Ice coring device and method thereof

Abstract

The application relates to the field of ice layer drilling, and discloses an ice layer coring device and a method thereof. The ice layer coring device comprises a hollow drill rod, a drill bit body and an ice core clamping and breaking assembly provided with a first protrusion and a second protrusion. The first protrusion and the second protrusion are arranged on the inner side of the pipe wall of the hollow drill rod above the drill bit body in an up-down interval and in opposition. The ice layer coring method comprises the following steps: a coring operation, the drill bit body is started to rotate, and drilling fluid is pumped into the lumen of the hollow drill rod; the density of the drilling fluid is greater than the density of the ice core; a coring cutting operation, the ice core moves upwards along the lumen of the hollow drill rod, a pair of opposite radial forces are generated on the ice core by the first protrusion and the second protrusion, and the ice core is clamped and broken into segments with a preset length; and a core taking operation, the segments of the ice core float upwards one by one to the top opening of the hollow drill rod under the action of buoyancy, and the segments are fished up by using a tool. The application is used for solving the problem of ice layer coring, and has the effects of simple operation, high coring efficiency and good ice core quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application pertains to the field of ice drilling, specifically relating to ice core sampling devices and methods. Background Technology

[0002] Core drilling into bedrock beneath the Antarctic ice is extremely difficult. Besides the harsh surface environment, it presents technical challenges due to the complex drilling conditions involving ice layers, ice-rock interlayers, and bedrock. Because of the unique properties of the ice and the limitations of the harsh working environment, coupled with the fact that onshore coring equipment requires stopping the pump and rotary table, and lifting and extracting broken rock cores—a complex and time-consuming process—onshore coring equipment often faces operational difficulties, low coring efficiency, and poor ice core quality when applied to ice coring, making it difficult to meet the needs of ice coring. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide an ice core extraction device and method to solve the problem of ice core extraction, achieving the effects of simple operation, high extraction efficiency, and good ice core quality.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides an ice core sampling device, comprising:

[0005] Hollow drill pipe with a cavity for accommodating ice cores;

[0006] The drill bit body is located at the bottom of the hollow drill rod;

[0007] The ice core break-off assembly has a first protrusion and a second protrusion, which are arranged vertically spaced and opposite to each other on the inner side of the hollow drill rod above the drill bit body.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first protrusion or the second protrusion is provided with a guide surface and a cutting edge; the guide surface is used to guide the ice core to deflect to one side as it rises; the cutting edge is located at the upper edge of the guide surface and is used to apply a radial force to the ice core.

[0009] In some embodiments, the drill bit body includes a fixed part, a rotating part, and a bearing; the top of the fixed part is mounted on the bottom end of the hollow drill rod, the bottom of the fixed part is movably connected to the top of the rotating part through the bearing, and the bottom of the rotating part is provided with cutting teeth.

[0010] In some embodiments, the inner side of the central region of the rotating part is left empty; on the outer side of the central region, a plurality of cutting teeth are arranged radially along the rotating part to form cutting edges, and a plurality of cutting edges are distributed circumferentially along the center of the rotating part.

[0011] In some embodiments, a motor is also included to drive the drill bit body to rotate; the motor is mounted at the bottom of the hollow drill rod or at the fixed part of the drill bit body; the output shaft of the motor is connected to the rotating part of the drill bit body.

[0012] In some embodiments, a retrieval assembly is also included at the top of the hollow drill rod; the retrieval assembly is used to retrieve the ice core that has floated to the top of the hollow drill rod.

[0013] In some embodiments, the lifting assembly includes a lifting body, a movable handle, a filter plate, and a pull line; the lifting body is embedded in the top of the hollow drill rod; the movable handle is hinged to the top of the lifting body, and the filter plate is hinged to the bottom of the lifting body; the movable handle pulls the filter plate to swing via the pull line, and the filter plate closes the opening at the bottom of the lifting body.

[0014] In some embodiments, the top of the lifting body is provided with a first groove or the bottom is provided with a second groove; one end of the movable handle or the filter plate is provided with a slider; the slider slides in the first groove or the second groove.

[0015] In some embodiments, a limiting block is provided on the upper wall of the lifting body, and the hollow drill rod supports the lifting body through the limiting block.

[0016] A second aspect of this application provides a method for ice coring, employing the aforementioned ice coring apparatus, comprising:

[0017] For core sampling, the drill bit body is started to rotate, and drilling fluid is pumped into the cavity of the hollow drill pipe at the same time; the density of the drilling fluid is greater than that of the ice core.

[0018] During the core cutting operation, the ice core moves upward along the cavity of the hollow drill rod. The first and second protrusions exert a pair of opposing forces on the ice core in the radial direction, cutting the ice core into several segments according to a preset length.

