Patent Grant
11578541
The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus comprising an elongate frame having a longitudinal axis. The apparatus also comprises a first shuttle arm supported by the frame and movable along a first shuttle path transverse to the longitudinal axis of the frame, and a second shuttle arm supported by the frame and movable along a second shuttle path spaced from, but parallel to, the first shuttle path. The apparatus also comprises a first actuator configured to power movement of the first shuttle arm along the first shuttle path, and a second actuator configured to power movement of the second shuttle arm along the second shuttle path, independent of the first actuator.
The apparatus further comprises a first sensor that periodically measures a first parameter that is either the position of the first shuttle arm or a parameter from which such position may be calculated, and a second sensor that periodically measures a second parameter that is either the position of the second shuttle arm or a parameter from which such position may be calculated. The apparatus even further comprises a controller in communication with the first and second sensors and with the first and second actuators. The controller is configured to evaluate the first and second parameters, and to issue commands to one or both of the first and second actuators in response to that evaluation.
The present disclosure is also directed to a method of using an apparatus. The apparatus comprises an elongate frame having a longitudinal frame axis, a first shuttle arm supported by the frame and movable along a first shuttle path traverse to the frame axis, and a second shuttle arm supported by the frame and movable along a second shuttle path spaced from, but parallel to, the first shuttle path. The method comprises the step of moving each of the first and second shuttle arms relative to the frame, and determining the velocity of each of the first and second shuttle arms at successive positions along their respective shuttle paths. The method further comprises the step of modifying the velocity of one or more shuttle arms in response to the determinations of velocity.
Turning now to the figures,
Extending from the drilling machine 10 is a drill string 16. The drill string 16 is made up of a plurality of pipe sections 18 attached end-to-end. The drill string 16 is connected to a downhole tool 20 at its first end 22 and the drilling machine 10 at its second end 24.
The downhole tool 20 comprises a drill bit 26 and a beacon contained within a beacon housing 28. In operation, the drill bit 26 bores underground and advances the downhole tool 20 and the drill string 16 forward, thereby creating the borehole 14. The drilling machine 10 adds the plurality of pipe sections 18 to the drill string 16 as the downhole tool 20 advances underground. An above-ground tracker 30 tracks a signal emitted from the beacon during operation.
Turning to
The drill frame 36 further supports a modular pipe loader assembly 51. The modular pipe loader assembly 51 comprises a first and second pipe loader assembly 50 and 52. As will be described later herein, the first and second pipe loader assemblies 50 and 52 are configured to operate independently of one another.
Continuing with
During operation, the carriage 42 uses a rotating spindle 56 and the wrenches 46 to connect pipe sections 18 to or remove pipe sections 18 from the drill string 16. The carriage 42 moves longitudinally along a rail 58 positioned along the drill frame 36 to push and pull the drill string 16 through the ground surface 12.
With reference to
The first pipe loader assembly 50 comprises a first shuttle arm 60 and a first lift assembly 62 supported on a first pipe loader frame 64. The first pipe loader frame 64 comprises a front support 66 and a rear support 68. Such supports 66 and 68 are positioned parallel to the drill frame 36 and are joined at a first end of the frame 64 by a bracket 70. The supports 66 and 68 are joined at a second end of the frame 64 by the first lift assembly 62.
The second pipe loader assembly 52 comprises a second shuttle arm 72 and a second lift assembly 74 supported on a second pipe loader frame 76. The second pipe loader frame 76 comprises a front support 78 and a rear support 80. Such supports 78 and 80 are positioned parallel to the drill frame 36 and are joined at a first end of the frame 76 by the second lift assembly 74. The supports 78 and 80 are joined at a second end of the frame 76 by a bracket 82.
The lift assemblies 62 and 74 are configured to move pipe sections 18 between the pipe box 54 and the shuttle arms 60 and 72. The shuttle arms 60 and 72 are configured to move pipe sections 18 between the carriage 42 and the lift assemblies 62 and 74.
With reference to
Turning back to
Continuing with
With reference to
With reference to
Each pinion gear 108 and hydraulic motor 110 are supported by a set of brackets 118, which are in turn supported on their corresponding pipe loader frame 64 and 76. The brackets 118 further support a set of guides 122 positioned on opposite sides of the shuttle arms 60 and 72, as shown in
Turning back to
Turning back to
The pinion gears 108 may rotate in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. Clockwise rotation of the pinion gears 108 moves the shuttle arms 60 and 72 rearwardly away from the carriage 42. Counter-clockwise rotation of the pinion gears 108 moves the shuttle arms 60 and 72 forward towards the carriage 42.
