Patent Application
20230313622
The present invention is comprised within the field of equipment used in drilling or prospection during mineral exploration processes. Specifically, the invention relates to an autonomous platform for the transport and handling of drilling rods.
Drilling or prospection defines one of the final stages of a mineral exploration process, providing most of the information for the final evaluation to determine if the prospect is economically exploitable. The optimization of drilling operations is fundamental to achieve lower costs for more meters of advances, fewer personnel in operations to reduce occupational risks, to increase equipment availability and to eliminate long maintenance trips.
The handling of rods in drilling processes involves a series of operational risks, which further requires a large number of operators given the lack of automation for the tasks involved in said process, where personnel is required to load the rods into a hopper or onto a platform, for the selection and fixing of the rods in the drilling platforms, and to subsequently disassemble and stockpile used rods.
At present, although there are technologies that enable the automation of certain steps related to the handling of rods in a drilling process, which partially solve the existing problems and needs, such as automated solutions for taking and transferring the rods to the drilling equipment, or coupling the rods, there is still a lack of technical autonomy in all the operations that involve the handling and management of rods in the entire drilling process.
Currently, the most traditional method used in the handling and feeding of drilling rods involves a semi-manual process, where the drilling rods are stored and transported in hoppers from which they must be moved to the drilling machine, which is carried out by means of robotic arms or winches which enable this operation to be carried out by means of the assistance of a series of operators.
A number of pieces of equipment and technologies have now been developed in the art to enable the automation of certain steps in the handling of drilling rods string, such as that described in patent document US 2010104401 (Hopkins James, et al.) published on 29/04/2010, which describes a system including a rack with rows for storing drill pipe, and a moveable structure having a control support coupled to an upper portion and a lifting device coupled to a lower portion. The moveable structure travels along a guide for positioning adjacent any of the rows. The control support includes a pivoting actuator, a rotating actuator, an extension arm having a drill pipe capture actuator, and an extension actuator. The lifting device includes a lifting actuator that raises a stack of drill pipe. The system further includes a controller that interprets a control support state including actuator positions and a position index value, and records a position description including the control support state corresponding to the position index value. The controller interprets a position request signal and provides actuator control signals in response to the position request signal and the position description.
Patent document CN 105569584 (China Petroleum & Chem Corp.) with publication date Nov. 05, 2016, describes a device and a method for oil pipe automatic discharge. The device mainly comprises a discharge pipe assembly. The discharge pipe assembly comprises a discharge pipe assembly supporting frame and a grabbing hand, where the discharge pipe assembly supporting frame is provided with the linear operation mechanisms in three directions of X, Y, and Z. The tail end of the Z axis is provided with a rotation mechanism. The grabbing hand is connected with the rotation mechanism on the tail end of the Z axis and can do rectilinear motion along three directions of X, Y, and Z. The grabbing hand can also rotate for a certain angle under the action of the rotation mechanism. The discharge pipe assembly is also provided with a cross arm cabinet used to stack cross arms.
The solutions proposed and currently used for the managing and handling of rods in an automatic way enable platforms to be provided for the stockpiling of drilling rods that can be transported with their maximum capacity of rods, being able to be loaded onto and unloaded automatically from a transport truck at full capacity. They also have elements that enable the lashing of the stockpiled rods, minimizing the possibility of movement or falling of the rods. The platforms disclosed in the prior art comprise systems that enable remote control, as well as robotic arms with means that enable covering all the possibilities of rotation to feed the drilling equipment, and where the clamping means that secure and fix the rod in the pipe carrier enable carrying each rod from the platform to the rig or vice versa, by means of a repetitive movement that requires being operated by qualified personnel.
Documents from the prior art consider automatic solutions for the handling of rods; however, said equipment or platforms alone do not have the capacity of selecting rods of different diameters, nor do they enable the coupling and automatic alignment of the rods with one another in the drilling equipment.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a platform for the transport and handling of mine drilling rods, the configuration of which enables the automatic transport and handling of rods of different diameters, which enables the transport, feeding and alignment of rods of different diameters that are required in a drilling machine in an autonomous, automatic and remote manner without the direct handling of the rods by operators.
The main object of the invention relates to providing a platform for drilling rods, the configuration of which enables the accommodation of drilling rods of different lengths and diameters, according to a specific drilling program, which enable safely transferring said rods to the drilling rig, and the configuration of which enables the autonomous loading and unloading of the platform, offering greater possibilities and versatility in terms of locating same contiguous and/or adjacent to the drilling rig, without the need to use additional equipment for the location thereof.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a platform for drilling rods, the configuration of which enables the automatic, autonomous and remote handling, without the direct intervention of operators, of the drilling rods from said platform for being fed to a drilling rig and vice versa, in such a way that reduces the risks for the personnel, as well as makes the operation more versatile and efficient, and reduces operation times.
The invention relates to platform for drilling rods, the configuration of which enables adjustment to accommodate drilling rods of different lengths and/or diameters, according to a drilling program, enables handling in its positioning adjacent to the drilling rig in a safe and autonomous manner, and comprising a means that enables the grasping, displacement and/or delivery of a drilling rod to a rod handling arm, so that it can be delivered to and/or removed from a drilling rig, without the direct intervention of operators in the handling thereof, which achieves the automation and remote actuation of said operation.
