COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR TRANSMITTING INFORMATION VIA DRILLING RODS

• US 20130027216A1
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universitaet Siegen
• Original Assignee: Universitaet Siegen
• Inventors: Jantz, Peter, Hartmann, Klaus, Twelsiek, Wolf-Henning
• Granted Patent: US 9,982,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/854.4
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/028 Electrical or electro-magnetic connections
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/13 by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency

Abstract

A communication system for transmitting information via drilling rod linkages includes a drill drive, drilling rod linkages comprising a first drilling rod linkage and at least one second drilling rod linkage. The first drilling rod linkage comprises an electrical line, an upper end and a lower end which comprises a receptacle for a drill head. The second drilling rod linkage comprises at least one electrical line, an upper end and a lower end. A sensor and/or actuator is arranged at the lower end of the first drilling rod linkage and at the drill head and transmits data. A first communication unit and an electronics unit are arranged at a drive end. A further communication unit is arranged at the upper end of the first drilling rod linkage and at the upper and lower ends of the second drilling rod linkage. The first communication unit and the further communication units are radio modules which transmit/receive data.

Claims

1-34. -34. (canceled)

35. :

A communication system for transmitting information via drilling rod linkages (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) of a drilling string for earth drillings, the communication system comprising;

a drill drive (7);

drilling rod linkages (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) comprising a first drilling rod linkage (8, 80) and at least one second drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10),

the first drilling rod linkage (8, 80) being formed from a hollow, cylindrical drill pipe (11) comprising at least one electrical line (21, 22) extending in an axial direction, an upper end (13) and a lower end (14), the lower end (14) of the first drilling rod linkage (8, 80) comprising a receptacle for a drill head,

the at least one second drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10) being formed from a hollow, cylindrical drill pipe (11) comprising at least one electrical line (21, 22) extending in an axial direction, an upper end (13) and a lower end (14),

wherein each of the at least one second drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10) is connected in a rotationally fixed manner via the lower end (14) to the upper end (13) of the first drilling rod linkage (8, 80) or to the upper end of another second drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10), and is connected in a rotationally fixed manner via the upper end (13) to the lower end (14) of a further second drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10) or to the drill drive (7),

at least one of a sensor (81) and an actuator (81) arranged at least at the lower end (14) of the first drilling rod linkage (8, 80) and at the drill head, the at least one of a sensor (81) and an actuator (81) being configured to transmit data which includes at least one of measurement data, parameterizing data, status data and control data;

a first communication unit (72) and an electronics unit (73) arranged at a drive end, at or in the drill drive (7), the first communication unit (72) and the electronics unit (73) being connected to each other;

a surface computer (100, 101) configured to monitor an earth drilling, the surface computer (100, 101) being communicatively connected to the electronics unit (73) at the drive end and being configured to receive or to provide the data of the at least one of a sensor (81) and an actuator (81);

further communication units (17, 19), at least one of the further communication units being arranged at the upper end (13) of the first drilling rod linkage (8, 80), and at least one of the further communication units being arranged at the upper end (13) and at the lower end (14) of the at least one second drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10), respectively,

at least one electronics unit (15) comprising a microcontroller, the at least one electronics unit (15) being arranged in each drilling rod linkage; and

at least one power supply for the further communication units (17, 19) and for the at least one electronics unit (15) arranged in each drilling rod linkage,

wherein,

the at least one of a sensor (81) and an actuator (81) and the at least one further communication unit (17) arranged at the upper end (13) of the first drilling rod linkage (8, 80) are connected to one another via the at least one electrical line (21, 22),

the at least one electronics unit (15) of the first drilling rod linkage (8, 80) is arranged between the at least one of a sensor (81) and an actuator (81) and one of the further communication units (17) of the first drilling rod linkage (8, 80) with respect to the data,

the further communication units (17, 19) of each second drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10) are connected to one another via their respective at least one electrical line (21, 22), the electronics unit (15) of the respective second drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10) being located between the further communication units (17, 19) with respect to the data, and

the first communication unit (72) and the further communication units (17, 19) are each radio modules, and are each configured to at least one of transmit data to and to receive the data from at least one of an immediately adjacent further communication unit (17, 19) of a next drilling rod linkage or from the drill drive (7).

36. :

The communication system as recited in claim 35, wherein each of the drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) further comprises an unambiguous identifier through which each respective drilling rod linkage is identifiable.

37. :

The communication system as recited in claim 35, wherein each respective drilling rod linkage forms a node in an ad-hoc network.

38. :

The communication system as recited in claim 36, wherein the unambiguous identifier is stored in at least one of the electronics unit (15) and in at least one of the further communication units (17, 19), the unambiguous identifier being configured so as to be queried by the first communication unit (72) at the drive end.

39. :

The communication system as recited in claim 36, wherein each respective drilling rod linkage further comprises an RFID transponder configured to store the unambiguous identifier.

40. :

The communication system as recited in claim 39, wherein the drill drive (7) comprises a proximity sensor with an RFID reader connected to the electronics unit (73) at the drive end, the RFID reader being configured to activate the RFID transponder of the respective drilling rod linkage so as to transmit the unambiguous identifier.

