Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1
Automatic Drill Rod Handling
Field
The invention relates generally to mining industry. More particularly, the
invention relates to drill rod handling in a mobile drilling rig.
Background
Mobile drilling rigs may be used in production or exploration drilling so
that the drill rods are fed to the borehole (drill hole) from inside the
drilling rig. The
plurality of connected drill rods fed to the borehole form a drill string
(a.k.a. a rod
string) entering beneath the surface of the ground. However, handling the
drill rods
in a small, closed space, such as in a mobile drilling rig, may be cumbersome.
Brief description of the invention
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a manipulator
comprising: a mounting base for mounting the manipulator; a gripping unit for
gripping a drill rod; a swivel arm attached to the mounting base and to the
griping
unit, wherein the swivel arm comprises at least six controlled swivels between
the
mounting base and the gripping unit, wherein each swivel has an individual
axis of
rotation for moving the gripping unit according to a programmed three-
dimensional
trajectory; at least one processor and at least one memory including a
computer
program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code
are configured, with the at least one processor, to: control the plurality of
swivels to
cause the swivel arm to automatically move the gripping unit according to the
programmed three-dimensional trajectory between a first position and a second
position, wherein: in the first position, the gripping unit is configurable to
grip or
release the drill rod directly from/to a storage unit for a plurality of drill
rods, and in
the second position, the gripping unit is configurable to grip or release the
drill rod
when the drill rod is along a drilling axis connected to a drill string
entering a
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-06-24
2
borehole; and control the gripping unit to automatically grip or release the
drill rod
in the first position or in the second position.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for
moving drill rods between a first position and a second position with a
manipulator
comprising a mounting base for mounting the manipulator, a gripping unit for
gripping a drill rod, and a swivel arm attached to the mounting base and to
the
griping unit, wherein the swivel arm comprises at least six controlled swivels
between the mounting base and the gripping unit, wherein each swivel has an
individual axis of rotation for moving the gripping unit according to a
programmed
three-dimensional trajectory, the method comprising: controlling the plurality
of
swivels to cause the swivel arm to automatically move the gripping unit
according
to the programmed three-dimensional trajectory between the first position and
the
second position, wherein: in the first position, the gripping unit is
configurable to grip
or release the drill rod directly from/to a storage unit for storing a
plurality of drill
rods; and in the second position, the gripping unit is configurable to grip or
release
the drill rod when the drill rod is along the drilling axis connected to a
drill string
entering a borehole; and controlling the gripping unit to automatically grip
or release
the drill rod in the first position or in the second position.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer
program product adapted to carry out the above method.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer-
readable distribution medium carrying the above-mentioned computer program
product.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus
comprising a processing system configured to cause the apparatus to perform
any
of the embodiments as described in the appended claims.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus
comprising means for performing any of the embodiments as described in the
appended claims.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-06-24
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
3
Embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.
List of drawings
In the following, the invention will be described in greater detail with
reference to the embodiments and the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 presents a prior art solution for handling drill rods.
Figure 2A shows a gripping unit approaching a second position,
according to an embodiment;
Figure 26 shows the gripping unit approaching a first position,
according to an embodiment;
Figure 3 shows the gripping unit, according to an embodiment;
Figure 4 shows screwing or unscrewing of a drill rod, according to an
embodiment;
Figure 5 illustrates a plurality of swivels of a swivel arm, according to an
embodiment;
Figure 6 depicts a monitoring position, according to an embodiment;
Figure 7 illustrates safety position, according to an embodiment;
Figure 8 shows storing of drill rods and use of identifiers of the drill
rods, according to an embodiment;
Figure 9 illustrates a controller of the manipulator, according to an
embodiment;
Figure 10 shows the mobile drilling rig, according to an embodiment,
and
Figure 11 shows a method, according to an embodiment.
Description of embodiments
The following embodiments are exemplary. Although the specification
may refer to "an", "one", or "some" embodiment(s) in several locations of the
text,
this does not necessarily mean that each reference is made to the same
embodiment(s), or that a particular feature only applies to a single
embodiment.
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
4
Single features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other
embodiments.
Drilling rigs may be used in exploration or production drilling. Many of
the drilling rigs are large stationary platforms, such as oil drilling rigs.
On the
contrary, mobile drilling rigs 100 typically comprise wheels 102 or a crawler
enabling movement of the drilling rig in the environment. Especially for
exploration
drilling, mobile drilling rigs 100 may be useful. However, such mobile
drilling rigs
100 pose limits to the used drilling machinery. For example, the size of the
mobile
drilling rig 100, which is typically about 3 x 6 meters, limits the freedom of
design
of space usage. Further, the size poses limits to the used drilling machinery
and
other equipment in the drilling rig 100 (such as a space 104 used for storing
the
drill pipes). Further, the mounting or installation of the machinery to the
drilling rig
100 may need special attention. Thus, the technical field of the mobile
drilling rigs
100 is significantly different from the world of large, stationary drilling
rigs. Thus,
most of the prior art solutions with respect to, for example, vertical pipe
handling
operations in such stationary drilling rigs are unusable for the small and
mobile
drilling rigs 100.
One of the most time consuming work phases in drilling comprises
adding or removing drill rods 106 to a drill string 108. The drill string 108,
comprising a plurality of drill rods 106, penetrates the floor of the drilling
rig and
enters the borehole 110 beneath the surface of the ground 112 for the purposes
of
drilling the ground. A drill bit 109 is mounted on lower end of the drill
string 108.
The drill string 108 may be moved up and down along a drilling axis 116 with a
drill string actuator unit 114. The drill string actuator unit 114 may also
perform the
rotating action of the drill bit, for example. Typically the drill rods 106
are 3 meters
long and may weight up to, e.g., 35 kg. Thus, each time the drill string 108
is
lowered for substantially 3 meters, a new drill rod 106 may need to be added
to
the upper part of the drill string 108. Alternatively, two drill rods
connected to each
other may be handled at once. The drills rods 106 are typically connected to
each
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
other via threads, as shown with inclined lines at the ends of the drill rods
106. In
any case, there is a frequent need to add more drill rods 106 to the string.
Further, in the prior art rod handling machinery 118 is relatively simple.
The machinery 118 may grip the manually provided individual drill pipes 106
with
5 gripping elements, shown with blocks with right leaning diagonal lines,
comprised
in a rod placement structure 120. However, such machinery is not fully-
automatic
as the personnel of the rig needs to manually set/remove the drill rod to/from
gripping elements of the rod handling machinery 118. This may cause a risk of
injury and is not effective. Thus, at least some of the tasks in need of
manual labor
are shown with dashed arrows in Figure 1. It may also be that the drill pipe
106 is
placed horizontally on the rod placement structure 120, which then pivots in
the
shown vertical position. Then the rod placement structure 120 rotates about a
vertical mast 122 to place the drill rod 106 to the upper part of the drill
string 108,
as shown with dotted lines in Figure 1, or vice versa. In any case, the
machinery
118 is located in immediate proximity of the drill string 108. This may cause
problems from the point of view of the space usage in the mobile drilling rig
100.
As one example of the problems related to the space usage, the prior art drill
rod
handling machinery 118 is located very close to the place where the samples
from
the ground are collected from the drill string 108 / borehole 110.
Figures 2A and 28 disclose a mobile drilling rig (MDR) 200 comprising
a storage unit 202 inside the MDR 200 for storing a plurality of drill rods.
These
drill rods may be used in the drilling, for example, in making the drill
string 108
longer by adding one or more drill rods to the drill string 108. It is
beneficial to
have such storage unit inside the MDR 200 because then they are easily
transported along with the MDR 200 and, as the MDR 200 may have a roof, the
drill rods/pipes may stay protected from varying weather conditions.
The MDR 200 may further comprise the drill string actuator unit 114
configured to actuate the drill string 108 entering the borehole 110 along the
drilling axis 116 through the floor of the MDR 200. The drill string actuator
unit 114
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
6
may move along the drilling axis 116 up and down. The movement may be
provided by a drill string support structure 204 having a lower end and an
upper
end, and a chain 206, or alike, enabling the movement of the actuator unit
114, or
some other drill string transport block, between the two ends. The inclination
of the
drill string support structure 204 and, thus, the angle of drill string 108
may be
adjusted with the drill string adjustment structure 205, which may comprise a
piston and a cylinder, for example, in order to change the inclination of the
support
structure 204. In an embodiment, the drill string actuator unit 114 may
comprise
two parts, one that stays at the lower end and another which moves up and down
for moving the drill string 108. The actuator unit 114 may comprise one or
more
gripping elements for gripping the drill string 108. The gripping element(s)
may be
jaws or fingers holding the drill string. Further, as said, the actuator unit
114 may
also provide the rotation of the drill bit 109 at the lower end of the drill
string 108.
In order to at least partially solve the problems presented above, the
MDR 200 of Figures 2A and 28 further comprises a manipulator 210 for handling
the drill rods. The manipulator 210 may comprise a mounting base 212 for
mounting the manipulator 210 inside the MDR 200 to the MDR 200, a gripping
unit
214 for gripping a drill rod 216, and a swivel arm 218 attached to the
mounting
base 212 and to the gripping unit 214, wherein the swivel arm 218 comprises a
plurality of swivels 220 to 230 between the mounting base 212 and the gripping
unit 214. Thus, the manipulator 210 has one arm which can be rotatably
controlled
with at least one of the plurality of swivels 220 to 230. The plurality of
swivels 220
to 230 in the swivel arm 218 implies that the swivel arm 218 is made of a
plurality
of parts which turn independently. The parts form adjacent pairs which are
connected to each other with a specific type of swivel. Turning of the parts
may
comprise rotation about the part's longitudinal axis or hinged movement about
an
axis which is in right angle with the longitudinal axis (i.e. a transversal
axis). The
rotation/turning of each of the swivels 220 to 230 are shown in the Figures
with
bidirectional dotted arrows. The plurality of swivels 220 to 230 may comprise
at
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
7
least one of the following: hinge joints, swivel joints, or pivot joints. The
manipulator 210 may be made of steel or some other robust material. The
plurality
of swivels 220 to 230 may be hydraulic or electric driven, for example. The
MDR
200, although not shown, may comprise a power source for the application of
the
manipulator 210 as well as any needed equipment, such as conduits, cables,
hoses, tubes and valves, for enabling the control of the swivels 220 to 230.
Further, the manipulator 210 comprises, as shown in Figure 9, a control
circuitry 902, such as at least one processor, and at least one memory 904
including a computer program code (PROG). The memory 904 may be
implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor
based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic memory devices and systems,
optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and removable memory.
There may also be a user interface 908 comprising, for example, at least one
keypad, a microphone, a touch display, a display, a speaker, etc. The user
interface 908 may be used to control the manipulator 210 by the user
personnel.
The user personnel may locate in the MDR 200 in a reserved, protected space.
The at least one memory 904 and the computer program code (PROG)
may be configured, with the at least one processor 902, and more particularly,
with a rod movement control circuitry 910, to control the swivels 220 to 230
(at
least one of them) to cause the swivel arm 218 to automatically move the
gripping
unit 214 according to a programmed three-dimensional trajectory between a
first
position 232 (shown in Figure 2B) and a second position 234 (shown in Figure
2A). In the first position 232, the gripping unit 214 is able to grip or
release the drill
rod 216 directly from/to the storage unit 202, as shown in Figure 2B with a
dotted
rod shape 236. In the second position 234, the gripping unit 214 is able to
grip or
release the drill rod 216 when the drill rod 216 is connected to the drill
string 108
and along the drilling axis 116, as shown in Figure 2A with a dotted rod shape
238. In the second position 234, the drill rod 216 forms an extension part of
the
drill string 108. The first and second positions 232, 234 of the gripping unit
214 are
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
8
defined beforehand in a three-dimensional coordinate system XYZ of the MDR
200, as depicted in Figure 2B. The horizontal Y-axis is towards the paper.
Further, the gripping unit 214 may be controlled to automatically grip or
release the drill rod 216 in the first position 232 or in the second position
234.
Thus, advantageously, there is no manual work needed to move, grip and/or
release the drill rod 216 from the storage unit 202 to the drill string 108,
or vice
versa. This may significantly increase the safety and efficiency of the
drilling which
takes plane from inside the MDR 200. It should be noted that the lengths of
the
swivel arm parts between the swivels 220 to 230 are not in proportion between
the
Figures.
In an embodiment, the manipulator 210 may, for example, move the
empty gripping unit 214 to the first position 232 associated with the storage
unit
202 and grip one of the stored drill rods. Then the swivel arm 218 may move
the
gripped drill rod 216 according to the programmed trajectory inside the MDR
200
to the second position 234. In the second position 234, the gripped drill rod
216
may be attached to the drill string 108 to form a part of the drill string
108. Then,
the drilling unit 214 may release the drill rod 216 which is attached to the
drill
string 108 as an extension part. Then, the swivel arm 218 may move to pick up
another drill rod from the storage unit 202. This may be performed for as long
as
the drill string 108 reaches a desirable length. Further, in an embodiment, a
drill
rod 216 from the storage unit 202 may be added to the drill string 108 each
time
the controller 902 receives a command to do so from the user personnel via the
user interface 908, for example.
In another embodiment, the manipulator 210 may, for example, move
the empty gripping unit 214 to the second position 234 associated with the
drill
string 108 and grip the uppermost drill rod (or two uppermost drill rods,
which are
connected together) of the drill string 108. Then the uppermost drill rod 215
may
be detached from the drill string 108 (as will be explained later). The swivel
arm
218 may then move the gripped drill rod 216 according to the programmed
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
9
trajectory inside the MDR 200 to the first position 232. In the first position
232, the
gripped drill rod 216 may be released directly, without any manual work, to
the
storage unit 202. Next, the swivel arm 218 may move to pick up another drill
rod
from the drill string 108. This may be performed for as long as the drill
string 108
no longer exists or is short enough according to current needs, for example.
Further, in an embodiment, a drill rod 216 may be removed from the drill
string
108 to the storage unit 202 by the swivel arm 218 each time the controller 902
receives a command to do so from the user personnel via the user interface
908,
for example.
The drill string actuator unit 114 may be also controlled with the
controller 902, and more particularly with a drill string actuator control
circuitry
914, to co-operate in the process of adding or removing drill rods from the
drill
string. Such co-operation may comprise moving the drill string 108 up or down,
so
as to enable removing or adding of a drill rod in the second position 234.
In an embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the gripping unit 214
comprises at least two pairs 300, 302 of jaws/fingers 304, 306. The drill rod
216
may be placed between the jaws 304, 306 of each pair 300, 302 in the first 232
and/or in the second position 234. Then, the at least one memory 904 and the
computer program code may be configured, with the at least one processor 902,
to move, in each pair 300, 302 of jaws 304, 306, the jaws 304, 306 towards
each
other in order to grip the drill rod 216 between the jaws 304, 306. The
movement
of the jaws 304, 306 may be performed with hydraulic power. Alternatively, the
jaws 304, 306 in each pair 300, 302 may be moved away from each other to
enable releasing the gripped drill rod 216. As shown in Figures 2A and 2B,
there
may be more than two pairs 300, 302 of jaws, such as three or four, in order
to
provide more reliable grip and stability to the gripped drill rod 216.