Various non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described to provide a general understanding of its principles of structural function, manufacture and use of the apparatus, methods and articles described in the present description. One or more examples of these non-limiting embodiments are illustrated in the attached figures. Those skilled in the art would understand that the apparatus and methods specifically described in the present description and illustrated in the attached figures are illustrative non-limiting embodiments and that the scope of the various non-limiting embodiments of the present invention is defined solely by the claims. The features illustrated or described in conjunction with one non-limiting embodiment may be combined with the features of other non-limiting embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.
The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
In order to help better understand the features of the invention according to a preferred practical embodiment thereof, a set of illustrative and non-limiting drawings depicting the invention is attached as an integral part of the description.
The invention corresponds to a platform for the transport and handling of rods (1) for drilling or prospection, as illustrated in
The base comprises at least one support (8), such as an extendable and/or movable leg (9) that enables the disposition of the platform in different positions with respect to a horizontal height, such that it can be loaded onto and/or unloaded from a means of transport in an autonomous manner. Furthermore, said at least one extendable leg (9) enables horizontal levelling at different heights, and it also enables the adjustment of the platform to the various irregularities which the ground where the drilling platform is located may comprise. Said extendable legs (9) can be operated manually and/or automatically, such as, for example, through a hydraulic, mechanical and/or electric actuator, among others.
The drilling rods (A) are stockpiled inside the platform in multiple rows and columns, (
The dividing or separating elements (10) for the columns of drilling rods accommodated in the platform can be moved with respect to one another in order to increase the opening between adjacent dividing elements, so as to enable increasing the space between said adjacent dividing elements (10) to define a space that can accommodate rods of greater diameters or vice versa. The at least one dividing element (10) comprises a core (11) extending vertically through said at least one end wall (5) and comprises a fixing means (12), such as a pinion, for example, that enables said dividing element to move through, for example, a longitudinal toothed means (13) disposed in at least one beam or another element of the structure of at least said end wall (5), so as to thereby enable the configuration of columns of drilling rods of different diameters.
The platform further comprises at least one grasping, hoisting and/or displacement mechanism (14) for the drilling rods contained inside the platform (1) (
The end profiles (18) that are part of the displaceable structure (16) of the support carriage (15) comprise displacement means (42) that enable the movement or sliding of the support carriage (15) laterally from its location on the platform (1) in which the columns of drilling rods are contained. The at least one displacement means (42) comprises a drive motor (43), a drive pinion (44) which is connected to at least one pulley element (45), which transmits a movement by means of a pinion shaft (46) to a displacement means (42’) located in the profile of the opposite end (18), in such a way that the support carriage (15) moves in a paired fashion. The entire combination is attached in a movable manner to a guide element (47) (see
In operation, the platform for the transport and handling of rods (1) for drilling or prospection is filled with drilling rods (A) of different diameters according to a pre-established drilling program, being filled with rods of different diameters in a location that is predetermined and defined by the space that is generated between two adjacent dividing elements (10), whereby creating columns of drilling rods of different diameters based on the drilling program. Once said operation has been performed, the platform is lifted autonomously through its slidable legs (9) to locate the platform at least at a height such that a truck ramp can pass below same. The slidable legs (9) are then operated again until the platform is lowered to rest by its base (3) on the truck ramp to be transported to the drilling platform in the field.
The configuration and shape of the platform (1) for rods enables it to be positioned contiguous and/or adjacent to the drilling rig (TP), in any direction and/or location (see
Once the operations of positioning the platform in its appropriate location have been performed, drilling rods (A) are fed to the drilling rig, for which purpose, according to a drilling program, an operator operates the support carriage (15) to the position of a column of rods (A) of a predefined diameter, operating the lifting scissor (21) so that it can be deployed until the lifting rod (32) rests on a rod, where the lifting clamps (40) are operated by automatic and/or manual means in order to be introduced into the ends of the drilling rod (A) which is being taken, such that once the lifting clamps (40) are secured, the lifting scissor (21) is operated again to be retracted to the support carriage (15), lifting the drilling rod (A), being firmly supported through the lifting clamps (40) and the lifting rod (32), then transferring it by means of the slidable operation of the support carriage (15) to one of the sides of the platform (1) for rods. Once the lifting scissor (21) is located on the side of the platform (1) it is operated again by hydraulic, mechanical and/or electric means, deploying it, making the lifting rod (32) descend, taking the drilling rod (A) with it so that it can be delivered to a rod handling arm (48) which grasps the drilling rod (A).
The mode of operation described above can also be performed in reverse, i.e., to accommodate a drilling rod (A) in the drilling platform (1) when the drilling operation is finished, and the drilling rods are removed from the drill hole.
As shown in
The fact that the platform (1) comprises an adjustable rod separation system, such as dividing elements (10) for columns of drilling rods (A), as well as a remote handling, grasping and/or hoisting system, such as the combination of the sliding carriage (15) and lifting scissors (21), enables the disposition and handling of drilling rods of different sizes and/or diameters for feeding to a drilling rig, according to a predetermined drilling program, automatically and remotely, without the personnel directly handling the drilling rods (A), since from the need to take a drilling rod (A) for feeding to the drilling rig, as well as from the need to take the drilling rod from the drilling rig to be stored in said platform for rods, the intervention of and/or handling by operators is not required, since the entire process is carried out automatically and remotely by means of control systems. This configuration makes the process more efficient by making the method more agile, faster and safer, thus optimizing the drilling process in general, reducing operational costs.
While the form of the platform (1) for drilling rods described herein constitutes a preferred inclusion of this invention, it must be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of the platform and that changes can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the attached claims.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CL2020/050084 | 8/3/2020 | WO |
