Excavation system and method employing adjustable down-hole steering and above-ground tracking
First Claim
1. An excavation system, comprising:
- an above ground tracker;
a cutting tool coupled to a drill pipe;
an adjustable steering mechanism provided on or in the cutting tool;
a driving apparatus coupled to the drill pipe for moving the cutting tool along an underground path; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the driving apparatus, tracker, and cutting tool, the controller producing a control signal to adjust the steering mechanism for directing the cutting tool along the underground path in accordance with one or both of position information and orientation information produced by the tracker.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
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.
158 Citations
65 Claims
-
1. An excavation system, comprising:
-
an above ground tracker;
a cutting tool coupled to a drill pipe;
an adjustable steering mechanism provided on or in the cutting tool;
a driving apparatus coupled to the drill pipe for moving the cutting tool along an underground path; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the driving apparatus, tracker, and cutting tool, the controller producing a control signal to adjust the steering mechanism for directing the cutting tool along the underground path in accordance with one or both of position information and orientation information produced by the tracker. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A method of excavation, comprising:
-
moving a cutting tool along an underground path using a driving apparatus;
sensing, from above ground, one or both of a position and an orientation of the cutting tool;
providing an adjustable steering mechanism on or in the cutting tool; and
adjusting, based at least in part on one or both of the sensed position and orientation of the cutting tool, the steering mechanism while moving the cutting tool along the underground path to effect a change of orientation or heading of the cutting tool. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. A method of excavation, comprising:
-
moving a cutting tool along an underground path using a driving apparatus;
sensing, from above ground, one or both of a position and an orientation of the cutting tool;
sensing a physical property of the cutting tool as the cutting tool is moved along the underground path and producing a sensor signal indicative of the physical property; and
controlling the driving apparatus in response to the sensor signal and one or both of the sensed position and orientation of the cutting tool. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
-
-
50. An excavation system, comprising:
-
an above ground tracker;
a cutting tool coupled to a drill pipe;
a driving apparatus coupled to the drill pipe for moving the cutting tool along an underground path;
a sensor disposed in or proximate the cutting tool, the sensor sensing a physical property of the cutting tool as the cutting tool is moved along the underground path, the sensor producing a sensor signal indicative of the physical property; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the driving apparatus, tracker, and the sensor, the controller transmitting control signals to the driving apparatus to control the driving apparatus in response to the sensor signal and in accordance with one or both of position information and orientation information produced by the tracker. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
-
Specification