Figure 3 also shows one of the swivels 230 through which the gripping
unit 214 is attached to the swivel arm 218. The shown swivel 230 provides for
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
rotating the gripping unit 214 about the longitudinal axis of the attached
part of the
swivel arm 218, as will be described later.
In an embodiment, the drill rod 216 and the drill string 108 comprise
screw threads at least at the connected parts for providing means for
attaching the
5 drill rod 216 and the drill string 108 together. Therefore, in this
embodiment, as
shown in Figures 4A to 4C, the at least one memory 904 and the computer
program code are configured, with the at least one processor 902, to control
the
plurality of swivels 220 to 230 to cause the gripping unit 214 to
automatically
screw or unscrew the drill rod 216 and the drill string 108 in the second
position
10 234.
Further, the drill string actuator unit 114 may be controlled to co-
operate during the screwing or unscrewing. Such co-operation may in one
embodiment denote preventing the drill string 108 from rotating during
screwing/unscrewing with a grip of the drill string 108, wherein the drill
string
actuator unit 114 may perform the gripping. In such case, as shown in Figures
4A
to 4C, it is the drill rod 216 which may be rotated about the drilling axis
116 so as
to perform the screwing/unscrewing. Figure 4A shows a 0 degrees starting
position, for example. In Figure 4B, the drill rod 216 is turned 90 degrees
and in
Figure 4C the drill rod 216 is turned 180 degrees from the start position.
Substantially in this position of Figure 4C, the gripping unit 214 may in
release the
drill rod 216 which may already/still be partly screwed to the drill string
108 (which
is gripped by the actuator unit 114 below). Then, the gripping unit 214 may be
moved back to the start position of Figure 4A, grip the drill rod 216 again
and
perform the process of Figures 4A to 4C again for as many times as it is
needed
to completely screw or unscrew the drill rod 216 to/from the drill string 108.
This
may be beneficial as then no manual labor is needed for the screwing or
unscrewing purposes either.
The control of the swivels in this embodiment of Figure 4A to 4C may
comprise controlling at least the swivel 228, as shown in Figure 4A to 4C.
Further,
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
11
as the drill rod 216 stays in the same location during the screwing (expect
for
rotating about its longitudinal axis), there may also be a need to control
some of
the swivels 222 and 224 to enable correct movement of the gripping unit 214 in
the screwing/unscrewing. However, for the sake of simplicity, Figures 4A to 4C
show only swivels 228 and 230.
In another embodiment, the co-operation of the drill string actuator unit
114 may comprise performing the screwing/unscrewing by a rotation of the drill
string 108 caused by the actuator unit 114, while keeping the drill rod 216
still with
the gripping unit 214.
In one embodiment, the mounting base 212 of the swivel arm 218 is
fixedly mounted on the floor of the MDR 200. In another embodiment, the
mounting location inside the MDR 200 may be a roof or a side wall, for
example,
in order to provide more space in the MDR 200 for user personnel. The mounting
may be performed with nuts and bolts, for example, or by welding. When the
mounting base 212 is fixedly mounted to the MDR 200, the end of the swivel arm
218 attached to the mounting base 218 stays still, whereas the other parts of
the
swivel arm 218 may move in a controllable manner in order to move the gripping
unit 214. In another embodiment, the mounting base 212 is mounted to a unit
which is movable with respect to the mounting location of the MDR 200. It may
be
for example, that the mounting base 212 is on top of a unit which may be slid
along rails located on the floor/ceiling/wall of the MDR 200. This may provide
even
more possibilities for the space usage in the MDR 200.
In an embodiment, as shown for example in Figures 2A, 2B, the swivel
arm 218 comprises six controlled swivels 220, 222, 224, 226, 228 to 230, each
with an individual axis of rotation, for moving the gripping unit 214
according to the
programmed three-dimensional trajectory. By controlling the amount of
rotations of
one or more of the swivels 220 to 230, the swivel arm 218, and, thus, the
gripping
unit 214 attached to the other end of the swivel arm 218, may be moved along
the
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
12
programmed trajectory in the three-dimensional coordinate system XYZ of the
MDR 200.
Let us take a closer look at the swivels 220 to 230 according to an
embodiment with reference to Figure 5. In this embodiment, a first swivel 220
from
the mounting base 212 enables rotation (of the swivel arm 218) about a first
axis
500. In an embodiment, the first axis 500 is a longitudinal axis with respect
to the
at least one part of the swivel arm 218 which is attached to (e.g. rotate
about) the
first swivel 220. In an embodiment, this first axis 500 is a vertical (Z) axis
500 with
respect to the XYZ coordinate system of the MDR 200.
