Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SYSTEM FOR ESTIMATING DISTANCE, INCLINATION AND DRILLING
SPEED OF A MINING MACHINE AND METHOD TO IMPROVE THE
DRILLING PROCESS OF MINING TUNNELS
The present invention is related to a depth estimation system with
the mining field, particularly, it is related to the activities associated
with
mining drilling, and even more particularly it is related to a data
acquisition system that allows estimating: a drilled distance, an inclination
or angle of the drill rods and a drilling speed on a drilling machine during
the drilling process in mining tunnels.
Background of the Invention
In the field of mining, drilling is one of the most common and
important activities for mine development. Currently, the engineers in
charge of construction generate a shot record that is given to the operator
of the drilling machine, who must make the holes indicated there, with a
specific depth and inclination. At present, in mines, it is complex to
correctly measure the advance of the drilling of a drilling machine, due to
the difficulty of obtaining precision from the data needed by current
systems. These systems also require high maintenance, which can lead
to production losses due to underestimation or overestimation of worker
performance. Consequently, a system is required that allows estimating
the drilling distance,
Currently, to make estimates and minimize errors, the state of the
art is to use a distance sensor based on a cable reel, which consists of a
simple mounting system. To mount it, it is necessary to fix the distance
sensor to the reference surface and anchor the end of the cable to the
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mobile surface, in this case the structure of the drill arm that moves with
the operation, this movement causes the measurement cable to is
extracted and generates an output signal change, proportional to the
distance traveled by the cable. The approximate measurement range of
these sensors is between 50 mm and 60.000 mm, with different types of
output: analog and digital.
Another existing solution is a laser sensor system, this sensor
strategically mounted on the drilling machine allows the drilling progress
to be measured by emitting a beam of light and calculating the time it
takes to return, in this way it is possible to estimate the distance wearing
piercing.
Another method of measurement is by artificial vision, wherein a
camera is located in a strategic place of the drilling machine with a direct
view of a tube with marks, which are identified by an image processing
algorithm, while these advance in front of the camera, in this way it is
possible to estimate the drilling distance.
Patent Document WO/2013082498 shows a drilling system that
comprises a drilling parameter sensor, where said drilling parameter
sensor can measure distance, vibrations, acceleration, RPM, pressure,
temperature, among others. In addition, such a parameter sensor can be
mounted in the most convenient position according to the parameter it is
monitoring. Additionally, the document presents a sensor application in
communication with said drilling parameter sensor and operable to
generate processed data from raw data received from said drilling
parameter sensor, a process application in communication with said
application of the sensor and operable to generate an instruction based
on the data processed by said sensor application, a priority controller in
communication with said process application and operable to evaluate the
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release instructions, and an equipment controller in communication with
said priority controller and operable to issue the instruction to one or more
drilling components when the instruction is released by said priority
controller. Unlike this system, the claimed one does not attempt to make
an automated instruction system, but rather gives the machine operator
the information so that he can generate the corresponding instructions.
Document WO/2014187473 disclose a rock drilling rig comprising a
mobile carrier, a drilling boom, a drilling unit arranged on the drilling arm,
wherein said drilling unit comprises a feed beam and a rock drilling
machine supported on said feed beam, at least one first camera that
allows video monitoring of drilling, first control means to control said
drilling boom, second control means to control said drilling unit, said
control unit to control drilling of according to the control data received
from said control means, wherein said control unit comprises a display
device arranged to display video monitoring data in response to data
received from the first camera, and wherein various operational objects
are predefined to said control unit. The claimed system, in contrast to
WO/2014187473, is independent of the drilling rig.
