Ground support for mobile drilling rigs

Abstract

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a drilling rig comprising a carrier, a ground support attached to the carrier for supporting the carrier onto a ground, a drilling boom attached to the carrier at a first end, a feed beam attached to a second end of the drilling boom, a drilling unit movably attached along the feed beam, a ground engaging pin attached to the feed beam for supporting the feed beam onto the ground, and a control mechanism configured for performing at least: receiving ground support force information indicative of a force applied by the ground support to the ground, and detecting a ground contact status of the ground engaging pin based on the received ground support force information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to supporting a mobile rock drilling rig on the ground, and more particularly to arranging ground supports for drilling. Background Technology

[0002] Mobile drilling rigs (such as top hammer, down-the-hole (DTH), or rotary rock drills) are used in construction and mining sites. Rock drills typically consist of a frame with a boom rotatably mounted at one end relative to the frame in both vertical and horizontal directions. Additionally, a feed beam for the rock drill is located at the other end of the boom. The feed beam is oriented to its design direction before drilling, ensuring that the hole is drilled precisely where the designer intended, according to a pre-designed plan.

[0003] Importantly, the feed beam must be adequately supported to hold it stably in place during drilling. A grounding pin is typically located at the front end of the feed beam, which is pressed against the surface before drilling. If the feed beam's position changes due to insufficient or lost ground support, this can lead to increased tool wear and / or hole bending. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention is defined by the following features.

[0005] According to a first aspect, a mobile drilling rig or an apparatus for controlling a mobile drilling rig is provided, the mobile drilling rig comprising: a carrier, a ground support attached to the carrier for supporting the carrier to the ground, a drilling boom attached to a first end of the carrier, a feed beam attached to a second end of the drill boom, a drilling unit movably attached along the feed beam, and a grounding pin attached to the feed beam for supporting the feed beam to the ground, the mobile drilling rig or apparatus being further configured to perform at least the following operations or including a control device configured to perform at least the following operations: receiving ground support force information indicating a force applied to the ground by the ground support, and detecting a ground contact state of the grounding pin based on the received ground support force information by comparing the received ground support force information with at least one predetermined threshold, wherein the ground contact state indicates whether the feed beam is adequately supported to the ground for drilling.

[0006] According to a second aspect, a method for ground support of a drilling rig is provided, the drilling rig including a frame, a ground support member attached to the frame for supporting the frame to the ground, a drilling boom attached to a first end of the frame, a feed beam attached to a second end of the drilling boom, a drilling unit movably attached along the feed beam, and a grounding pin attached to the feed beam for supporting the feed beam to the ground, the method comprising: receiving ground support force information indicating a force applied to the ground by the ground support member, and detecting a ground contact state of the grounding pin based on the received ground support force information by comparing the received ground support force information with at least one predetermined threshold, wherein the ground contact state indicates whether the feed beam is adequately supported to the ground for drilling.

[0007] According to the third aspect, the force applied to the ground by a grounding pin is measured or defined based on measurements of at least one element of a drilling rig capable of moving relative to a carrier, wherein the element is affected by driving the grounding pin to the ground, and the measurement indicates a change in state applied to the element due to driving the grounding pin to the ground. The ground contact state of the grounding pin is detected or defined based on the measured force. Examples of such elements include ground support elements attached to a carrier for supporting the carrier to the ground, booms, feed beams, or track systems. Measurements may include measuring actuator (cylinder) hydraulic pressure, angle measurements, strain gauges, or other suitable measurement methods. For example, boom lifting cylinder pressure, feed tilting cylinder pressure, feed extension cylinder pressure, rear ground support pressure, or track system oscillation cylinder pressure may be used for this purpose.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect, an apparatus is provided, the apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to cause the apparatus to perform at least an embodiment of the method or method according to any aspect via the at least one processor.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect, a computer program, computer program product, or (non-tangible) computer-readable medium is provided, comprising computer program code for causing the apparatus to perform, when executed in a data processing apparatus, an embodiment of the method or approach according to any aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 An example of a mobile drilling rig is shown;

[0011] Figure 2 An exemplary automated drilling work cycle is shown;

[0012] Figure 3 and Figure 4 A method according to at least some embodiments is shown;

