Patent Application
20220213734
The invention relates to horizontal directional drilling (HDD) systems that are configured to drive a drill rod string into the ground for trenchless underground utility installation. At the end of the drill string is a rotating drilling tool or drill bit.
In one aspect, the invention provides a horizontal directional drilling machine including a base, a rack movable to different drilling angles with respect to the base, and a carriage having a rotating assembly for engaging a drill rod, the carriage being movable along the rack to drive the drill rod into the ground. The horizontal directional drilling machine further includes an operator lift including an operator area provided alongside the rack and being adjustable for height with respect to the rack to provide access to the carriage for wireline operations. The operator lift is supported by at least one frame element of the horizontal directional drilling machine.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method of installing wireline into a drill rod on a horizontal directional drilling machine. A drill rod is provided on a rack of the horizontal directional drilling machine. A wireline technician is elevated to access an upper end of the drill rod using a movable operator lift supported on a frame element of the horizontal directional drilling machine. From the operator lift, an upper end of a length of wireline that extends through the drill rod is handled and connected to an electrical connector on the horizontal directional drilling machine.
In yet another aspect, the invention provides a horizontal directional drilling machine including a base, a rack movable to different drilling angles with respect to the base, and a carriage having a rotating assembly for engaging a drill rod, the carriage being movable along the rack to drive the drill rod into the ground. The horizontal directional drilling machine further includes an operator lift including an operator area provided alongside the rack and being adjustable for height to provide access to the carriage for wireline operations. The operator lift is not secured to the rack and thus configured for independent movement in order to facilitate connection of a wireline that extends through the drill rod.
Before any embodiments of the present invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
A rear end 112A of the rack 112 is configured to be adjustably elevated above the ground by a lifting mechanism between the base 104, particularly the main frame 106, and the rack 112, such as one or more hydraulic cylinders. A front end 112B of the rack 112 is supported by a ground anchor 116. The ground anchor 116, which can be separate from the frame element(s) forming the main frame 106 in some constructions, constitutes another frame element of the HDD machine 100. The rack 112 supports a carriage 120 and includes a gear rack 124 to enable driving of the carriage 120 along the rack 112. Although not all shown, the carriage 120 includes a plurality of motors, a gearbox 126, and an output pinion engaged with the gear rack 124. One of the plurality of motors, along with the gearbox 126, defines a rotation system 127 of the carriage 120 and of the HDD machine 100 operable to rotate the drill string and/or a single drill rod on the rack 112 about the axis A. In other constructions, the rotation system 127 can be a direct drive system in which a motor drives the output directly, without an intermediate gearbox. A sub saver 128 is supported at a front end of the carriage 120 and forms part of a rotating assembly rotated by the rotation system 127. Adjacent the front end 112B of the rack 112, a fixed or movable break out mechanism 132 (e.g., a vise system) is provided for selectively gripping the upper end of the downhole drill string during attachment with and detachment from the lower end of the on-rack drill rod assembly. After a new drill rod assembly is coupled (to the drill string), the rotation system 127 travels longitudinally on the rack 112 toward the break out mechanism 132, while simultaneously rotating the drill rod assembly, to continue the drilling operation. When the rotation system 127 reaches the break out mechanism 132 at the end of the rack 112, the rotation system 127 is de-coupled from the drill rod assembly and retracted to the rear end 112A of the rack 112 to accommodate the next drill rod assembly. This process is repeated until the drilling operation is complete, and then reversed during a pullback operation in which the HDD machine 100 removes the drill from the ground, one drill rod assembly at a time.
