Turbine drill for drilling at great depths

• US 4,051,909 A
• Filed: 11/22/1976
• Issued: 10/04/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PEI, Inc.
• Original Assignee: PEI, Inc.
• Inventors: Baum, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Leppink, James A.
• Application Number:
  US05/743,914
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 175/93, 175/107
• US Class Current: 175/93
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 4/00 Drives for drilling, used in the borehole
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 4/02 Fluid rotary type drives

Abstract

A drilling device is disclosed which comprises a tubular drilling lance adapted to being lowered to great depths in the earth'"'"'s surface and being raised therefrom. Disposed within the drilling lance is an energy generating system which comprises a fluid vaporizing system and a turbine coupled to the vaporizing system by a closed fluid circuit. Coupled to the turbine and extending outwardly from the drilling lance is a drill bit. The drilling device is configured such that vaporized fluid activates the turbine, which in turn, makes the drill bit operable.

Claims

1. A drilling device having special utility for drilling at great depths in the earth'"'"'s surface, said drilling device comprising:

a tubular drilling lance having a top end and a bottom end, said drilling lance adapted to being lowered to great depths in the surface of the earth and being raised therefrom;

an energy generating system disposed in said lance, said energy generating system being characterized by;

a. a fluid vaporizing system, said fluid vaporizing system comprising;

i. at least one fuel container and fuel contained therein, said fuel container is a collapsable bellow-like container configured such that external pressure on said container provides a positive pressure on said fuel contained therein,

ii. a reaction chamber coupled to said fuel container,

iii. a heat exchanger coupled to said reaction chamber such that heat from said chamber is transferred to said heat exchanger,

iv. vaporizable fluid communicating with said heat exchanger whereby said fluid is caused to vaporize by said heat, and

v. condenser means directly coupled to said heat exchanger such that said fluid is selectively cooled and returned to said heat exchanger without loss of said fluid; and

b. a turbine coupled to said vaporizing system by a closed fluid circuit such that said fluid is coupled from said heat exchanger to said turbine and further coupled from said turbine to said condenser means; and

drilling means disposed adjacent to and extending outwardly from said bottom end of said drilling lance, said drilling means coupled to said turbine such that activation of said turbine by said fluid vaporizing system causes activation of said drilling means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said tubular drilling lance is a thin-walled hollow structure.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said reaction chamber is cooled by the injection of a liquid coolant.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said reaction chamber is coupled to said fuel container by a catalytic decomposer.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a coolant communicating with said condenser means.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said coolant is mud.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said drilling means is coupled to said turbine by means of direct mechanical linkage.

8. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said drilling means is coupled to said turbine by means of:

(i) an electro-generator coupled to said turbine, and (ii) an electro-motor coupled to said drilling means such that electricity generated by said electro-generator is coupled to said electro-motor, making said motor operable.

9. The apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising control means whereby automatic control of the ratio between applied force and rate of rotation of said drilling means is automatically regulated and controlled.

10. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said drilling means is coupled to said turbine by means of:

(i) a hydraulic pump coupled to said turbine, and (ii) a hydro-motor coupled to said drilling means such that activation of said pump makes said hydro-motor operable.

11. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said fuel comprises a hydrocarbon compound and an oxygen containing compound.

12. The apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a separate drilling means enclosure, said enclosure having a bottom end and being configured such that said drilling means is disposed adjacent to and extending outwardly from said bottom end, said enclosure selectively coupled to said drilling lance.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said drilling means enclosure may be oriented independently of said drilling lance.

14. The energy generating system of claim 2 further comprising a hydro-propulsion means, said means coupled to said drilling means such that expansion of said propulsion means extends said drilling means further from said lance.

16. A drilling device having special utility for drilling at great depths in the earth'"'"'s surface, said drilling device comprising:

i. a tubular drilling lance having a top end and a bottom end, said drilling lance adapted to being lowered to great depths in the earth'"'"'s surface and being raised therefrom;

ii. an energy generating system slideably disposed in said lance, said system being characterized by;

a. a fluid vaporizing system, said system comprising;