Patent Documents WO/2019066930 provides a method and
software product for designing a perforation pattern. The method
comprises creating a perforation pattern in a computer-aided manner,
using a perforation pattern design program. Wherein the aided design
comprises determining a master hole for a group of holes in the drilling
pattern; determining a dominant property for said master hole;
determining, based on said dominant property, a property of another drill
hole; and the use of a post-editable master hole, whose dominant
properties are changeable. The software product is configured to create
the drill pattern interactively with a designer and determine for the drill
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pattern the locations and direction angles of the holes in the drill pattern
coordinate system for drilling a round in the rock. Additionally, the
invention comprises a rock drilling rig comprising a mobile support, a
drilling arm, a drilling unit in said drilling arm, wherein said drilling unit
comprises a feed beam and a rock drilling machine, arranged to move on
bliss feed beam through feed means and a control unit comprising a
computer, wherein said software product is executable in said control unit
to design the drilling pattern. This patent describes a software for
designing a drilling pattern as a drilling rig that performs the perforations
according to the previously determined pattern; This invention has a
different objective than the system claimed in the present patent, in
addition to the fact that the data is not obtained with the same procedure
and it has a high cost of maintenance and implementation.
Document CN 204492678 discloses an identifiable petroleum shell
comprising a body, a shell RFID (radio frequency identification) status
chip write coil, a shell RFID status chip, and shell RFID status chip read
coils. The shell RFID status chip write coil is used to write current depth
information of the oil shell to the shell RFID status chip, and is mounted
on the outer wall of the inner body; the shell RFID status chip is used to
store the current depth information of the oil shell, and is connected to
the shell RFID status chip write coil and the RFID status chip read coils
of the casing; the case's RFID status chip read coils are mounted on the
inner wall of the body and used to combine with RFID readers, so that the
RFID readers can read the information stored in the case's RFID status
chip. An RFID system is used in this patent, but its procedure and scope
as a specialty are not in the same field of application.
Brief Description of Figures
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Figure 1: it is a diagram of the complete system, where all the
communicated devices are seen, it is observed: a reference position of at
least a first sensor or first reference node (2), a mobile position of at
least
a second sensor or first node mobile (1), a sensor and reader means (4),
an interface means for the display of information (5) and all these
connected to at least one embedded computer (3).
Figure 2: It is an example diagram, which exemplifies the
distribution of devices in a drilling machine (6) with its respective drilling
means (7), in its initial state (before drilling). A mobile node (1) is also
observed at an initial distance from the reference node (2).
Figure 3: It is an example diagram, which exemplifies the
distribution of devices in a drilling machine (6), with its respective
drilling
means (7), in its maximum state of drilling depth, a mobile node (1) is
observed at a closer distance from the reference node (2) unlike what is
observed in Figure 2.
Detailed Description of the Invention
The proposed invention refers to a system for estimating the
distance, inclination and drilling speed of a mining drilling machine,
comprising a plurality of electronic devices that collect / collect reading
data from at least one measurement and are distributed along said mining
drilling machine, for use in mining tunnels.
The present system is connected to a wireless communication
network or electrical wiring, which allows the data collected by said
plurality of electronic devices to be transmitted to an embedded computer
where the data is processed with an algorithm that estimates the distance
from the data received, inclination, and speed of drilling of said drilling
machine, and further, indication of whether or not said drilling machine is
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in operation. Data can be collected and read directly in real time from an
interface medium for the display of information, which is connected to the
embedded computer, and they can be downloaded or sent as needed.
In a first embodiment, the drilling machine comprises a structure
which in turn comprises a drilling means, preferably an arm with a drill,
and which, in operating mode, slides back and forth, to drill into the rock.
On this machine, at least one sensor is located in a fixed part (reference
sensor) that does not move with the movement of the drilling means, and
at least one sensor in a moving part (mobile sensor) that moves with the
movement of the drilling medium. The sensors are designated as
reference node (2) and mobile node (1). To determine drilling distance,
inclination, and speed, preferably, the data generated by said drilling
means is used when advancing the requested shot in the rock,
The aforementioned sensors emit signals of the radio frequency
(RF) type, which allows the mobile node (1) and reference node (2) to
establish communication. With this, the mobile node (1) estimates the
distance with respect to the reference node (2) that is in a fixed position
and sends this data to the embedded computer (3).
The sensor means and reader (analog or digital) (4) allows, by
means of electrical data, to define if the machine is off or on, and to
establish the electrical effort of said drilling machine, which allows to
additionally verify if the operator is only moving the drill or if you are
drilling into the rock itself. This data allows to improve the estimates of
the distance of the perforation.
