Apparatus for monitoring a positional relationship between a boring tool and an inground line

• US 7,786,732 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Merlin Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Merlin Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Mercer, John E., Chau, Albert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patidar; Jay M
• Application Number:
  US12/139,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20080246483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 324/329
• US Class Current: 324/329
• 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 47/0232 at least one of the energy sources or one of the detectors being located on or above the ground surface
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/024 of devices in the borehole determining slope or direction of the borehole E21B47/022
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/081 the magnetic field is produced by the objects or geological structures characterised by the method of magnetic field measurement G01R33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat

Abstract

In a system having a boring tool and an above-ground portable locator for locating the boring tool as moved by a drill string in a region which includes an in-ground line, an apparatus is described for monitoring the positional relationship between the boring tool and the line. The apparatus includes a transmitter for generating a magnetic locating field from one of the boring tool or an underground length of the line. A receiver is carried by the boring tool if the field is generated from the line, or connected to the line if the field is generated from the boring tool, for detecting an intensity of the magnetic locating field to produce a magnetic field intensity indicative signal that is indicative of the positional relationship between the boring tool and the line. A remote display indicates the detected intensity of the magnetic locating field.

Claims

1. In a system which includes a boring tool and an above-ground portable locator for locating the boring tool and in which said boring tool is moved from a drill rig through the ground by a drill string in a region which includes at least one electrically conductive in-ground line, an apparatus for monitoring a specific positional relationship between the boring tool and said line, said apparatus comprising:

a transmitter for generating a magnetic locating field from one of either said boring tool or at least an underground length of said line;

a receiver carried by said boring tool if said field is generated from said line, or connected to said line if said field is generated from said boring tool, for detecting an intensity of said magnetic locating field to produce a magnetic field intensity indicative signal that is indicative of the positional relationship between the boring tool and said line; and

a remote display located at one of said portable locator and said drill rig and responsive to said intensity indicative signal for indicating the detected intensity of said magnetic locating field generated from either one of said line or said boring tool.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said display includes an arrangement for establishing the specific positional relationship between said boring tool and said line.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transmitter and the receiver are cooperatively configured to provide the detected intensity so as to be unambiguously representative of said specific positional relationship between the boring tool and the line.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said intensity indicated by said remote display represents a vector sum.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a telemetry link forming one part of said receiver and forming another part of said display for transmitting the detected intensity from said boring tool or said line to said remote display.

6. In a system in which a boring tool is moved from a drill rig through the ground by a drill string in a region which includes at least one electrically conductive in-ground line, an apparatus for monitoring a specific positional relationship between the boring tool and said line, said apparatus comprising:

a transmitter for generating a magnetic locating field from one of either said boring tool or at least an underground length of said line;

a receiver carried by said boring tool if said field is generated from said line, or connected to said line if said field is generated from said boring tool, for detecting an intensity of said magnetic locating field to produce a signal indicative of said magnetic field intensity, said signal being responsive to the positional relationship between the boring tool and said line; and

a remote display located at said drill rig and responsive to said signal for indicating the detected intensity of said magnetic locating field generated from either one of said line or said boring tool.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said remote display includes an arrangement for establishing the specific positional relationship between said boring tool and said line.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the transmitter and the receiver are cooperatively configured to provide the detected intensity so as to be unambiguously representative of said specific positional relationship between the boring tool and the line.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the detected intensity indicated by said remote display represents a vector sum.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6 including a telemetry link forming one part of said receiver and forming another part of said remote display for transmitting the detected intensity from said boring tool or said line to said remote display.