[0013] Figure 5 An exemplary ground support measurement is shown, and

[0014] Figure 6 An exemplary apparatus capable of supporting at least some of the embodiments is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0015] As an example of a mobile drilling rig that can illustrate at least some embodiments of the current embodiment, Figure 1 A rock drilling rig 1 is shown, comprising a carrier 2 with tracks 13. A (drilling) boom 3, having at least one actuator 4, is attached to the carrier 2 at one end. The boom may include two or more parts, objects, or sections connected by joints. A feed beam 5, having actuators 6, is arranged in or rotatably attached to the other end of the boom 3. Numerous implementation options exist for rotatably attaching the feed beam 5 to the boom 3. The boom may be permanently attached to the carrier, or it may be connected to the carrier via one or more joints that allow the boom to rotate relative to the carrier in different directions. The boom can be of any known type, such as a boom having a single boom section with a carrier attached to a device at one end and a feed beam attached to the other end of that boom section, a slewing boom having two or more boom sections (joints connecting the boom sections together), a telescopic boom, or other boom types suitable for use in a drilling rig.

[0016] A drilling unit 7 (such as a rock drilling machine or rock drill mentioned below) is attached to a feed beam 5, allowing the drilling unit 7 to move along the feed beam 5 (in its longitudinal direction). A tool consisting of a drill string 8a and a drill bit 8b is connected to the rock drill 7. Impact pulses from the impact device of the rock drill are transmitted to the rock to be drilled through the tool.

[0017] A grounding pin 9 is attached to the feed beam 5 for supporting the feed beam on the ground. The grounding pin 9 includes one or more portions that are pushed into the ground to support the feed beam for drilling. When pushed against the ground, the grounding pin 9 can enter the ground, or if the ground is hard, such as solid rock, the support remains against a surface. The grounding pin 9 can be a separate element attached to the feed beam, or it can be a solid portion of the feed beam 5 or any solution known in the art.

[0018] At least one ground support is attached to the carrier 2 for supporting the carrier on the ground. In this example, the drilling rig 1 includes a rear (ground) support 10 attached to the carrier 2 for supporting at least the rear portion of the carrier for drilling. When the carrier is positioned for drilling, the support 10 can extend into the ground to stabilize the carrier. The tracks 13 of the drilling rig 1 can be pivotally connected to an oscillating shaft 14. An oscillating cylinder (not shown) controls the relative position of the tracks.

[0019] The drilling rig 1 further includes a motor 15, such as a combustion engine and / or an electric motor. The drilling rig 1 typically includes a pump system 16 for generating hydraulic pressure, which is used to operate various components of the machine, such as the actuating boom 3 and the feed beam 5. The drilling rig 1 may include one or more other energy sources, such as an accumulator, a hydrogen container, a fuel tank, etc.

[0020] The drilling rig 1 further includes at least one control unit 12, which is arranged to control the operation of the drilling rig 1 (such as the actuators of the drilling rig 1). The control unit 12 may include one or more processors to execute computer program code stored in memory, and the control unit 12 may include or be connected to a user interface having a display device, and an operator input interface for receiving operator commands and information into the control unit. In some embodiments, the control unit may be connected to one or more other control units of the vehicle's control system via a controller area network (CAN) bus. In some embodiments, the control unit 12 is configured to control one or more operations of a fully automatic or partially automatic drilling work cycle, at least controlling operations related to ground support stability, and one or more other control units may be present in the drilling rig for controlling other operations.

[0021] Control unit 12 can be connected to a sensor (not shown). For example, control unit 12 can be connected to a sensor that senses the rotation angle, orientation, or position between the boom and the carrier, between the feed beam and the carrier, or between the boom and the feed beam. Such a sensor can be used in conjunction with the corresponding drilling rig elements 3, 5 for positioning, or alternatively, the sensing can be performed remotely from the carrier or even elsewhere. The sensing data can be provided to control unit 12 (or another control unit for positioning), which can then perform appropriate calculations.