The distance determined between the mobile node (1) and the
reference node (2) together with the data provided by the sensor and
reader means (4) allow to determine if the operator is performing tests
before starting to drill, and once the operation has started, allows to know
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the drilled distance of the system.
The Integrated Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) combines data from
an accelerometer sensor and a gyroscope sensor to deliver the inclination
of the reference node (2) with respect to the ground and thus it is possible
to estimate the inclination (angle) of the borehole.
All information is received by the embedded computer (3) and it is
analyzed under an algorithm that allows the processing of all the data
obtained during the use of said drilling machine, to estimate: distance
drilled, speed and inclination of the drilling. Subsequently, the information
can be displayed in an interface means for the display of information (5),
with which the operator of said drilling machine is informed of the state of
the drilling and thus can make the decisions corresponding to the
operation.
The algorithm used to process and analyze the information
collected by the mobile nodes (2), reference (1) and the sensor and reader
means (4), determines the start and end of the drilling, with this estimates
the distance drilled by the drilling medium (7).
The signal acquired by the sensor and reader means (4) is
processed in the frequency domain, by means of low-pass filters and
band-pass filters, with which the beginning of the perforation and the end
of it are determined. On the other hand, the distance signal is processed
using mathematical models to estimate the depth of the drilling. Since the
drilling is carried out by means of a determined number of bars, which are
introduced one after another to drill a distance, the algorithm accumulates
each of these distances until the end of the drilling is determined, thus
adding all the distances, the drilled distance is obtained.
The present system is simple to install and reliable, with the same
or better estimate of drilled distance than known systems, and low
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maintenance.
Invention Application Example
In order to illustrate the present invention and based on the
aforementioned figures, an embodiment of the system and method to
perform measurements of drilled distance and drilling speed and
inclination can be seen, in a drilling machine for mining drilling equipment.
It comprises :
a) fixing means for at least a first sensor, to a fixed structure
of a drilling machine, at a fixed location or reference node
(2);
b) fixing means for at least one second sensor, to a mobile
structure of a drilling means of a drilling machine, in a
mobile /sliding position or mobile node (1);
wherein said first sensor sends its location data to said second
sensor, and said second sensor sends both location data, from the
reference node (2) and mobile node (1), to an embedded computer
(3), and;
parallel and separately, the sensor and data reader means (4)
sends the collected data, preferably electricity consumption data,
from the drilling machine, turned on, in use and off, to an embedded
computer (3),
where all the data sent to the embedded computer They are
processed through an algorithm, obtaining as a result, an estimate of the
drilling distance and drilling speed of the drilling machine.
The estimation of the drilling distance and its speed allows the
operator to correctly use said drilling machine, and to have information
that is displayed in real time in an interface means for the display of
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information (5) located, preferably in the operator's cab.
As soon as the machine is turned on, all the devices start to
synchronize and communicate with each other. Each sensor sends data
at all times, and the algorithm identifies the data that is not significant to
determine distance and speed of a perforation, but significant to establish
that the operator can be conducting tests without performing any
perforation, for example, the operator of the machine Drill is testing by
moving the drilling medium along the arm, but without drilling. As there is
no electrical stress measurement, these data are considered as
referential, that is, without material drilling. In the same way, the
inclination and angle of the drilling medium are determined before starting
to drill.
At the moment the operator begins to use the drilling means (7),
the sensor (4) detects a variation in the measurement, in particular, if the
sensor is an electrical sensor, a current variation is detected, and this is
considered as the beginning of effective drilling.
The sensor of the mobile node (1) receives the data delivered by
the sensor of the reference node (2), that is, distance, inclination, and
speed. The distance is obtained directly by the variation that originates
when the drilling medium (7) advances, the mobile node (1) joined to it,
in relation to the reference node (2), fixed on the machine. drill. The
Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) located at its own node, calculates the
speed and inclination of the drilling medium in operation.
The embedded computer (3) on board in the operator's cabin on the
drilling machinery it processes, through an algorithm, the data delivered
by the sensors and displays the information obtained through an interface
means for the display of information (5) that is also preferably located in
the operator's cabin.
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System for estimating distance, inclination and drilling speed of a
mining machine and method to improve the drilling process of mining
tunnels.
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