Optionally, the HDD machine 100 can include a storage compartment for drill rod assemblies and a fixed operator station (e.g., cabin as shown in
Rearward of the engine compartment 136, the HDD machine 100 includes an operator lift 140 for supporting an operator (i.e., human technician) above the base 104. The operator lift is not secured to the rack 112, and therefore, the operator lift 140 is operable to move independent of the rack 112. As shown in
The operator lift 140 can be positioned alongside the rack 112, with or without a direct connection thereto. The operator lift 140 is shown in further detail in
In some constructions, as illustrated, a longitudinal length L of the operator area 144 is larger than a transverse width W, with the longitudinal direction being parallel to the axis A of the rack 112 when the rack 112 is lowered to horizontal. The operator area 144 can be rectangular in plan view as shown, or may take alternate forms including regular and irregular geometric shapes. As shown, the operator area 144 provides human access adjacent the front end of the carriage 120 at least when the carriage 120 is positioned at the rear end 112A of the rack 112 (or further toward the rear end 112A than the front end 112B) and allows an operator to access the rotation system 127 and/or sub saver 128 from the operator lift 140, especially to access or install the wireline 200 (
Via a controller 300, various operational features of the operator lift 140 described herein may be achieved, alone or in combination. The controller 300 is programmed with various sets of instructions and operates with additional electrically connected hardware to provide a control system. Some exemplary features are described below. An inclinometer 162 can be provided on the HDD machine 100 in some constructions and, if provided, can detect the incline of the HDD machine 100, including with it the operator lift 140. The inclinometer 162 can report a corresponding signal to the controller 300 so that the controller 300 maintains the operator lift 140 in an operable condition exclusively within a prescribed incline range with respect to level ground. The upper limit of the prescribed incline range can be in some constructions, without limit: 3 degrees or more, 6 degrees or more, or up to 8 degrees. Tilt of the HDD machine 100 in excess of the prescribed range may result in a warning indicator being provided to a machine operator. In some constructions, the operator lift 140 automatically stops at a specified location relative to the rack 112 (i.e., specified elevation, unless operator lift has horizontal movement range as in following embodiments). The automatic stop feature can be accomplished by controller logic alone (e.g., with PLC or microprocessor controls, relays, etc.) by taking into consideration the mechanical properties of the operator lift 140 and the current angle of the rack 112. Alternatively or additionally, one or more sensors (e.g., proximity sensor 156) may be used to position the lift 140 correctly, achieving a prescribed height of the operator area working platform relative to the rack 112, by detecting a portion of the rack 112 or the carriage 120 thereon. The sensor(s) used to stop the operator lift 140 can include photoelectric, inductive, magnetic, LIDAR, or biometric, among others. As disclosed, the operator lift 140 is designated for human technician(s) and in some embodiments is not provided for lifting equipment and as such, there may be a suitable weight limit (e.g., less than 1000 lbs, or less than 700 lbs, and in some constructions, the weight limit is 500 lbs) to the function of the operator lift 140, which may be employed utilizing a weight sensor 158 to communicate with the controller 300. The weight sensor 158 can be a load cell or pressure transducer, either incorporated into the working surface atop the lift mechanism or into the lift mechanism itself, such as within the lift cylinder 172 as shown in
The operator lift 140 can be selectively enabled with an operator interlock/operator presence device to limit operation of the lift 140 when the operator is detected to be engaged and/or detected present. For example, an enable switch is provided and must be maintained in the “on” position to put the lift 140 into an operable state for movement. For example, an up/down switch is only active when the enable switch is held in the on position (e.g., against a bias toward the “off” position). Such controls can be provided at the operator area 144 for the on-board operator and also at the fixed operator station, with the operator area controls having precedence. The operator lift 140 can include one or both of an emergency shut-down switch and a manual over-ride feature to control the lifting device (e.g., controlled descent) in the case of functionality loss, such as a power loss for example. An interlock on an access gate of the operator lift 140 may be enabled to prevent movement of the lift 140 if the gate is open. An interlock can be provided between ground drive of the HDD machine 100 and the lift controls such that if the ground drive is activated, the operator lift 140 is prevent from moving, and vice versa. Movement of the HDD machine 100 along the ground, for example by the drive system and tracks 108, can be prohibited by the control system when the operator lift 140 is raised above its bottom or “transport” position, or a prescribed elevation level. For example, a sensor 159 (with physical detection switch or other electronic detection means) is provided to detect the operator lift 140 in the transport position and report to the controller 300 as a prerequisite for activating the drive system.
In an exemplary method of the present disclosure, an operator (i.e., human worker) occupies the operator area 144 of the operator lift 140, for example via the ladder or stairs 146 when a drill rod 160 is put onto the rack 112 for attachment with the existing drill string. The operator handles a new length of wireline 200, either feeding the new length of wireline 200 down through the drill rod 160 from its upper end or receiving it as it is fed up from the bottom (e.g., via fish tape). The upper end of the newly added wireline 200 is coupled via an electrical connector 164 (e.g., a terminal post, an alligator clip, etc. along with a rotary electrical joint in the form of a swivel or slip ring) to a length of wire on the rack 112 that extends to the controller 300, along with display(s) and control(s) that communicate with the controller 300. In some constructions, the wireline 200 may be threaded through a port in the sub saver 128. Prior to connection of the drill rod 160 at the break out mechanism 132, the operator or another operator splices the lower end of the wireline 200 to the existing wireline that extends through the drill string to the drill head. The splicing can include stripping insulation, crimping of conductive wire or cable, and applying a heat shrink wrap over the splice joint. The operator may lower the operator lift 140 from a raised position adjacent the carriage rotation system 127 and the sub saver 128 to a lowered position and subsequently disembark from the operator area 144 and the operator lift 140 to work on the ground near the break out mechanism 132 to perform the wireline splice operation. A similar method, carried out in reverse, is used during pullback of the drill string for extracting and removing segments of the wireline 200 so that the wireline 200 may remain functional during pullback. Alternately, the entire wireline 200 may be removed prior to pullback.
