Earth penetrating apparatus and method employing radar imaging and rate sensing

• US 7,607,494 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Draper, Gregory W., Alft, Kevin L., Kelpe, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Bagnell; David J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harcourt; Brad
• Application Number:
  US11/634,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20070240903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 175/45, 175/40
• US Class Current: 175/45
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 44/00 Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 44/005 Below-ground automatic control systems
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/022 of the borehole, e.g. using geomagnetism
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/046 horizontal drilling drilling with mechanical conveying means E21B7/003
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/28 Enlarging drilled holes, e.g. by counterboring

Abstract

An earth penetrating apparatus includes a cutting tool and a sensor housing. A radar unit, rate sensor unit, processor, and transmitter are provided in the sensor housing. An antenna arrangement is coupled to the radar unit and configured for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals in a relatively forward and/or lateral looking direction relative to a distal end of the cutting tool. The rate sensor unit may include one or both of a gyroscope and an accelerometer. The processor receives radar data from the radar unit indicative of subsurface strata and obstacles respectively located generally forward and/or lateral of the cutting tool, and receives displacement data from the rate sensor unit indicative of one or both of longitudinal and rotational displacement of the cutting tool. The transmitter is configured for transmitting one or both of the radar data and the displacement data to an aboveground location.

Claims

1. An earth penetrating apparatus for use with a boring machine, comprising:

a cutting tool assembly comprising a cutting tool and a sensor housing;

a radar unit provided in the sensor housing;

an antenna arrangement coupled to the radar unit, the antenna arrangement configured for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals;

a rate sensor unit provided in the sensor housing;

a processor provided in the sensor housing and communicatively coupled to the radar unit and the rate sensor unit, the processor receiving radar data from the radar unit indicative of subsurface strata and obstacles in proximity to the cutting tool and receiving displacement data from the rate sensor unit indicative of one or both of longitudinal and rotational displacement of the cutting tool; and

a transmitter provided in the sensor housing and coupled to the processor, the transmitter configured for transmitting one or both of the radar data and the displacement data to an aboveground location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor receives displacement data from the rate sensor unit indicative of longitudinal and rotational displacement of the cutting tool, and the transmitter is configured to transmit the radar data and the displacement data to the aboveground location.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cutting tool assembly comprises a drill string, and a communications link is provided by the drill string, the transmitter configured to transmit one or both of the radar data and the displacement data to the aboveground location via the communications link.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rate sensor comprises at least one gyroscope.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rate sensor comprises at least one accelerometer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rate sensor comprises at least one magnetometer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cutting tool comprises a boring tool.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cutting tool comprises a reamer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an above-ground tracker.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising an interface comprising a display, the display configured to display one or both of the radar data and the displacement data.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the display displays bore plan information indicative of an actual position of the cutting tool relative to a planned position.

12. An earth penetrating apparatus for use with a boring machine, comprising:

a cutting tool assembly comprising a cutting tool and a sensor housing;

a radar unit provided in the sensor housing;

an antenna arrangement coupled to the radar unit, the antenna arrangement configured for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals;

a processor provided in the sensor housing and communicatively coupled to the radar unit, the processor receiving radar data from the radar unit indicative of subsurface strata and obstacles in proximity to the cutting tool assembly,

a transmitter provided in the sensor housing and coupled to the processor, the transmitter configured for transmitting the radar data to an aboveground location; and

an aboveground tracker configured to facilitate navigation of the cutting tool assembly during a boring operation.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, comprising a bore planning system provided at the boring machine, the bore planning system receiving data from the tracker and radar data from the transmitter.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein an alternative bore plan is generated by the bore planning system in response to detecting an obstacle.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, comprising a user interface comprising a display and coupled to the bore planning system, the tracker data and the radar data presentable on the display.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, comprising a bore planning system, wherein the display displays bore plan information indicative of an actual position of the cutting tool relative to a planned position.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cutting tool assembly comprises a drill string, and a communications link comprises a conductor provided along the drill string.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cutting tool assembly comprises a drill string, and a communications link comprises an acoustic system utilizing the drill string as an acoustic communications conduit.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cutting tool comprises a boring tool.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cutting tool comprises a reamer.