[0022] The drilling rig 1 may include various additional units, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit or another Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) unit, to locate the drilling rig (and its components) and navigate it from one hole to another. The drilling rig 1 may include one or more scanners configured to perform, for example, a 3D laser scan of the environment. In some cases, this scan data may be used to determine the relative positions of components of the drilling rig 1, such as the position of the feed beam 5. The drilling rig 1 may also include a wireless communication unit configured to transmit data with a base station and / or user equipment. The communication equipment can thus be connected to a site communication system, such as a wireless access system including a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and / or a cellular communication network (e.g., 4G, 5G, or another generation of cellular networks). For example, the drilling rig can be remotely monitored and controlled based on status data from the drilling rig and control data from a remote controller unit.

[0023] It should be understood that, Figure 1 This is just one example, and various other configurations are applicable. It should also be noted that in some alternative embodiments, the drilling rig is unmanned. Therefore, the user interface can be located away from the machine, and the machine can be remotely monitored and controlled by a remote control unit.

[0024] Drilling rig 1 can be configured to perform at least some operations autonomously, such as Figure 2 At least some of the operations of an exemplary work cycle. The drilling rig 1 can operate independently in its autonomous operation mode without continuous user control, but it can also operate under external control in response to, for example, operator warnings or automatic operation termination. In some embodiments, the drilling rig 1 is configured to perform automatic drilling cycles, such as... Figure 2 The operation.

[0025] The drilling rig 1 can be transported 20 to the vicinity of the target hole. The drilling mode or plan defines the target hole and thus the work tasks performed by the drilling rig, and can be used as input for the automatic control of the drilling rig 1. Based on the hole location data in the drilling plan and location data from the GNSS unit, the control unit 12 can generate steering commands and associated control signals to operate the tracks 13 to transport the drilling rig to the vicinity of the target hole. The boom and feed beam can be controlled to position the feed beam tool 21 at the defined hole location based on the hole orientation defined in the plan, with proper alignment. Thus, the plan can define multiple target attitudes (such as hole location and orientation) for the working machine of the mining vehicle, based on which automatic movement control actions (for the carrier 2, boom 3, and / or feed beam 5) are calculated, and associated control signals are generated in frames 20 and 21. The plan can be designed offline and off-site, for example, in an office or on the drilling rig. This plan can be sent to or otherwise loaded into the memory of the rock drilling rig 1 via a wired or wireless connection for access by the control unit 12. It should be noted that there may also be other predefined target orientations for the drilling rig 1 and / or the boom, such as predefined boom and feed beam transport orientations applied when the drilling rig 1 transports 20 between the planned holes.

[0026] The drilling rig 1 is stabilized 22 to allow drilling to proceed. Therefore, at least one ground support 10 and grounding pin 9 can be pushed onto the ground. The ground support can be pushed onto the ground before the grounding pin; or the grounding pin 9 can be pushed onto the ground first. When the grounding pin 9 is pushed onto the ground, the front portion of the track 13 (closer to the boom and feed beam assembly) can rise (rising in direction A, and / or, in another direction if the ground beneath the carrier is uneven), which may cause a change in the orientation of the feed beam (in direction B).

[0027] In some embodiments, the control unit is configured to control the orientation correction of the feed beam 5 to compensate for orientation changes caused by pushing the grounding pin 9 to the ground. For example, features disclosed in paragraphs 0040-0053 of EP2725184 may be applied. After the drilling stage or mode 23, the pipe or drill string can be removed 24 (and placed in the housing), the feed beam can be separated from the drilled hole 25, and the drill rig is transported 20 to drill subsequent holes as planned.

[0028] The operator of the rock drilling rig 1 can control drilling and other operations in an interactive manner with the control unit 12. Transitions between at least some of these stages (not shown) may require operator confirmation of input.

[0029] Grounding pin support force (in direction A) is crucial for high-quality drilling and affects hole alignment, drilling accuracy, and tool wear. Full automation of the drilling rig's work cycle is necessary. A challenge in stabilizing drilling is detecting whether the feed beam is adequately supported. This requires manual intervention by the operator based on visual inspection and / or tactile feedback from the controller.

[0030] Improvements have now been provided for determining whether the feed beam is properly supported, thereby further facilitating automated drilling cycle operations, as explained below.

[0031] Figure 3 A method according to some embodiments is shown. The method can be performed by a drilling rig (e.g., drilling rig 1 and its control unit 12).