A second 222 and a third swivel 224 from the mounting base 212
enable rotation of the swivel arm 218 about a second 502 and a third 504 axis,
respectively, which are orthogonal to the first axis 500. In an embodiment,
the
second axis 502 is a transversal axis with respect to the parts of the swivel
arm
218 which are attached to the second swivel 222. In an embodiment, the third
axis
504 is a transversal axis with respect to the parts of the swivel arm 218
which are
attached to the third swivel 224. That is, the second and the third axes 502,
504
may be on a horizontal XY-plane in the XYZ coordinate system of the MDR 200.
The second 502 and the third 504 (and a fifth 508) axes are shown with a
circle
having a cross inside to represent a direction towards or out of the paper in
the
representation of Figure 5. These swivels 222, 224 (and 228) may be hinged
swivels which may comprise, e.g., a shaft about which the two connected parts
of
the swivel arm 218 may rotate.
A fourth swivel 226 from the mounting base 212 enables rotation of the
swivel arm 218 about a fourth axis 506 which is orthogonal to the second axis
502
and to the third axis 504. In an embodiment, the fourth axis 506 is a
longitudinal
axis with respect to the parts of the swivel arm 218 which are attached to the
fourth swivel 226.
A fifth swivel 228 from the mounting base 212 enables rotation of the
swivel arm 218 about a fifth axis 508 which is orthogonal to the fourth axis
506. In
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
13
an embodiment, the fifth axis 508 is a transversal axis with respect to the
parts of
the swivel arm 218 which are attached to the fifth swivel 228.
Finally, a sixth swivel 230 from the mounting base 212 enables rotation
about a sixth axis 510 which is orthogonal to the fifth axis 508. In an
embodiment,
the sixth axis 510 is a longitudinal axis with respect to the at least one
part of the
swivel arm 218 which is attached to the sixth swivel 230. It may be noted that
on
the other side of the sixth swivel 230 there may be the gripping unit 214.
Thus, such swivel arm 218 of the manipulator 210 provides for ease of
control and a large variety in different positions of the swivel arm 218. This
may
significantly help in increasing the efficiency of the drill rod handling
process.
In an embodiment, the MDR 200 further comprises at least one
monitoring unit 600 to 604 for monitoring the physical condition of the drill
rod 216.
The monitoring unit(s) 600 to 604 may be mounted on a specific location in the
MDR 200, such as to specific locations on the walls, floor, or roof. Thus, in
order
to enable the monitoring of the condition of the rod 216, the rod 216 needs to
be
brought to the specific location. This specific location to which the drill
rod 216
needs to brought may be preprogrammed in the processor 902 and in the memory
904. Thus, there may be a preprogrammed monitoring position 606 of the
gripping
unit 214 in which position the gripping unit 214 may hold the drill rod 216
during
the monitoring. Alternatively, in one embodiment, the gripping unit 214 may
release the drill rod 216 in the monitoring position 606. In such embodiment,
there
may be monitoring equipment which comprises not only the monitoring units 600
to 604 but also elements for gripping or holding the drill rod 216 during the
measurement of the condition. It should be noted that the monitoring equipment
or
the gripping unit 214 may even move the drill rod 216 for the purposes of
measurements. Such moving may comprise, for example, rotating the drill rod
216
about the longitudinal and/or transversal axis of the drill rod 216
The monitoring unit 600 to 604 may monitor the condition of the rod 216
with machine vision, for example. The machine vision (marked with the dotted
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
14
one-directional arrows in Figure 6) may examine the drill rod 216 and detect
any
breaks or cracks in surface of the rod 216. The material of the rod 216 may be
steel, for example. There may also be monitoring units 600, 602 which see
through the hollow rod 216 in longitudinal direction. These may detect any
anomaly, such as breaks, in the inner wall of the hollow rod 216. It may also
be
that at least one of the monitoring units 600 to 604 applies illumination for
better
vision.
In another embodiment, the monitoring unit(s) 600 to 604 may apply
sounds and echo-analysis for analyzing the condition of the drill rod 216. For
example, if the transmitted sound is reflected back from a solid surface of
the drill
rod 216, the detected reflected sound (echo) is detected as normal. The normal
echo and its marginals may be predetermined for each type and material of
drill
rods 216. However, when the echo is reflected from a break in the surface of
the
drill rod 216, the detected echo is different from the predetermined normal
echo.
As one further option, laser signals and distance measuring may be used to
detect
if the distance from the measuring units 604 to the surface of the drill rod
216
remains the same throughout the length of the pipe 216 or changes within
acceptable margins. A change in the distance exceeding the acceptable margins
may imply a crack or break in the rod 216 or a part which has become thin
during
use. Any anomaly, crack or break in the inner or outer walls of the rod 216
may
imply that the condition of the rod 216 is poor. In one embodiment, there may
be a
predetermined threshold with respect to the number of anomalies detected or
with
respect to the severity of the anomalies (such as a depth of a break in the
wall of
the rod 216). When the threshold is exceeded, the rod 216 is determined as non-
usable. If the threshold is not exceeded, the rod 216 may be still used. The
threshold may be detected on empirical or mathematical studies, for example.