[0019] During the core extraction operation, several ice core segments float to the top opening of the hollow drill rod one by one under the action of buoyancy, and are then lifted out using tools.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows:

[0021] This application solves the problem of ice core extraction by setting a first protrusion and a second protrusion on the inner wall of the hollow drill rod, so that the ice core is automatically broken during the drilling process of the drill bit body, and the ice core is lifted out of the cavity of the hollow drill rod by buoyancy, thereby achieving the effects of simple operation, high core extraction efficiency and good ice core quality.

[0022] Other features and advantages of the embodiments of this application will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of this application and form part of the specification. They are used together with the following detailed description to explain the embodiments of this application, but do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without any inventive effort. In the drawings:

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the core-cutting operation in a specific embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the core ejection operation in a specific embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the ice core breaking assembly according to a specific embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a bottom view of the drill bit body according to a specific embodiment of this application.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the retrieval component according to a specific embodiment of this application.

[0029] Figure 6 This is a bottom view of the retrieval component according to a specific embodiment of this application.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Hollow drill rod; 2. Drill bit body; 21. Fixing part; 22. Rotating part; 22. Cutting teeth; 221. Cutting edge; 222. Bearing; 23. Ice core break-off assembly; 3. First protrusion; 31. Second protrusion; 32. Guide surface; 33. Break-off edge; 34. Motor; 4. Lifting assembly; 5. Lifting body; 51. First groove; 511. Second groove; 512. Slider; 513. Movable handle; 52. Filter screen; 53. Pull line; 54. Limiting block; 55. Ice core; 6. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The specific embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit this application.

[0032] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, an ice core sampling device includes:

[0033] Hollow drill pipe 1, with a cavity for accommodating ice core 6;

[0034] The drill bit body 2 is located at the bottom of the hollow drill rod 1;

[0035] The ice core clamping assembly 3 is provided with a first protrusion 31 and a second protrusion 32. The first protrusion 31 and the second protrusion 32 are arranged at vertical intervals and opposite to each other on the inner side of the tube wall of the hollow drill rod 1 above the drill bit body 2.

[0036] In this application, the drill bit body 2 is driven to rotate by a drive component for drilling and core extraction of ice. As the drill bit body 2 and the hollow drill rod 1 continue to drill, the ice core 6 moves upward along the cavity of the hollow drill rod 1. After encountering the first protrusion 31, the ice core 6 shifts to one side of the cavity; after encountering the second protrusion 32, it shifts to the opposite side of the cavity. The first protrusion 31 and the second protrusion 32 exert opposite radial forces on the ice core 6, i.e., radial forces, breaking the ice core 6 into several segments of a predetermined length. The broken ice core 6 is pushed to continue moving upward. After the drill bit body 2 stops drilling, a liquid with a density greater than that of the ice core 6 is pumped into the cavity of the hollow drill rod 1. Under the action of buoyancy, the several segments of ice core 6 float one by one to the top opening of the hollow drill rod 1, where they can be retrieved using a tool. Compared to existing technologies that require stopping the pump, stopping the rotary table, and lifting to remove the ice core, this application solves the problem of coring ice layers by setting a first protrusion 31 and a second protrusion 32 on the inner wall of the hollow drill rod 1. This allows the ice core 6 to be automatically broken during the drilling process of the drill bit body 2, and the ice core 6 can be lifted out of the cavity of the hollow drill rod 1 by buoyancy. This achieves the effects of simple operation, high coring efficiency, and good ice core quality.

[0037] like Figure 3 As shown, specifically, the first protrusion 31 or the second protrusion 32 is provided with a guide surface 33 and a cutting edge 34; the guide surface 33 is used to guide the ice core 6 to deflect to one side when it rises; the cutting edge 34 is located at the upper edge of the guide surface 33 and is used to apply radial force to the ice core 6. The guide surface 33 can reduce the wear of the first protrusion 31 and the second protrusion 32 on the end face of the ice core 6, and the cutting edge 34, as the fulcrum for cutting the ice core 6, can increase the radial force applied to the ice core 6.

[0038] The shapes of the first protrusion 31 and the second protrusion 32 are not limited, as long as they can apply two radially opposite forces to the ice core 6.

[0039] In some embodiments, the ice core cutting assembly 3 is disposed on the side near the drill bit body 2. The first protrusion 31 and the second protrusion 32 both have right-angled triangular cross-sections. The guide surface 33 is a downward-facing inclined surface extending from the wall of the hollow drill rod 1 towards its center, i.e., the lower surface of the first protrusion 31 or the second protrusion 32. The cutting edge 34 is the upper edge of the first protrusion 31 or the second protrusion 32. The first protrusion 31 and the second protrusion 32 are respectively welded to both sides of the wall of the hollow drill rod 1. The vertical distance between the first protrusion 31 and the second protrusion 32, i.e., the vertical distance between the two cutting edges 34, is equal to the preset length of each ice core segment 6. The lateral distance between the first protrusion 31 and the second protrusion 32, i.e., the lateral distance between the two cutting edges 34, is slightly smaller than the diameter of the ice core 6.

