Real-time control system and method for controlling an underground boring machine
First Claim
1. A system for horizontal excavation, comprising:
- a cutting tool moveable by a drill pipe coupled to a driving apparatus that excavates a substantially horizontal bore hole;
a mud system that pumps a drilling fluid through the drill pipe, the drilling fluid transporting excavated material out of the bore hole;
a return mud sensor that senses a property of the drilling fluid exiting the bore hole; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the return mud sensor, mud system, and driving apparatus, the controller, in cooperation with the mud system, modifying a property of the drilling fluid pumped through the drill pipe in response to the sensed drilling fluid property, and the controller modifying cutting tool movement in response to the modification to the drilling fluid property.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for controlling an underground boring tool involve rotating the boring tool and sensing a parameter of boring tool rotation. The boring tool is also displaced along an underground path and a parameter of boring tool displacement is sensed. Various sensors monitor boring machine activities, boring tool location, orientation, and environmental condition, and geophysical and/or geologic condition of the soil/rock at the excavation site. Data acquired by these sensors is processed by a boring machine controller to provide closed-loop, real-time control of a boring operation. The controller receives the boring tool signal and other sensor signals in real-time and, in response, transmits control signals to each of the rotation and displacement units substantially in real-time so as to control one or both of a rate and a direction of boring tool movement along the underground path.
254 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A system for horizontal excavation, comprising:
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a cutting tool moveable by a drill pipe coupled to a driving apparatus that excavates a substantially horizontal bore hole;
a mud system that pumps a drilling fluid through the drill pipe, the drilling fluid transporting excavated material out of the bore hole;
a return mud sensor that senses a property of the drilling fluid exiting the bore hole; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the return mud sensor, mud system, and driving apparatus, the controller, in cooperation with the mud system, modifying a property of the drilling fluid pumped through the drill pipe in response to the sensed drilling fluid property, and the controller modifying cutting tool movement in response to the modification to the drilling fluid property. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of horizontal excavation, comprising:
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moving a cutting tool to excavate a substantially horizontal bore hole;
pumping a drilling fluid to the cutting tool, the drilling fluid transporting excavated material out of the bore hole;
sensing a property of the drilling fluid exiting the bore hole;
modifying a property of the drilling fluid pumped to the cutting tool in response to the sensed drilling fluid property; and
automatically adjusting movement of the cutting tool in response to the sensed drilling fluid property or modification to the drilling fluid property. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system for horizontal excavation, comprising:
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a cutting tool movable by a drill pipe and driving apparatus that excavates a substantially horizontal bore hole;
a mud system that pumps a drilling fluid through the drill pipe, the drilling fluid transporting excavated material out of the bore hole;
a return mud sensor that senses a property of the drilling fluid exiting the bore hole; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the return mud sensor, mud system, and driving apparatus, the controller modifying cutting tool movement or a property of the drilling fluid pumped through the drill pipe in response to the drilling fluid property sensed by the return mud sensor. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of horizontal excavation, comprising:
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moving a cutting tool to excavate a substantially horizontal bore hole;
pumping a drilling fluid to the cutting tool, the drilling fluid transporting excavated material out of the bore hole;
sensing a property of the drilling fluid exiting the bore hole; and
automatically modifying cutting tool movement or a property of the drilling fluid pumped to the cutting tool in response to the sensed drilling fluid property. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification