill vice to clamp on a first drill stem segment, placing a second drill stem segment into the directional drill vice, and threading the second drill stem segment onto the first drill stem segment to form a drill stem coupling.
Example 12 includes the method of example 11, wherein placing the second drill stem segment into the directional drill vice includes laterally inserting the second drill stem through a slot in the directional drill vice.
Example 13 includes the method of any one of examples 11-12, wherein rotating a first pair of gripping jaws about a first common pivot includes actuating the first pair of gripping jaws using two actuators with one actuator for each jaw in the first pair of gripping jaws.
Example 14 includes the method of any one of examples 11-13, further including rotating a second pair of gripping jaws about a second common pivot in the directional drill vice to clamp on the second drill stem segment, while the first pair of gripping jaws are clamped onto the first drill stem segment, and driving relative rotation between the first pair of gripping jaws and the second pair of gripping jaws to break the drill stem coupling loose.
Example 15 includes the method of any one of examples 11-14, wherein driving relative rotation between the first pair of gripping jaws and the second pair of gripping jaws includes holding the second pair of gripping jaws fixed and rotating the first pair of gripping jaws.
The above detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. These embodiments are also referred to herein as “examples.” Such examples can include elements in addition to those shown or described. However, the present inventors also contemplate examples in which only those elements shown or described are provided. Moreover, the present inventors also contemplate examples using any combination or permutation of those elements shown or described (or one or more aspects thereof), either with respect to a particular example (or one or more aspects thereof), or with respect to other examples (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described herein.
In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one, independent of any other instances or usages of “at least one” or “one or more.” In this document, the term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive or, such that “A or B” includes “A but not B,” “B but not A,” and “A and B,” unless otherwise indicated. In this document, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Also, in the following claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are open-ended, that is, a system, device, article, composition, formulation, or process that includes elements in addition to those listed after such a term in a claim are still deemed to fall within the scope of that claim. Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.
The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described examples (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Other embodiments can be used, such as by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b), to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Also, in the above Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure. This should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim. Rather, inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment, and it is contemplated that such embodiments can be combined with each other in various combinations or permutations. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application 62/501,412, filed May 4, 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20030205411 | Pierce | Nov 2003 | A1 |
| 20150259993 | Patel | Sep 2015 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180320457 A1 | Nov 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62501412 | May 2017 | US |