Turning back to
The rear stop 126 is a tab attached to the rearward end 114 of the shuttle arms 60 and 72. The rear stop 126 is configured to engage with a notch 128 formed on the set of brackets 118 as the shuttle arms 60 and 72 are moved forward towards the carriage 42. Such engagement stops movement of the shuttle arms 60 and 72 once each shuttle arm's gripper 94 is aligned with the spindle 56.
In operation, the first shuttle arm 60 moves between its front and rear stops 124 and 126 along a first shuttle path. Likewise, the second shuttle arm 72 moves between its front and rear stops 124 and 126 along a second shuttle path. Both paths are transverse to the longitudinal axis of the first and second pipe loader frames 64 and 76 and the longitudinal axis 40 of the drill frame 36.
Turning back to
Continuing with
The first and second lift assemblies 62 and 74 each further comprise a hydraulic cylinder 148. A first end 150 of the hydraulic cylinder 148 is attached to the brackets 138 and a second end 152 is attached to the lower side of the arm 138. Extension and retraction of the hydraulic cylinder 148 raises and lowers the arm 138. The hydraulic cylinder 148 includes a sensor configured to track the position of the cylinder's piston during operation. Thus, the hydraulic cylinder may be referred to as a “smart cylinder”. The sensor may communicate with a controller or processor located at the drilling machine's operator station 32.
The hydraulic cylinders 148 raise and lower the arms 138 in a radial motion. Thus, the lift assemblies 62 and 74 are considered “radial lift assemblies”. In alternative embodiments, the pipe loader assemblies may use vertical lift assemblies, like those described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2019/0234158, authored by Porter et al. The size of the lift assemblies may vary depending on the size of the drilling machine, pipe box, and pipe sections.
Turning back to
Once a pipe section 18 is securely held in the grippers 94, the shuttle arms 60 and 72 will move slightly forward so the grippers 94 clear a front edge of the lift assemblies 62 and 74. The shuttle arms 60 and 72 will slide underneath the pipe sections 18 resting on the shuttle pads 100 as the shuttle arms 60 and 72 move forward. A bottom edge of the pipe box 54 will prevent the pipe sections 18 resting on the shuttle pads 100 from moving with the shuttle arms 60 and 72. Once the grippers 94 holding the pipe section 18 have cleared the lift assemblies 62 and 74, the lift assemblies 62 and 74 will move to their raised positions. Pipe sections 18 remaining within the pipe box 54 are raised into the pipe box 54 as the lift assemblies 62 and 74 are raised.
When unloading pipe sections 18 from the pipe box 54, the first column must be completely unloaded before moving to the second column, and so on. Otherwise, pipe sections 18 would fall from the pipe box 54 as the lift assemblies 62 and 72 move to the lowered position.
To load pipe sections 18 into the pipe box 54, the lift assemblies 62 and 74 are initially in a lowered position. The shuttle arms 60 and 72 retrieve a pipe section 18 from the carriage 42 and move rearwardly so that the grippers 94 are positioned directly beneath the third column. Once the pipe section 18 is directly beneath the third column of the pipe box 54, the lift assemblies 62 and 74 will move to a raised position and pick up the pipe sections 18 along the way. The shuttle arms 60 and 72 will then move forward and retrieve another pipe section 18 from the carriage 42.
Once a new pipe section 18 is in the grippers 94, the lift assemblies 62 and 74 will move to a lowered position so that the pipe section 18 within the third column will rest on the shuttle pads 100. The shuttle arms 60 and 72 will then move rearwardly, sliding underneath the pipe section 18 resting on the shuttle pads 100. Once the grippers 94 reach a position beneath the third column of the pipe box 54, the pipe section 18 on the shuttle pads 100 will fall on top of the pipe section 18 held within the grippers 94. The lift assemblies 62 and 74 are then moved to a raised position, lifting both of the pipe sections 18 into the third column of the pipe box 54. The shuttle arms 60 and 72 may then move forward to retrieve another pipe section 18 from the carriage 42. This process continues until the third column of the pipe box 54 is full of pipe sections 18.
When loading pipe sections 18 into the pipe box 54, the third or last column must be completely filled before moving to the second column, and so on. Otherwise, pipe sections 18 would fall from the pipe box 54 as the lift assemblies 62 and 74 move to a lowered position.
Continuing with
The drilling machine 10 shown in
Turning back to
The first sensor 160 is attached to the brackets 118 opposite the hydraulic motor 110 on the first pipe loader frame 64, as shown in
Continuing with
Turning to
In an alternative embodiment, an incremental encoder may be used rather than an absolute rotary encoder. The incremental encoder may be used in conjunction with a proximity sensor. The proximity sensor may serve as a reference point for calibrating the incremental encoder.
