Method for operating a horizontal drilling device and horizontal drilling device

• US 9,243,453 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gdf Suez, Tracto-Tecknik GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Gdf Suez, Tracto-Tecknik GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Koch, Elmar, Fischer, Sebastian, Hanses, Andreas Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Coy, Nicole
• Application Number:
  US13/638,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20130277118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/086 with a fluid-actuated cylinder E21B19/084, E21B19/087, E21B19/09 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/20 Combined feeding from rack and connecting, e.g. automatically
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/06 using side-wall drilling tools pressing or scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/046 horizontal drilling drilling with mechanical conveying means E21B7/003

Abstract

A method for operating a horizontal drilling device includes the steps of fixing a rod assembly section within a through-opening formed by a rotational drive of the horizontal drilling device, and connecting the rod assembly section to a rear end of a drill rod assembly of the horizontal drilling device or releasing the rod assembly section from the drill rod assembly by a linear and/or rotational movement of the rotational drive, wherein force transmission means for transmitting compressive and/or pulling forces and/or a rotational torque to the drill rod assembly are provided in the through-opening, wherein the rotational drive is displaceable by a linear drive of the horizontal drilling device, and wherein the drill rod assembly is configured as rod assembly string and is composed of a plurality of interconnected rod assembly sections.

Claims

1. A horizontal drilling device comprising:

a linear drive;

a rotational drive which is displaceable by the linear drive; and

a drill rod assembly,

wherein the rotational drive forms a through opening into which the drill rod assembly is insertable,

wherein the rotational drive includes a force transmission ring for form fittingly transmitting to the drill rod assembly,

wherein the force transmission ring is configured so that in a first angular position of the force transmission ring relative to the drill rod assembly, the drill rod assembly is insertable into or removable from the rotational drive and in a second angular position of the force transmission ring relative to the drill rod assembly, the drill rod assembly is locked, thereby enabling transmission of the forces,

wherein the force transmission ring forms an opening through which the drill rod assembly is passable, and

wherein the drill rod assembly has at least in one first section a first cross section which corresponds to a cross section of the opening formed by the force transmission ring, so as to enable passage of the drill rod assembly through the opening only in the first angular position, and wherein the drill rod assembly, in at least one second section, which is formed as a subsection of the first section, has a second cross section so as to enable rotation of the drill rod assembly into the second angular position only when the second section is located within the opening formed by the force transmission ring.

2. The horizontal drilling device of claim 1, wherein the drill rod assembly is configured as rod assembly string and composed of a plurality of interconnected rod assembly sections, and wherein each of the rod assembly sections has at least two first sections and at least two second sections.

3. The horizontal drilling device of claim 2, wherein the at least two first sections and the at least two second sections are located in a region of the two ends of each rod assembly section, and wherein a third section which has a lower bending stiffness than the first sections is arranged between the two ends.

4. The horizontal drilling device of claim 1, wherein the rotational drive is connected to at least one cylinder tube of at least one drive cylinder of the linear drive.

5. A horizontal drilling device comprising:

a linear drive;

a rotational drive which is displaceable by the linear drive; and

a drill rod assembly,

wherein the rotational drive forms a through opening into which the drill rod assembly is insertable,

wherein the rotational drive includes force transmission means for form fittingly transmitting forces to the drill rod assembly,

wherein the rotational drive comprises a hollow gear, said hollow gear having a differential gear wheel which is driven via a motor, and

wherein the differential gear wheel meshes with a gear ring which is connected to the force transmission means in a rotatively fixed manner.

6. The horizontal drilling device of claim 5, wherein the force transmission means are configured so that in a first angular position of the force transmission means relative to the drill rod assembly, the drill rod assembly is insertable into or removable from the rotational drive and in a second angular position of the force transmission means relative to the drill rod assembly the drill rod assembly is locked, thereby enabling transmission of the forces.

7. The horizontal drilling device of claim 6, wherein the force transmission means include a force transmission ring which forms an opening through which the drill rod assembly is passable, wherein the drill rod assembly has at least in one first section a first cross section which corresponds to a cross section of the opening, so as to enable passage of the drill rod assembly through the opening only in the first angular position, and wherein the drill rod assembly in at least one second section which is formed as a subsection of the first section has a second cross section so as to enable rotation of the drill rod assembly into the second angular position only when the second section is located within the opening.

8. The horizontal drilling device of claim 7, wherein the force transmission ring is arranged in the rotational drive to enable exchange of the force transmission ring.

9. The horizontal drilling device of claim 7, wherein the drill rod assembly has a circular basic cross section and is provided in the first section with at least one lateral flat portion.

10. The horizontal drilling device of claim 9, wherein the drill rod assembly has at least one arch-shaped groove in the second section, said arch-shaped groove running out into the lateral flat portion.

11. A drill rod assembly of a horizontal drilling device, comprising a plurality of interconnected rod assembly sections, wherein said horizontal drilling device comprises:

a linear drive; and

a rotational drive which is displaceable by the linear drive,

wherein the rotational drive forms a through-opening into which the drill rod assembly is insertable,

wherein the rotational drive includes force transmission means for form fittingly transmitting forces to the drill rod assembly,

wherein the force transmission means are configured so that, in a first angular position of the force transmission means relative to the drill rod assembly, the drill rod assembly is insertable into or removable from the rotational drive, and in a second angular position of the force transmission means relative to the drill rod assembly, the drill rod assembly is locked, thereby enabling transmission of the forces,

wherein the force transmission means forms an opening through which the drill rod assembly is passable, and

wherein the drill rod assembly has at least in one first section a first cross section which corresponds to a cross section of the opening formed by the force transmission means, so as to enable passage of the drill rod assembly through the opening only in the first angular position, and wherein the drill rod assembly in at least one second section which is formed as a subsection of the first section has a second cross section so as to enable rotation of the drill rod assembly into the second angular position only when the second section is located within the opening formed by the force transmission means.