[0032] The method includes: receiving 300 ground support force information indicating the force applied to the ground by a carrier ground support member (such as the rear ground support member 10 in the exemplary embodiment below). Based on the received ground support force information, detecting 310 the ground contact state of the feed beam grounding pin (such as the grounding pin 9 in the exemplary embodiment below).

[0033] Ground support typically refers to devices used to support the tracked rig to the ground to achieve sufficient stability during drilling. At least one ground support device (e.g., a jack) can extend into the ground to provide further support for the tracked rig for drilling. In some embodiments, a three-point support for drilling exists via the rear support 10, the front portion of the track 13 (closer to the boom and feed beam assembly), and the feed beam grounding pin 9. However, it should be understood that this is only an example of a mobile drilling rig support structure that can be applied, and Figure 1 This provides only an example of a mobile drilling rig support structure that can be applied, and various other implementation options are available. For example, the drilling rig may have ground supports at another location on the drilling rig (e.g., supports at the middle or rear portion of the carrier), or multiple ground supports may be used to provide ground support force information.

[0034] (Feed Beam) Grounding pins generally refer to the arrangement used to support the feed beam to the ground for drilling. The grounding pin may include one or more pin-shaped support elements; however, it should be understood that various forms and support structures suitable for supporting the feed beam to the ground can be used. Support information can explicitly or implicitly indicate the support force on the grounding pin based on force. Based on the received ground support force information (such as measured values), the grounding pin contact state can be obtained directly, or the received ground support force information can be further processed to obtain the grounding pin contact state. For example, control unit 12 can be configured to compare the received ground contact force information values ​​(or the resulting state values) and detect changes in these values.

[0035] The ground contact state of the grounding pin defined in box 310 can be used to control the drilling rig, depending on the current work cycle stage of the rig. Figure 3 Furthermore, some exemplary embodiments of controlling drilling mode-related operations based on ground contact status are also shown.

[0036] Box 320 includes checking whether the ground contact condition meets predefined (permitted) drilling criteria. Specific ground contact condition values ​​may be generated in box 310 based on processed ground support force information (and used in box 320), but in some embodiments, measurements received in box 300 are applied to box 320. This may include comparing input sensor information (or further dependent state values) with one or more absolute and / or proportional thresholds (such as information shown in further embodiments below) to determine whether sufficient ground support (for the feed beam) is available for drilling.

[0037] When this method is applied before drilling begins, during the process of driving the grounding pin to the ground, control unit 12 can define in block 320 whether the ground contact state meets a predetermined ground support drilling mode (entry) criterion. This criterion can be specifically set as a condition for transitioning from a stable mode or stage 22 to step 23, and may include comparing the received ground support information or ground contact state value with an relevant threshold. If yes, then transitioning to drilling mode or stage 23 can be allowed in block 330. If no, the feed beam can be controlled to further push the grounding pin to the ground 340, receive ground support force information again, and execute the method.

[0038] Maintaining sufficient ground contact is also important during autonomous drilling to prevent the feed beam 5 from changing its orientation. When drilling on soft ground, the ground may collapse and the support weakens. This can lead to misalignment and deviation during drilling. In some embodiments, an application is used during drilling. Figure 3The method automatically monitors the state of the ground support used for the feed beam and determines whether drilling can continue. Therefore, the method can be applied in real time during the execution of a drilling plan assigned to the drilling rig. Box 330 may include allowing drilling to continue (and returning to box 300 to continue monitoring the ground contact state). In some embodiments, a re-supporting operation can be automatically performed during drilling mode 23 to improve the feed beam support state.

[0039] Therefore, the grounding state of the grounding pin 9 and whether the feed beam 5 is adequately supported to the ground for drilling (i.e., the current ground support force on the grounding pin (in direction A)) can be defined by the state of the ground support member 10 of the carrier 2 and the current force of the ground on that ground support member. The support force of the grounding pin 9 and the ground contact state can be estimated based on the ground support force of the ground support member of the carrier (in some embodiments, based on hydraulic pressure measurement information). This makes it possible to automatically check for sufficient ground support for drilling and avoid manual operation or confirmation by the operator. It should be noted that various modifications and further embodiments can be applied to the method, and some exemplary embodiments will be further described below. For example, the threshold may be different for different modes in block 320.