i. at least one fuel container, said container being a collapsable bellow structure configured such that external pressure on said container provides a positive pressure on fuel contained therein, (ii) a reaction chamber coupled to said fuel container, said chamber being cooled by the injection of water and being coupled to one said fuel container by a catalytic decomposer, (iii) a heat exchanger coupled to said reaction chamber such that heat from said chamber is transferred to said heat exchanger, said heat exchanger being further coupled to said reaction chamber whereby water is extracted from said heat exchanger and injected into said reaction chamber, (iv) vaporizable fluid communicating with said heat exchanger whereby said fluid is caused to vaporize by said heat, said fluid selected from a group consisting of water and hologenated hydrocarbons, (v) condenser means directly coupled to said heat exchanger such that said fluid is selectively cooled and returned to said heat exchanger without loss of said fluid, said condenser means having a coolant communicating therewith, (vi) fuel disposed in said fuel container, said fuel comprising a hydrocarbon compound and oxygen containing compound;

b. a turbine coupled to said vaporizing system by a closed fluid circuit such that said fluid is coupled from said heat exchanger to said turbine and further coupled from said turbine to said condenser means;

c. hydro-propulsion means coupled to said turbine, said propulsion means being selectively expandable;

d. a hydraulic pump coupled to said turbine and a corresponding hydro-motor coupled to said hydraulic pump; and

e. control means coupled to said hydro-motor and said hydro-propulsion means whereby control of the optimum ratio between expansion of said hydro-propulsion means and rate of rotation of said hydro-motor is automatically maintained;

iii. drilling means disposed adjacent to and extending outwardly from said bottom end of said drilling lance, said drilling means coupled to said turbine by said hydro-propulsion means, said hydraulic pump, and said hydro-motor such that activation of said turbine by said fluid vaporizing system causes activation of said drilling means, and such that selective expansion of said hydro-propulsion means extends said drilling means further from said lance;

iv. a fastening device disposed in said top end of said lance and coupled to said energy generating system such that said system is selectively coupled to said lance.

17. A drilling device having special utility for drilling at great depths in the surface of the earth, said drilling device comprising:

a tubular drilling lance having a top end and a bottom end, said drilling lance adapted to being lowered to great depths in the surface of the earth and being raised therefrom;

an energy generating system disposed in said lance, said energy generating system being characterized by;

a. a fluid vaporizing system, said fluid vaporizing system comprising;

i. at least one fuel container and fuel contained therein, said fuel container is a blatter configured such that external pressure on said container provides a positive pressure on said fuel contained therein,

ii. a reaction chamber coupled to said fuel container,

iii. a heat exchanger coupled to said reaction chamber such that heat from said chamber is transferred to said heat exchanger,

iv. vaporizable fluid communicating with said heat exchanger whereby said fluid is caused to vaporize by said heat, and

v. condenser means directly coupled to said heat exchanger such that fluid is selectively cooled and returned to said heat exchanger without loss of said fluid; and

b. a turbine coupled to said vaporizing system by a closed fluid circuit such that said fluid is coupled from said heat exchanger to said turbine and further coupled from said turbine to said condenser means; and

drilling means disposed adjacent to and extending outwardly from said bottom end of said drilling lance, said drilling means coupled to said turbine such that activation of said turbine by said fluid vaporizing system causes activation of said drilling means.

18. A drilling device having special utility for drilling at great depths in the surface of the earth, said drilling device comprising:

a tubular drilling lance having a top end and a bottom end, said drilling lance adapted to being lowered to great depths in the surface of the earth and being raised therefrom;

an energy generating system slidably disposed in said lance, said energy generating system being characterized by;

a. a fluid vaporizing system, said fluid vaporizing system comprising;

i. at least one fuel container and fuel contained therein,

ii. a reaction chamber coupled to said fuel container,

iii. a heat exchanger coupled to said reaction chamber such that heat from said chamber is transferred to said heat exchanger,

iv. vaporizable fluid communicating with said heat exchanger whereby said fluid is caused to vaporize by said heat,

v. condenser means directly coupled to said heat exchanger such that said fluid is selectively cooled and returned to said heat exchanger without loss of said fluid;

b. a turbine coupled to said vaporizing system by a closed circuit such that said fluid is coupled from said heat exchanger to said turbine and further coupled from said turbine to said condenser means; and

c. a hydro-propulsion means, said hydro-propulsion means coupled to a drilling means such that expansion of said propulsion means extends said drilling means further from said lance;

drilling means disposed adjacent to and extending outwardly from said bottom end of said drilling lance, said drilling means coupled to said turbine such that activation of said turbine by said fluid vaporizing system causes activation of said drilling means; and

a fastening device, said device disposed in said lance and coupled to said energy generating system such that said system is selectively coupled to said lance.

15. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said energy generating system is slideably disposed in said drilling lance.