In further alternative embodiments, the first and second sensors may each comprise a camera, such as a video or time of flight camera. Such camera may directly view the shuttle arms and measure the position of the first shuttle arms along their shuttle paths. In even further alternative embodiments, any type of sensor capable of determining the position of the shuttle arms along their shuttle paths may be used.
As the shuttle arms 60 and 72 move during operation, the sensors 160 and 162 continuously send measured parameters to the controller. Using the received parameters, the controller continually compares the position of the first shuttle arm 60 to the position of the second shuttle arm 72 to determine if the shuttle arms 60 and 72 are misaligned. Misalignment typically occurs if one shuttle arm 60 or 72 is moving faster than the other.
One shuttle arm 60 or 72 may move slower than the other shuttle arm, because such shuttle arm experiences more resistance. For example, the angle at which the drill frame 36 is titled about one or more of its axes may vary the amount of resistance encountered by each shuttle arm 60 and 72. Typically, the drill frame 36 will be tilted at an angle so that the second pipe loader assembly 52 is lower than the first pipe loader assembly 50, as shown in
Because misalignment is typically a result of one shuttle arm 60 or 72 moving faster than the other, the controller is configured to calculate a velocity at which each shuttle arm 60 and 72 is moving using the received parameters. In order to re-align the shuttle arms 60 and 72, the controller may change the velocity at which one of the shuttle arms 60 and 72 is moving. The controller may control the velocity of each shuttle arm 60 and 72 by varying the flow rate of hydraulic fluid delivered to each hydraulic motor 110. For such reason, each hydraulic motor 110 may utilize its own hydraulic circuit. Over time, the controller may learn the optimal flow rate to send to each hydraulic motor 110 to keep the shuttle arms 60 and 72 aligned.
With reference to
If the shuttle arms 60 and 72 are determined to be aligned, the process will continue until the shuttle arms 60 and 72 reach their stopping position, as shown by steps 208 and 210. If the shuttle arms 60 and 72 are determined to be misaligned, the controller will determine the velocity at which each shuttle arm 60 and 72 is moving. The controller will then direct the faster moving shuttle arm 60 or 72 to slow down until the slower moving shuttle arm 60 or 72 catches up, as shown by step 212.
The faster moving shuttle arm 60 or 72 is instructed to slow down because the shuttle arms are typically moving at full speed. However, if the shuttle arms 60 and 72 are not moving at full speed, the controller may instruct the slower moving shuttle arm 60 or 72 to speed up to catch the faster moving shuttle arm. Such process will continue until the shuttle arms 60 and 72 reach their desired position, as shown by step 214.
With reference to
During operation, the controller can detect areas where one of the shuttle arms 60 or 72 may continually encounter resistance. Such resistance is detected by determining the velocity of each of the first and second shuttle arms 60 and 72 at successive positions along their respective shuttle paths. If one of the shuttle arms 60 or 72 moves slower than the other shuttle arm 60 or 72 through a certain segment of its shuttle path, the velocity of the faster moving shuttle arm is decreased within that segment. Alternatively, the velocity of the slower moving shuttle arm 60 or 72 may be increased within that segment.
To start, the first shuttle arm 62 performs a first traverse of a first segment of the first shuttle path, as shown by step 302. Simultaneously, the second shuttle arm 72 performs a first traverse of a first segment of the second shuttle path, as shown by step 302. The parameters measured by the sensors 160 and 162 during movement of the shuttle arms 60 and 72 are transmitted to the controller for analysis, as shown by step 304. The controller compares the velocity at which the first shuttle arm 60 traversed the first segment of the first shuttle path to the velocity at which the second shuttle arm 72 traversed the first segment of the second shuttle path, as shown by step 306. Based on such comparison, the controller computes desired velocities for each shuttle arm 60 and 72 to traverse the first segment of each shuttle path so that the shuttle arms 60 and 72 stay aligned, as shown by step 308.
The controller directs the actuators 104 to move the shuttle arms 60 and 72 at the computed velocities each time the shuttle arms 60 and 72 traverse the first segment of their respective shuttle paths, as shown by steps 310, 312, and 314. The sensors 160 and 162 continually measure parameters related to the position of the shuttle arms 60 and 72 each time the shuttle arms 60 and 72 traverse the first segment of their respective paths, as shown by step 316. If the controller determines that the shuttle arms 60 and 72 are ever misaligned, the controller will calculate new velocities for each shuttle arm 60 and 72 to move at through the first segment of their respective shuttle paths, as shown by steps 318, 320, 322, and 324. Such process will continue throughout the drilling operation.
The segments of the shuttle paths analyzed using the method 300 may be referred to as calibration zones. The controller may be configured to analyze and calculate desired velocities for the shuttle arms 60 and 72 to move at for multiple calibration zones throughout the shuttle paths. The calibration zones may correspond to the paths traveled by the shuttle arms 60 and 72 when loading or unloading pipe sections 18 from each column of the pipe box 54.