Thus, in an embodiment, the at least one memory 904 and the
computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor 902 and,
more particularly, with a rod condition control circuitry 912, to control the
plurality
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
of swivels 220 to 230 to cause the swivel arm 218 to automatically move the
drill
rod 216 to a monitoring position 606 in which at least one monitoring unit 600
tO
604 detects the physical condition of the drill rod 216. As said, the movement
trajectory may be preprogrammed and comprise three-dimensional movements of
5 the gripping unit 214 holding the drill rod 216 in the three-dimensional XYZ
space
inside the MDR 200. Further, in response to reception of information
indicating
that the physical condition of the drill rod 216 is below the predetermined
threshold, the plurality of swivels 220 to 230 may be controlled to cause the
swivel
arm 218 to automatically move the drill rod 216 to a location reserved for non-
10 usable drill rods. Such location may be predetermined and preprogrammed to
the
memory 904, for example, so that the swivel arm 218 may be automatically
configured to move the drill rod to such location. This embodiment may
significantly increase the efficiency and reliability of the drilling process
as less drill
rod condition ¨related problems occur.
15 In an embodiment, the gripping unit 214 holding the drill rod 216
is
moved to the monitoring position 606 after the first position 232 and before
the
second position 234. Thus, after taking the drill rod 216 from the storage
unit 202
and before bringing the gripped rod 216 to the drill string 108, the swivel
arm 218
may move the gripping unit 214 to the monitoring position 606 for rod
condition
checking. If the rod 216 is not in adequate condition, the drill rod 216 is
considered
as non-usable and moved to the out-of-usage area. If the rod 216 is in
adequate
condition, the rod 216 is taken to the drill string 108 and may be used for
drilling.
This embodiment may have the benefit that the condition of the drill rod 216
is
detected before it is added to the drill string 108 and, thus, no poor
conditioned
rods are added to the drill string 108.
In another embodiment, the gripping unit 214 holding the drill rod 216 is
moved to the monitoring position 606 after the second position 234 and before
the
first position 232. This embodiment relates to emptying the drill string 108.
After
taking the drill rod 216 from the drill string 108 and before bringing the
gripped rod
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
16
216 to the storage unit 202, the swivel arm 218 may move the gripping unit 214
to
the monitoring position 606 for rod condition checking. If the rod 216 is not
in
adequate condition, the drill rod 216 is considered as non-usable and moved to
the out-of-usage area. If the rod 216 is in adequate condition, the rod 216 is
stored
in the storage unit 202 and may be used for drilling later on without a
further
check. This embodiment may have the benefit that the condition of the drill
rod
216 is detected in good time and, in case new drill rods are needed (e.g. in
case
poor ones need to be replaced), the new drill rods may be inserted in the
storage
unit 202 in advance of the next drilling process (i.e. well before new drill
rods are
needed for further drilling).
In an embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the at least one memory 904
and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor
902, to control the plurality of swivels 220-230 to cause the swivel arm 218
to
retrieve/move/enter into a safety position 700 of the manipulator 210 for a
time
period reserved for removal of samples 706 from the drill string 108. In the
safety
position 700, any given point of the manipulator 210 is at least a guard
distance
702 from the drill string 108. The safety position 700 of the manipulator 210
may
be preprogrammed to the memory 904 so that the controller 902 may
automatically move the swivel arm 218 and the gripping unit 214 to the safety
position 700, which may be defined in the three-dimensional coordinate system
XYZ of the MDR 200. In an embodiment, the manipulator 210 may be
programmed to retrieve to and stay in the safety position 606 unless the
manipulator 210 needs to perform any rod handling tasks. Thus, the safety
position 606 may be regarded as a starting/ending position of the manipulator
210.
The guard distance 702 may correspond to an empirically derived
distance needed by the user personnel to operate around the drill string 108
during the removal of the samples. In an embodiment, the guard distance 702
equals to substantially 1 meter or more. As known by a skilled person, the
ground
samples emerge upwards from the depth via the annulus between the borehole
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
17
110 and drill string 108, or within a hollow drill string 108 (as in, e.g.,
reverse
circulation drilling). Further, as in diamond drilling, the ground samples may
also
be retrieved by using a retractable gripping tube which is lowered within the
hollow
drill string 108 and which grips a core tube locating close to the drill bit
and
comprises the ground sample. The core tube then is brought up together with
the
retractable gripping tube. Thus, the guard distance needed may be drilling
type -
specific and determined individually for each drilling type.
Therefore, the safety position 700 may as well be drilling type ¨specific
and programmed individually for each drilling type. The controller 902 and the
memory 904 may have knowledge for the safety positions with respect to a
plurality of drilling types. These types may include diamond drilling, reverse
circulation drilling, direct circulation drilling, etc. Thereafter, the
controller 902 may
select the to-be-used safety position on the basis of what the current type of
drilling is.