[0040] In exemplary embodiments, the operator may be warned or the current operating mode or phase may be aborted. In some examples, the operator is warned and drilling is stopped if the grounding pin has been fully extended and / or if sufficient ground contact to meet drilling criteria cannot be achieved due to multiple attempts. For example, one or two automatic re-support events may be allowed.

[0041] Control unit 12 can be configured to compare received (ground) support force information (or its changes) with a predetermined support loss threshold (for the feed beam used in drilling). The control unit can detect a loss of sufficient ground support for the feed beam in response to detecting, based on the received ground support force information, that the force associated with the ground support meets the predetermined support loss threshold (e.g., drops below the threshold (minimum) pressure value) or that the change in ground support force exceeds the threshold.

[0042] In another exemplary embodiment, if sufficient ground contact cannot be achieved, the transition to drilling mode is prevented, the automatic operation sequence is aborted, and the operator is warned. Due to the entry block 340, the control unit 12 can also control other drilling units or components, such as controlling the rear ground support 10 to extend further onto the ground.

[0043] The support force information in frame 300 can indicate hydraulic pressure and is received from a pressure sensor of a cylinder attached to the actuating ground support 10. Some further embodiments are described below with reference to pressure measurement information. However, it should be understood that, instead of pressure measurement or in addition to pressure measurement, other force measurement techniques (such as strain gauges) can be applied to determine the input and ground support force information of frame 300 and / or frame 310.

[0044] In block 310, further inputs can be applied to define the grounding pin contact state. In another exemplary embodiment, angle measurement is applied in block 310. For example, a sensor configured to measure the change in angular position affected or caused by driving the grounding pin 9 to the ground can be attached to, for example, an oscillating wheel axle of the track system 13. In another example, angular position information from a carrier inclinometer is applied.

[0045] In some embodiments, ground support force information indicates the force applied to the ground by the rear support 10. Based on the received hydraulic pressure information from the rear support actuation cylinder, the ground contact state of the 310 grounding pin 9 can be detected. In an embodiment, a pressure transmitter is added to the rear ground support 7. The application of the rear support pressure information has been tested and it has been found that this information adequately indicates changes in the grounding pin force and serves as a basis for determining whether sufficient grounding pin ground contact or engagement has been achieved for drilling. This also allows for simple instrumentation using an adapter to the hydraulic cylinder, making it suitable for existing drilling rig fleets.

[0046] However, it should be understood that other inputs besides the rear ground support force information can be used as ground support force information in block 300. In an embodiment, alternatively or additionally, oscillating cylinder pressure information may be used as input to block 310. Therefore, control unit 10 can receive oscillating cylinder hydraulic pressure information indicating the hydraulic pressure in the oscillating cylinder of the drill rig's track system, which is affected by driving the grounding pin 9 to the ground. In an embodiment, the geometry of the drill rig allows for the elimination of the need for a separate (rear / extended) ground support 10, with the track system 13 providing sufficient ground support and operating solely as a carrier ground support. Based on the received oscillating cylinder hydraulic pressure information, the ground contact state of the grounding pin 310 can be detected.

[0047] In another embodiment, the feed beam actuation cylinder pressure information is used as input to block 310. This can indicate the feed beam tilting force. In yet another embodiment, in block 300, the boom actuation cylinder pressure information is used as input. This can indicate the boom lifting force.

[0048] Figure 4 An exemplary stabilization procedure for a drilling rig according to an embodiment is further illustrated, which can be applied, for example, in block 22. The stabilization procedure can automatically enter from a previous work cycle phase upon meeting phase transition criteria or in response to receiving input from the rig's operator. Track oscillation is locked at 400, and the ground support extends 410 to the ground. This may include control unit 12 controlling the descent of the rear ground support until the hydraulic pressure of the rear ground support meets a ground contact threshold.

[0049] Through application Figure 3 The method involves controlling the feed beam 5 and grounding pin 9 to the ground. For example, this could include controlling the downward feed extension until the pressure level of the rear ground support 10 meets a predetermined pressure threshold. The feed beam 5 is aligned 430 with the designed bore direction.