For example, when unloading pipe sections 18 from the pipe box 54, a first calibration zone may comprise forward movement of the shuttle arms 60 and 72 from the first column of the pipe box 54 to the carriage 42. A second calibration zone may comprise forward movement of the shuttle arms 60 and 72 from the second column of the pipe box 54 to the carriage 42, and so on.
When loading pipe sections into the pipe box 54, a first calibration zone may comprise rearward movement of the shuttle arms 60 and 72 from the carriage 42 to the third column of the pipe box 54. A second calibration zone may comprise rearward movement of the shuttle arms 60 and 72 from the carriage 42 to the second column of the pipe box 54, and so on.
The controller may pick which zones to analyze along the shuttle paths. Alternatively, an operator may set the zones for the controller. The first shuttle arm 60 may move at a different velocity in the first calibration zone as compared to the second calibration zone. Likewise, the second shuttle arm 72 may move at a different velocity through the first calibration as compared to the second calibration zone. The first shuttle arm 60, for example, may also move at a different velocity from the second shuttle arm 72 through the first calibration zone.
As discussed, the controller will continually analyze parameters received by the sensors 160 and 162 throughout the drilling operation. It may be necessary to continually recalibrate the velocity of the shuttle arms 60 and 72 within each calibration zone because the resistance applied to each shuttle arm 60 and 72 may vary throughout operation. For example, some pipe sections 18 may be positioned differently within the shuttle arms 60 and 72 or some pipe sections 18 may contain more mud than others, causing the pipe sections 18 to vary in weight. Alternatively, the angle of the pipe box 54 may vary over the course of the drilling operation. In alternative embodiments, the controller may average a series of recorded velocities for each calibration zones and instruct the actuators to move the shuttle arms at the average velocity for each calibration zone.
The calibration zones are only needed for those times when the shuttle arms 60 and 72 are carrying a pipe section 18. If the shuttle arms 60 and 72 are moving to a position to retrieve a pipe section 18, it is not necessary that the arms move in unison. As such, the first and second shuttle arms 60 and 72 may intentionally be moved at different speeds and times from one another.
In operation, the hydraulic motors 110 used to drive rotation of each pinion gear 108 use the same hydraulic pump. Thus, a shuttle arm 60 or 72 moves faster by itself, as compared to moving the shuttle arms 60 and 72 at the same time. As such, there may be instances where the drilling process can be made more efficient if the shuttle arms 60 and 72 are moved at different times.
With reference to
Turning to
The shuttle arms 60 and 72 may also be configured so that they are selectively movable. The controller may include a user interface that allows an operator to independently move each shuttle arm 60 and 72 to a desired position at any time. For example, only one shuttle arm 60 or 72 may be moved forward towards the carriage 42 to hold a tool or a small pipe section.
The shuttle arms 60 and 72 may be configured to automatically move slower once the gripper 94 on each arm starts to move beneath the pipe box 54. The slower movement gives the operator time to change which column the shuttle arm 60 or 72 is moving towards, if needed.
The shuttle arms 60 or 72 may also be moved independently to help prepare the drilling machine 10 for transport. When transporting the drilling machine 10, it is beneficial to position the carriage 42 midway along the drill frame 36 in order to help balance the drilling machine 10. Such position of the carriage 42 may be referred to as a “transport position”.
With reference to
If the carriage 42 is behind the transport position, the controller retracts the first shuttle 60 and extends the second shuttle 72, as shown by step 606. The carriage 42 then moves forward along the drill frame 36 to the transport position, as shown by step 608. Once the carriage 42 is at the transport position, the first shuttle arm 60 may extend, as shown by step 610. Following step 610, the controller notifies the drilling operator that carriage 42 is ready for transport, as shown by step 618.
If the carriage 42 is in front of the transport position, the controller retracts the second shuttle arm 72 and extends the first shuttle arm 60, as shown by step 612. The carriage 42 then moves rearward along the drill frame 36 to the transport position, as shown by step 614. Once the carriage 42 is at the transport position, the second shuttle arm 72 may extend, as shown by step 616. Following step 616, the controller notifies the drilling operator that carriage 42 is ready for transport, as shown by step 618.
Because the shuttle arms 60 and 72 can move independently, the arms 60 and 72 may also be used as weights to balance the drilling machine 10 during transport. For example, one shuttle arm 60 or 72 may be extended towards the carriage 42 while the other shuttle arm 60 or 72 is positioned beneath the pipe box 54.
Changes may be made in the construction, operation and arrangement of the various parts, elements, steps and procedures described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims.
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