41. :

The communication system as recited in claim 39, wherein the RFID transponder is an active RFID transponder connected to the at least one power supply, the active RFID transponder being configured to switch on the at least one power supply upon receipt of an activation signal.

42. :

The communication system as recited in claim 35, wherein the further communication units (17, 19) are configured to transmit the data by WLAN.

43. :

A drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10) for a drilling string for earth drillings for establishing a communication system as recited in claim 35, the drilling rod linkage comprising either a);

a drill drive;

a hollow-cylindrical drill pipe (11) comprising an upper end (13), a lower end (14), and at least one electrical line (21, 22) arranged between the upper end (13) and the lower end (14), the at least one electrical line (21, 22) being conducted to the upper end (13) and to the lower end (14), wherein the lower end (14) is configured to be connectable in a rotationally fixed manner to the upper end (13) of another drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80), and the upper end (13) is configured to be connectable in a rotationally fixed manner to the lower end (14) of another drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10) or to the drill drive (7);

further communication units (17, 19), a respective further communication unit (17, 19) being arranged at each of the lower end (13) and at the upper end (14), the further communication units (17, 19) being connected to one another via the at least one electrical line (21, 22);

at least one electronics unit (15) comprising a microcontroller, the at least one electronics unit (15) being arranged between the further communication units (17, 19) with respect to data; and

at least one power supply configured to supply power to the further communication units (17, 19) and to the at least one electronics unit (15);

wherein the further communication units (17, 19) are radio modules, and each of the further communication units (17, 19) is configured to at least one of transmit data to and to receive data from at least one of an immediately adjacent further communication unit (17, 19) of the next drilling rod linkage or from the drill drive (7),

or b);

a drill drive;

a hollow-cylindrical drill pipe (11) comprising an upper end (13), a lower end (14), and at least one electrical line (21, 22) arranged between the upper end (13) and the lower end (14), the at least one electrical line (21, 22) being conducted to the upper end (13) and to the lower end (14), wherein the lower end (14) comprises a receptacle for a drill head and the upper end (13) is configured to be connectable in a rotationally fixed manner to the lower end (14) of another drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10) or to a drill drive (7);

at least one of a sensor (81) and an actuator (81) arranged at the lower end (14), the at least one of a sensor (81) and an actuator (81) being configured to at least one of transmit and receive data;

a communication unit (17) arranged at the upper end (13), the communication unit (17) and the at least one of a sensor (81) and an actuator (81) being connected via the at least one electrical line (21, 22);

at least one electronics unit (15) comprising a microcontroller, the at least one electronics unit (15) being arranged between the at least one of a sensor (81) and an actuator (81) and the communication unit (17) with respect to data; and

at least one power supply for the communication unit (17) and for the at least one electronics unit (15);

wherein, the communication unit (17) is a radio module, and the communication unit (17) is configured to at least one of transmit data to and to receive data from at least one of an immediately adjacent communication unit (19) of a next drilling string (3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10) or from the drill drive (7).

44. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, wherein at least one of the further communication units (17, 19) in a) or the communication unit (17) in b) is a combined transmission/receiver unit (transceiver).

45. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, further comprising an inclination sensor (16) arranged in the hollow-cylindrical drill pipe (11), the inclination sensor (16) being configured to detect a position of the drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80).

46. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 45, wherein the inclination sensor (16) is connected to the at least one power supply and is configured to switch on the at least one power supply for the electronics unit (15) and for at least one of the further communication units (17, 19) in a) and the communication unit (17) in b) when the drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) is transitioned from a horizontal position to a vertical position, and for switching off the at least one power supply for the electronics unit (15) and for at least one of the further communication units (17, 19) in a) and the communication unit (17) in b) when the drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) is transitioned from the vertical position to the horizontal position.

47. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 46, wherein the at least one power supply is attached so as to be removable at or in the drill pipe (11).

48. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 47, wherein the at least one power supply is attached via a plug.

49. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, wherein the at least one power supply is configured to be switchable.

50. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 48, wherein the drill pipe (11) comprises at least one recess, such as a pocket-shaped recess, the at least one recess being configured to accommodate and protect at least one of the at least one power supply, the electronics unit (15), the further communication units (17, 19) in a), and the communication unit (17) in b).

51. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 50, wherein the plug is arranged in the at least one recess and is configured to establish an electrical plug-in contact with at least one of the at least one power supply, the electronics unit (15), the further communication units (17, 19) in a), and the communication unit (17) in b).

52. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, wherein the at least one power supply is provided from at least one battery.

53. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, wherein the at least one power supply is rechargeable.

54. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, wherein the drill pipe (11) comprises an automatically recharging device configured to automatically recharge the at least one power supply during an operation of the drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80).

55. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, wherein the at least one power supply has at least one of a visual device and an audible device configured to indicate at least one of a charging state, a residual capacity and a still-available power supply period.

56. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, wherein the at least one power supply and the electronics unit (15) form one constructional unit.

57. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, wherein each of the respective further communication units (17, 19) in a) and the communication unit (17) in b) further comprises the electronics unit (15), and wherein the electronics unit (15) forms one constructional unit with the respective further communication units (17, 19) in a) and the communication unit (17) in b).

58. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, wherein each of the respective further communication units (17, 19) in a) and the communication unit (17) in b) further comprises the at least one power supply, and wherein the at least one power supply forms one constructional unit with the respective further communication units (17, 19) in a) and the communication unit (17) in b).

59. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, wherein at least one of the electronics unit (15) and the at least one power supply is arranged in an axial center of the drill pipe (11).

60. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, wherein the respective further communication units (17, 19) in a) or the communication unit (17) in b) further comprises a housing, the hosing being configured to mount the respective further communication units (17, 19) in a) or the communication unit (17) in b) on an outside of the drill pipe (11).

61. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 60, wherein the housing comprises an opening configured to be closed by a non-metallic material, the opening being oriented in a direction of an outer edge of the upper end (13) or the lower end (14) at which the respective further communication units (17, 19) in a) or the communication unit (17) in b) is arranged.

62. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 50, wherein the at least one recess comprises an opening configured to be closed by a non-metallic material, the at least one recess being oriented in a direction of an outer edge of the upper end (13) or the lower end (14) at which the respective further communication units (17, 19) in a) or the communication unit (17) in b) is arranged.

63. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, wherein the at least one of a sensor (81) and an actuator (81) is a sensor connected to the electronics unit (15).

64. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 63, wherein the sensor is at least one of a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor.

65. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, wherein the at least one of a sensor (81) and an actuator (81) is an actuator connected to the electronics unit (15).

66. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 65, wherein the actuator is at least one of a valve, a motor and a pump.

67. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, wherein the respective further communication units (17, 19) in a) or the communication unit (17) in b) is arranged at a distance of between 15 cm and 20 cm before an edge of an end of the respective upper end (13) or the lower end (14) of the drill pipe (11).

68. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, wherein the respective further communication units (17, 19) in a) or the communication unit (17) in b) is configured to provide for a near-field communication with a transmission range of less than 1 m.

69. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 68, wherein the transmission range is between 30 and 50 cm.

70. :

The drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80) as recited in claim 43, wherein the at least one electrical line (21, 22) is a single-paired electrical line or a multi-paired paired electrical line.

71. :

A drilling string for performing earth drillings, the drilling string consisting of;

a) a first drilling rod linkage (8, 80) comprising;

a drill drive;

a hollow-cylindrical drill pipe (11) comprising an upper end (13), a lower end (14), and at least one electrical line (21, 22) arranged between the upper end (13) and the lower end (14), the at least one electrical line (21, 22) being conducted to the upper end (13) and to the lower end (14), wherein the lower end (14) comprises a receptacle for a drill head and the upper end (13) is configured to be connectable in a rotationally fixed manner to the lower end (14) of another drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10) or to a drill drive (7);

at least one of a sensor (81) and an actuator (81) arranged at the lower end (14), the at least one of a sensor (81) and an actuator (81) being configured to at least one of transmit and receive data;

a communication unit (17) arranged at the upper end (13), the communication unit (17) and the at least one of a sensor (81) and an actuator (81) being connected via the at least one electrical line (21, 22);

at least one electronics unit (15) comprising a microcontroller, the at least one electronics unit (15) being arranged between the at least one of a sensor (81) and an actuator (81) and the communication unit (17) with respect to data; and

at least one power supply for the communication unit (17) and for the at least one electronics unit (15);

wherein, the communication unit (17) is a radio module, and the communication unit (17) is configured to at least one of transmit data to and to receive data from at least one of an immediately adjacent communication unit (19) of a next drilling string (3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10) or from the drill drive (7); and

b) at least one second drilling rod/3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10) comprising;

a drill drive;

a hollow-cylindrical drill pipe (11) comprising an upper end (13), a lower end (14), and at least one electrical line (21, 22) arranged between the upper end (13) and the lower end (14), the at least one electrical line (21, 22) being conducted to the upper end (13) and to the lower end (14), wherein the lower end (14) is configured to be connectable in a rotationally fixed manner to the upper end (13) of another drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 80), and the upper end (13) is configured to be connectable in a rotationally fixed manner to the lower end (14) of another drilling rod linkage (3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10) or to the drill drive (7);

further communication units (17, 19), a respective further communication unit (17, 19) being arranged at each of the lower end (13) and at the upper end (14), the further communication units (17, 19) being connected to one another via the at least one electrical line (21, 22);

at least one electronics unit (15) comprising a microcontroller, the at least one electronics unit (15) being arranged between the further communication units (17, 19) with respect to data; and

at least one power supply configured to supply power to the further communication units (17, 19) and to the at least one electronics unit (15);

wherein the further communication units (17, 19) are radio modules, and each of the further communication units (17, 19) is configured to at least one of transmit data to and to receive data from at least one of an immediately adjacent further communication unit (17, 19) of the next drilling rod linkage or from the drill drive (7).