In an embodiment, the manipulator 210 is fixedly mounted on the
mobile drilling rig 200. Further, in this embodiment, the mounting base 212 of
the
manipulator 210 is at least the guard distance 702 away from the location in
which
the drill string 108 enters the borehole 110. In an embodiment, as said, the
guard
distance 702 may be one meter or even more. This embodiment thus provides
space for the user personnel if the user personnel need to be around the
borehole
110. The swivel arm 218, which may be altogether 280 centimeters long while
the
swivels 220 to 230 are in positions which provide most length to the swivel
arm
218, may provide enough extension for the manipulator 210 to still being able
to
perform all the rod handling tasks.
In addition, In an embodiment, the swivel arm 218 may comprise parts
which may extend. For example, there may be two parts at least partially
overlapping. The inner or outer part may then slide with respect to the other
part
so as to make the swivel arm longer or shorter, if needed.
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
18
In an embodiment the plurality of drill rods are stored in the storage
unit 202 substantially horizontally with respect to a floor of the MDR 200.
This
provides a benefit according to which the height of the MDR 200, at least
while
moving, is not as high as if vertical storing of the drill rods was applied.
In an embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, each of the plurality of drill
rods has an individual location in the storage unit 202. Figure 8 shows how
the
drill pipes may be stored in the storage unit 202. As a result, the at least
one
memory 904 and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one
processor 902, to adjust the first position 232 of the programmed three-
dimensional trajectory according to the individual location of the drill rod
which is
currently being moved or which is to be moved. The controller 902 may know the
first position 232 of each drill rod 216 on the basis of machine vision, for
example.
The machine vision unit may be mounted in the gripping unit 214, for example.
However, in an embodiment, the first position 232 is kept the same for
each drill rod 216. In this embodiment, the storage unit 202 may comprise
structure, such as an inclined surface, which may be used for automatically
causing a new pipe to be moved to the first position 232 due to gravity, for
example. An inclination in other direction may be used for the process of
emptying
the drill string 108 to the storage unit 202. In yet one embodiment, the first
position
232 may be adjusted according to whether the drill string 108 is to be
extended or
shortened.
In yet one embodiment, each drill rod comprises an identifier known by
the controller 902, and the at least one memory 904 and the computer program
code are configured, with the at least one processor 902, to cause the
manipulator
210 to detect the identifier (ID) of the drill rod. For example, each drill
rod may
emit a specific ID which an ID detection unit of the manipulator 210 may
detect.
Such ID detection unit may be comprised in the gripping unit 214 for providing
short distance between the drill rod emitting the ID and the ID detection
unit. A
possible technology for the ID reading may be radio frequency identification
19
(RFID) ¨technique. In one embodiment, a configuration known as an Active
Reader
Passive Tag (ARPT) is applied, in which an active reader (in the gripping unit
214)
transmits interrogator signals and receives authentication replies from
passive tags
in the drill rods.
In another embodiment, the ID detection takes place via machine vision,
near field communication, Bluetooth, for example. In any case, the manipulator
214
may obtain knowledge of the IDs of the drill rod(s) in the storage unit 202 or
of the
drill rod which is being gripped currently. Thereafter, the controller 902 may
adjust
the first position 232 of the three-dimensional trajectory on the basis of the
detected
identifier. In such embodiment, each drill rod may be taken to/from a specific
location and the order in the drill storage unit 202 remains good throughout
the
process, which may expedite the drilling process.
Let us then take a look in how the life span of each drill rod 216 may be
extended. It may be for example that a drill rod at a certain part of the
drill string 108
is prone to damages. The controller 902 may identify which drill rods were in
the
drill string 108 and in which location of the drill string 108 during removal
of drill rods
from the drill string 108. The controller 902 may detect, e.g., the order of
the drill
rods in the drill string 108 which is a clear indication of the location of
the removed
drill rod in the drill string. Then each of the drill rods may be taken to a
monitoring
unit of Figure 6 for physical condition checking, or to some other type of
physical
condition checking. As a result, the controller 902 may detect whether or not
a drill
rod in a specific location of the drill string 108 is more damaged than the
other drill
rods. Thus, by applying the drill rod condition checking, the part which is
prone to
damages in the drill string 108 may be more easily detected. As one possible
consequence action, the controller 902 may avoid putting the same drill rod to
that
specific part of the drill string 108 repeatedly. In this manner, the life
cycle of the
drill rods may be extended.
Figure 10 shows the MDR 200 in a side view, wherein the MDR 200
comprises hinged stairs 1000A, 1000B and support members 1002A, 1002B laid
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-06-24
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
down for the duration of drilling. A crawler 1004 may be for moving the MDR
200.
The other elements, units, structures presented in Figure 10 have been
explained
earlier. The MDR 200 may be a closed space with floor, walls and at least
partial
roof. As shown, the storage unit 202 for the plurality of drill rods may be as
large
5 as the side wall of the MDR 200. This may be especially the case when the
storage unit 202 stores a plurality of two rods connected together to make one
pipe with a length of even 6 meters. The drill string support structure 204
may
have been extended so as to support the drill string 108 after a new rod 216
has
been added to the drill string 108. It is also shown how the angle between the
drill
10 string 108 and the surface of the ground is substantially 90
degrees. Such change
in the inclination angle (from Figure 2A, for example) may have been caused by
the change in the inclination of the drill string support structure 204.