A conventional lockout switch near the carriage 120 can be switched by the wireline technician to disable rotation of the rotational motor (no rotation of any attached components—chuck, sub saver, drill rod, drill string) and disable movement of the carriage 120 up and down the rack 112 (no thrust or pullback). In alternate constructions, an automatic lockout of any or all of these functions may be triggered in response to detection of the wireline technician in or near the operator area 144, or the operator lift 140 being in a raised position. In some constructions, the control system may provide the drill operator (separate from the wireline technician) with only limited function of the carriage 120 based on the condition of an operator in the operator area 144 and/or the operator lift 140 being raised to a position near the carriage 120. Limited function may include: limited rotation (low torque, low speed—to ‘jog’ the rotation to facilitate access to wireline components, such as the port on the sub saver 128), and/or limited movement of the carriage 120 up and down the rack (low torque, low speed—to ‘jog’ the carriage 120 up and down the rack to facilitate access to wireline components). These limited carriage functions may be available via operator controls from the operator area 144 on the operator lift 140 so that they can be controlled by the wireline technician in the operator area 144 to facilitate wireline operations. Such operator controls in the operator area 144 can be restricted controls having limited capability (e.g., limited movement range and/or limited speed) compared to the HDD machine main drilling controls.
The HDD system including the HDD machine 100 is operable with a control system to execute a plurality of software instructions that, when executed by the controller 300, cause the system to implement the methods and otherwise operate and have functionality as described herein. In some examples, the controller 300 is in communication with the diesel engine, the rotation system 127, the rack 112, the break out mechanism 132, electronics in the drill head, the operator's controls/display(s), and/or other components of the system. The controller 300 may comprise a device commonly referred to as a microprocessor, central processing unit (CPU), digital signal processor (DSP), or other similar device, and may be embodied as a standalone unit or as a device shared with components of the system 100, such as the HDD machine 100. The controller 300 may include memory (e.g., RAM and/or ROM) for storing software instructions, or the system may further comprise a separate memory device for storing the software instructions that is electrically connected to the controller 300 for the bi-directional communication of the instructions, data, and signals therebetween. In some examples, the controller 300 waits to receive signals from the operator's controls before communicating with and operating the components of the HDD machine 100. In other examples, the controller 300 can operate autonomously, without receiving signals from the operator's controls, to communicate with and control the operation of the components of the HDD system including the HDD machine 100.
As shown in
In further constructions, features of the above-described embodiments may be combined, including the provision of more than one operator lift on the HDD machine. In some constructions, the HDD machine supports both an operator lift and a separate lift for handling drill rods (loading onto/unloading from the rack 112). One or both of these may be supported on the ground anchor 116. In other constructions, one or both of such lifts are supported on the main frame 106. It is also conceived that a single lift (e.g., boom lift) may be convertible from a drill rod handler end effector to an operator area and vice versa, or that a single lift may simultaneously provide both a drill rod handler end effector and an operator area. The control system may operate to alter the available functions (e.g., software programming to alter or limit available speed and/or range, lockout of designated equipment or functions) of the lift based on the configuration as a drill rod handler versus an operator lift. One such scenario is that operation of the lift by remote control, which is used for drill rod handling, can be disabled when configured or used as an operator lift. The various operator lifts disclosed herein may be positioned on either the right hand side or the left side of the rack 112. In some constructions, the operator lift is removably attached (e.g., with bolted joints or other removable fasteners, rather than being permanently affixed by welding or other means). Furthermore, the operator lift may be supported on the HDD machine with a folding mechanism to put the lift into a non-operational stowed position (e.g., under the rack 112) for transport of the HDD machine.
Changes may be made in the above methods and systems without departing from the scope hereof. It should thus be noted that the matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The following claims are intended to cover all generic and specific features described herein, as well as all statements of the scope of the present method and system, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/846,827, filed May 13, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2020/032448 | 5/12/2020 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62846827 | May 2019 | US |