[0050] It should be noted that some stages can be performed in a different order. For example, the feed beam 5 can be oriented before the grounding pin 9 is pushed against the ground to its designed direction.

[0051] Figure 5 A simplified example of the detected events relating the pressure level (y-axis) to the rear ground support and time (x-axis) is shown. After time 500, the rear ground support 10 is driven toward the ground. As it approaches the ground, the pressure level increases, and at time 510, it is detected that the rear ground support 10 is sufficiently positioned on the ground (and stops). For example, a pressure level above 60 bar or another suitable trigger level could indicate that the ground support is engaged with the ground.

[0052] At time 520, the grounding pin 9 is pushed towards the ground, causing an increase in pressure detected at the rear ground support 10. At time 530, the pressure on the rear ground support has reached a threshold indicating sufficient grounding pin contact, and it can be detected that the grounding pin is adequately supported on the ground (and pushing the pin towards the ground can be stopped). For example, a pressure level above 140 bar or other triggering level can indicate sufficient grounding pin contact.

[0053] The drilling rig 1 may include functions to assist or automatically correct feed alignment errors. If the alignment changes due to pushing the grounding pin 5 and / or the rear support to the ground, an automatic alignment correction procedure can be performed. Therefore, the orientation change (caused by driving the grounding pin / ground support to the ground) can be defined based on one or more of the orientation of the boom 3, the orientation of the feed beam 5, the direction of the borehole, and the direction and inclination of the carrier 2. To compensate for the orientation change, the orientation of the feed beam 5 can be automatically adjusted before applying drilling force. This adjustment can be made by controlling one or more of the feed beam position, boom position, or carrier position (here, position includes ground position and / or direction / inclination). For example, the compensation-related features shown in EP2725184 can be applied.

[0054] Control unit 12 or another control unit of the drilling rig can be configured to control the orientation of boom 3, carrier 2 and / or feed beam 5 in response to the detection of a loss of sufficient ground support for the feed beam during drilling.

[0055] In some embodiments, the drilling rig 1 or its control unit 12 is configured to automatically control the orientation of at least one of the boom, carrier, or feed beam to compensate for orientation changes caused by variations or loss of sufficient ground support during drilling, which are detected based on ground support force information (of the carrier ground support 10) received in block 300. This method may include:

[0056] - Receive hole parameter data indicating the direction of the drilled hole (this may have already been received from the drilling plan in the positioning phase 21).

[0057] - Monitor the received support force information, which indicates the force applied to the ground by the carrier ground support components.

[0058] - Based on the received support force information, detect (automatic) orientation correction conditions (e.g., if it is detected that the associated rear ground support force has dropped below at least one threshold parameter).

[0059] - The azimuth correction control parameter set is defined based on borehole parameter data, received support force information, and / or inputs indicating azimuth changes (e.g., data from an inclinometer or feed beam azimuth sensor).

[0060] - Control the orientation of at least one of the boom, carrier, or feed beam based on the defined orientation correction parameter set to ensure that the feed beam is aligned with the hole direction.

[0061] It should be understood that various other features may complement or differ from at least some of the embodiments described above. For example, further user interaction and / or automation functions may be available to further facilitate operator monitoring and / or control of the above operations and selection of appropriate actions to overcome issues regarding ground support for the feed beam used for drilling.

[0062] An electronic device including electronic circuitry can be used to implement at least some of the above embodiments (such as combining...). Figure 3 The apparatus described in the diagram is a device that can be contained in at least one computing device connected to or integrated into the control system of a drilling rig. This control system can be an intelligent onboard control system that controls the operation of various subsystems of the drilling rig, such as hydraulic systems, motors, rock drills, etc. Such a control system is typically distributed and includes many independent modules connected via, for example, a bus system consisting of Controller Area Network (CAN) nodes.

[0063] Figure 6 A simplified example apparatus capable of supporting at least some embodiments of the present invention is shown. A device 60 is shown that can be configured to perform at least some of the embodiments relating to operation related to the ground contact state of the feed beam grounding pin described above. In some embodiments, device 60 includes a control unit 12 or an implementation control unit 12.

