Underground drilling device employing down-hole radar

Abstract

Devices for sensing at an underground drilling device in communication with an above-ground locator involve transmitting a radar probe signal from the underground drilling device. A radar return signal is received at the underground drilling device. The radar return signal is processed at the underground drilling device to produce sensor data. The sensor data is transmitted in a form suitable for reception by the above-ground locator.

Description

[0001] This is a divisional of Ser. No. 10 / 878,074, filed Jun. 28, 2004, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 10 / 283,006, filed Oct. 29, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,755,263, which is a divisional of Ser. No. 09 / 955,675, filed Sep. 19, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,470,976, which is a divisional of Ser. No. 09 / 405,889, filed Sep. 24, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,787, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of underground boring and, more particularly, to underground sensing at a cutting tool using down-hole radar. [0003] Utility lines for water, electricity, gas, telephone and cable television are often run underground for reasons of safety and aesthetics. In many situations, the underground utilities can be buried in a trench which is then back-filled. Although useful in areas of new construction, the burial of utilities in a trench has certain disadvantages. In areas supporting existing cons...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

In areas supporting existing construction, a trench can cause serious disturbance to structures or roadways.

Further, there is a high probability that digging a trench may damage previously buried utilities, and that structures or roadways disturbed by digging the trench are rarely restored to their original condition.

Also, an open trench poses a danger of injury to workers and passersby.

It can be appreciated that present methods of detecting and controlling boring tool movement along a desired underground path is cumbersome, fraught with inaccuracies, and require repeated halting of boring operations.

Moreover, the inherent delay resulting from verbal communication of course change instructions between the operator of the locator and the boring machine operator may compromise tunneling accuracies and safety of the tunneling effort.

By way of example, it is often difficult to detect the presence of buried objects and utilities before and during tunneling operations.

In general, conventional boring systems are unable to quickly respond to needed boring tool direction changes and productivity adjustments, which are often needed when a buried obstruction is detected or changing soil conditions are encountered.

Such dependency on human intervention within the control loop of a drilling system generally decreases overall excavation productivity, increases the delay time to effect necessary changes in drilling system activity in response to acquired drilling machine and drill head sensor information, and increases the risk of injury to operators and the likelihood of operator error.

Images