There is also provided a method, as shown in Figure 11, for moving drill
rods in the mobile drilling rig 200 between the first position 232 and the
second
15 position 234 with the manipulator 210, the method comprising: in step 1100,
controlling the plurality of swivels 220 to 232 to cause the swivel arm 218 to
automatically move the gripping unit 214 according to a programmed three-
dimensional trajectory between the first position 232 and the second position
234;
and, in step 1102, controlling the gripping unit 214 to automatically grip or
release
20 the drill rod in the first position 232 or in the second position 234.
In an embodiment, the manipulator 210 may be a stand-alone
apparatus for moving drill rods between the first position 232 and the second
position 234. In an embodiment, the manipulator 210 need not locate inside or
be
mounted to the MDR 200. In an embodiment, there need not be any MDR 200. In
an embodiment, the first position 232 and the second position 234 are not
inside
any MDR 200. In an embodiment, the first position 232 and the second position
234 are reconfigurable. In an embodiment, the manipulator 210 is mounted, e.g.
on a closed or open truck, such as on a platform of the truck. The storage
unit 202
and/or the drill string actuator unit 114 may be located outside the truck,
such as
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
21
next to the truck on a separate vehicle, for example. In an embodiment, the
storage unit 202 is on the truck with the manipulator 210, whereas the
drilling
actuator unit 114 is located outside the truck platform. In an embodiment, the
manipulator 210, the storage unit 202 and the drill string actuator unit 114
are on
the truck, which may have an open or closed platform/deck.
In an embodiment, the manipulator 210 may be used undergrounds, in
a tunnel, for example. In such embodiment, the storage unit 202 and the drill
string
actuator unit 114 may be also located undergrounds.
In an embodiment, the length of the drill string 108 may be more than
100 meters. In an embodiment, the MDR 200 may be equipped with a steering
unit for steering and moving the MDR 200. In an embodiment, the storage unit
202
may be open from the top.
As used in this application, the term 'circuitry' refers to all of the
following: (a) hardware-only circuit implementations, such as implementations
in
only analog and/or digital circuitry, and (b) combinations of circuits and
software
(and/or firmware), such as (as applicable): (i) a combination of processor(s)
or (ii)
portions of processor(s)/software including digital signal processor(s),
software,
and memory(ies) that work together to cause an apparatus to perform various
functions, and (c) circuits, such as a microprocessor(s) or a portion of a
microprocessor(s), that require software or firmware for operation, even if
the
software or firmware is not physically present. This definition of 'circuitry'
applies
to all uses of this term in this application. As a further example, as used in
this
application, the term 'circuitry' would also cover an implementation of merely
a
processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a processor and its (or
their)
.. accompanying software and/or firmware. The term 'circuitry' would also
cover, for
example and if applicable to the particular element, a baseband integrated
circuit
or applications processor integrated circuit for a mobile phone or a similar
integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, or another network
device.
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
22
The techniques and methods described herein may be implemented by
various means. For example, these techniques may be implemented in hardware
(one or more devices), firmware (one or more devices), software (one or more
modules), or combinations thereof. For a hardware implementation, the
apparatus(es) of embodiments may be implemented within one or more
application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors
(DSPs),
digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs),
field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, micro-
controllers, microprocessors, other electronic units designed to perform the
functions described herein, or a combination thereof. For firmware or
software, the
implementation can be carried out through modules of at least one chip set
(e.g.
procedures, functions, and so on) that perform the functions described herein.
The
software codes may be stored in a memory unit and executed by processors. The
memory unit may be implemented within the processor or externally to the
processor. In the latter case, it can be communicatively coupled to the
processor
via various means, as is known in the art. Additionally, the components of the
systems described herein may be rearranged and/or complemented by additional
components in order to facilitate the achievements of the various aspects,
etc.,
described with regard thereto, and they are not limited to the precise
configurations set forth in the given figures, as will be appreciated by one
skilled in
the art.
Embodiments as described may also be carried out in the form of a
computer process defined by a computer program. The computer program may be
in source code form, object code form, or in some intermediate form, and it
may
be stored in some sort of carrier, which may be any entity or device capable
of
carrying the program. For example, the computer program may be stored on a
computer program distribution medium readable by a computer or a processor.
The computer program medium may be, for example but not limited to, a record
medium, computer memory, read-only memory, electrical carrier signal,
CA 02850746 2014-04-29
23
telecommunications signal, and software distribution package, for example.
Coding of software for carrying out the embodiments as shown and described is
well within the scope of a person of ordinary skill in the art.
Even though the invention has been described above with reference to
an example according to the accompanying drawings, it is clear that the
invention
is not restricted thereto but can be modified in several ways within the scope
of
the appended claims. Therefore, all words and expressions should be
interpreted
broadly and they are intended to illustrate, not to restrict, the embodiment.
It will
be obvious to a person skilled in the art that, as technology advances, the
inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. Further, it is clear to
a
person skilled in the art that the described embodiments may, but are not
required
to, be combined with other embodiments in various ways.