[0064] The device 60 includes a processor 61, which may include, for example, a single-core or multi-core processor. Processor 61 may include more than one processor. The processor may include at least one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The processor may include at least one field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The processor may be configured to perform actions, at least in part, by computer instructions.

[0065] Device 60 may include memory 62. The memory may include random access memory and / or permanent memory. The memory may be at least partially accessed by processor 61. The memory may be at least partially contained within processor 61. The memory may be at least partially external to device 60, but accessible by the device. Memory 62 may be a means for storing information such as parameters 64 that affect device operation. Specifically, the parameter information may include parameter information (such as thresholds) that affects blocks 310 through 340.

[0066] Memory 62 may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program code 63, which includes computer instructions configured to be executed by processor 61. When computer instructions configured to cause the processor to perform certain actions are stored in memory, and the device is generally configured to operate using computer instructions from memory under the guidance of the processor, the processor and / or at least one of its processing cores may be considered configured to perform said certain actions. The processor, together with the memory and computer program code, forms means for performing at least some of the above-described method steps within the device.

[0067] Device 60 may include a communication unit 65, which includes a transmitter and / or a receiver. The transmitter and receiver may be configured to transmit and receive data and control commands, respectively, from inside or outside the mining vehicle. The transmitter and / or receiver may be configured to operate according to standards such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, 3GPP New Radio Access Technology (N-RAT), WLAN, and / or Ethernet. Device 60 may include a Near Field Communication (NFC) transceiver. The NFC transceiver may support at least one NFC technology, such as NFC, Bluetooth, or similar technologies.

[0068] Device 60 may include or be connected to a UI (such as a combination) Figure 3 (UI 41 shown). The UI may include at least one of a display 66, a speaker, and an input device 67 (such as a keyboard, joystick, touchscreen, and / or microphone). The UI may be configured to display views based on the embodiments shown above. Users can operate the device and control at least some of the features described above. In some embodiments, users can control the device 30 or the drilling rig 1 via the UI in response to user authentication and appropriate permissions associated with the user, for example, to manually operate the boom 3 or feed beam 5, move the drilling rig 1, change the working mode, change the display view, and modify parameter 64.

[0069] Device 60 may further include and / or connect to other units, devices, and systems. Processor 61 may be connected to sensor device 68 (such as the sensor shown above) to provide information related to the grounding pin contact state shown above. Furthermore, processor 61 may be connected to actuator control unit or element (such as the actuator controller for the feed beam 5 and / or the actuator controller for the rear ground support 10) to induce relevant control actions via actuator control signals.

[0070] The processor 61, memory 62, communication unit 65, and UI can be interconnected in various ways via electrical wires within the device 60. For example, each of the devices described above can be individually connected to the main bus within the device to allow the devices to exchange information. However, as those skilled in the art will understand, this is merely an example, and various ways of interconnecting at least two of the devices described above can be selected according to embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0071] It should be understood that the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not limited to the specific structures, processes, or materials disclosed herein, but extend to the equivalents described above that will be recognized by those skilled in the art. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.

[0072] In this specification, a reference to an embodiment or an embodiment means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0073] As used herein, for convenience, multiple entries, elements, and / or materials may appear in a common list. However, these lists should be interpreted as each member being individually identified as a separate and unique member. Furthermore, the described features, entries, elements, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0074] While the foregoing examples illustrate the principles of the invention in one or more specific applications, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the form, use, and details of the implementation without requiring inventive effort and without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that the invention is not limited beyond the appended claims.

[0075] The verbs “comprising” and “including” are used in this document as open-ended restrictions, neither excluding nor requiring the presence of features not yet listed. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the features described in the dependent claims may be freely combined with each other. Furthermore, it should be understood that the use of “a” or “an” (i.e., the singular form) throughout this document does not exclude the plural.

Claims

1. A mobile drilling rig (1), the mobile drilling rig (1) comprising a frame (2), a ground support (10) attached to the frame for supporting the frame on the ground, a drilling boom (3) attached to the frame at a first end, a feed beam (5) attached to a second end of the drill boom, a drilling unit (7) movably attached along the feed beam, a grounding pin (9) attached to the feed beam for supporting the feed beam on the ground, and a control device (12) for controlling the ground support of the drilling rig for drilling, characterized in that, The control device is configured to: - Receive (300) ground support force information indicating the force applied to the ground by the ground support member, and - The ground contact state of the grounding pin (9) is detected (310) based on the received ground support force information by comparing it with at least one predetermined threshold, wherein the ground contact state indicates whether the feed beam (5) is adequately supported to the ground for drilling.

2. The drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein, The support force information indicates hydraulic pressure and is received from a pressure sensor attached to a cylinder that actuates the ground support (10).

3. The drilling rig according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The ground support (10) includes a rear support attached to the rear portion of the carrier (2), and the ground support force information indicates the force applied to the ground by the rear support during the driving of the grounding pin (9) to the ground.

4. The drilling rig according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The drilling rig further includes a carrier (2) with a track system (13), wherein the tracks of the track system (13) are pivotally connected to an oscillating shaft (14), and at least one oscillating cylinder is configured to control the relative position of the tracks, and the control device (12) is configured to: - Receive oscillating cylinder hydraulic pressure information, the oscillating cylinder hydraulic pressure information indicating the hydraulic pressure in at least one oscillating cylinder of the track system (13) of the drilling rig, the hydraulic pressure being affected by driving the grounding pin (9) to the ground, and - The ground contact status of the grounding pin is detected based on the received hydraulic pressure information of the oscillating cylinder.

5. The drilling rig according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The control device (12) is configured to control (340) the grounding pin to extend further into the ground in response to detecting that the ground support information fails to meet at least one threshold for allowing drilling by the drilling rig.

6. The drilling rig according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The control device (12) is configured to monitor the ground contact state before drilling begins and to allow automatic switching to drilling mode (23) in response to detecting that the ground contact state meets a predetermined ground support drilling mode standard.

7. The drilling rig according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The control device (12) is configured to receive the ground support force information and monitor the ground contact state during drilling, and the control device is further configured to detect the loss of sufficient ground support for the feed beam (5) in response to detecting that the force applied to the ground by the ground support member (10) meets a predetermined support loss threshold based on the received ground support force information.

8. The drilling rig according to claim 7, wherein, The control device (12) is further configured to control the orientation of at least one of the boom (3), the carrier (2), or the feed beam (5) in response to the detection of a loss of sufficient ground support for the feed beam.

9. The drilling rig according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein, The control device (12) is further configured to terminate the current autonomous operation in response to the following conditions and send an alarm message to the remote communication device to output an alarm to the remote operator: - Repeated detections indicate that the threshold for transitioning from positioning mode to drilling mode has not been met, or - Based on the ground support force information, it was detected that the ground support for the feed beam was lost during drilling.

10. A method for ground support of a drilling rig (1), the drilling rig (1) comprising a frame (2), a ground support member (10) attached to the frame for supporting the frame on the ground, a drilling boom (3) attached to a first end of the frame, a feed beam (5) attached to a second end of the drilling boom, a drilling unit (7) movably attached along the feed beam, and a grounding pin (9) attached to the feed beam for supporting the feed beam on the ground, characterized in that, The method includes: - Receive (300) ground support force information indicating the force applied to the ground by the ground support member, and - The ground contact state of the grounding pin is detected (310) based on the received ground support force information by comparing it with at least one predetermined threshold, wherein the ground contact state indicates whether the feed beam (5) is adequately supported to the ground for drilling.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The support force information indicates hydraulic pressure and is received from a pressure sensor attached to a cylinder that actuates the ground support (10).

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, The ground support (10) includes a rear support attached to the rear portion of the carrier (2), and the ground support force information indicates the force applied to the ground by the rear support during the driving of the grounding pin (9) to the ground.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein, The ground contact state is monitored before drilling begins, and automatic switching to drilling mode is allowed in response to the detection that the ground contact state meets the predetermined ground support drilling mode criteria (23).

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein, During drilling, the ground support force information is received and the ground contact state is monitored. In response to detecting that the force applied to the ground by the ground support meets a predetermined support loss threshold based on the received ground support force information, sufficient ground support for the feed beam (5) is detected.

15. A computer-readable medium comprising computer program code for causing the method of any one of claims 10-14 to be performed when executed in a data processing apparatus (60) of a mobile drilling rig (1) according to any one of claims 1-9.

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