[0040] Specifically, the drill bit body 2 includes a fixed part 21, a rotating part 22, and a bearing 23. The top of the fixed part 21 is installed at the bottom end of the hollow drill rod 1, and the bottom of the fixed part 21 is movably connected to the top of the rotating part 22 through the bearing 23. The bottom of the rotating part 22 is provided with cutting teeth 221. This application adopts a bottom-driven drilling method, with the driving component located at the bottom of the hollow drill rod 1, directly driving the rotating part 22 of the drill bit body 2 to rotate, while the hollow drill rod 1 does not rotate. Thus, during the coring process in ice layers, the hollow drill rod 1 is avoided from disturbing the well wall, improving the stability of the well wall, and better meeting the actual needs of coring in polar ice layers.

[0041] Furthermore, it also includes a motor 4 that drives the drill bit body 2 to rotate; the motor 4 is installed at the bottom of the hollow drill rod 1 or at the fixed part 21 of the drill bit body 2; the output shaft of the motor 4 is connected to the rotating part 22 of the drill bit body 2. The motor 4 can be driven by a battery installed at the bottom of the hollow drill rod 1, or it can be driven by a power source connected to the ice surface via a cable.

[0042] Optionally (not shown in the figure), the driving component is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven rotary motor, which is mounted at the bottom of the hollow drill rod or on the fixed part of the drill bit body; the output shaft of the rotary motor is connected to the rotating part of the drill bit body. The rotary motor is connected to a hydraulic or pneumatic source on the ice surface via hydraulic or pneumatic lines.

[0043] The driving components include, but are not limited to, the aforementioned motors and rotary motors. Other structural forms that can be located at the bottom of the hollow drill rod and drive the rotating part of the drill bit body to rotate are all within the scope of protection of this application.

[0044] like Figure 4As shown, the inner side of the central region of the rotating part 22 is left empty; on the outer side of the central region, a number of cutting teeth 221 are arranged radially along the rotating part 22 to form cutting edges 222, and a number of cutting edges 222 are distributed circumferentially along the center of the rotating part 22. The diameter of the central region is the diameter of the ice core 6. The more cutting teeth 221 and cutting edges 222 there are, the faster the drilling speed of the drill bit body 2, and thus the higher the efficiency of ice core extraction.

[0045] In some embodiments, the fixing part 21 of the drill bit body 2 is threadedly fastened to the bottom of the hollow drill rod 1. The motor 4 is installed on the outside of the tube wall at the bottom of the hollow drill rod 1 and drives the rotating part 22 of the drill bit body 2 to rotate, thereby drilling and coring the ice layer. The bottom surface of the rotating part 22 of the drill bit body 2 has three cutting edges 222 evenly distributed circumferentially.

[0046] Specifically, it also includes a retrieval assembly 5 disposed at the top of the hollow drill rod 1; the retrieval assembly 5 is used to retrieve the ice core 6 that has floated to the top of the hollow drill rod 1.

[0047] like Figure 5 , 6 As shown, the lifting assembly 5 further includes a lifting body 51, a movable handle 52, a filter screen 53, and a pull line 54; the lifting body 51 is embedded in the top of the hollow drill rod 1; the movable handle 52 is hinged to the top of the lifting body 51, and the filter screen 53 is hinged to the bottom of the lifting body 51; the movable handle 52 pulls the filter screen 53 to swing through the pull line 54, and the filter screen 53 closes the opening at the bottom of the lifting body 51.

[0048] In this application, the top and bottom of the retrieval body 51 are provided with openings. The two ends of the pull line 54 are connected to the movable handle 52 and the filter plate 53, respectively. Initially, the filter plate 53 is arranged vertically to open the opening at the bottom of the retrieval body 51, and the ice core 6 floats into the cavity of the retrieval body 51. When the core is extracted, the movable handle 52 is pulled upward, and the filter plate 53 is pulled upward through the pull line 54, so that the filter plate 53 is arranged horizontally to close the opening at the bottom of the retrieval body 51, and the ice core 6 is loaded into the cavity of the retrieval body 51; continue to pull the movable handle 52 upward to lift the retrieval body 51 from the top of the hollow drill rod 1, and several ice core segments 6 can be obtained. After the ice core 6 is removed, the retrieval body 51 is put back into the top of the hollow drill rod 1, and the above process is repeated to extract all the ice cores 6 in the hollow drill rod 1 in sequence. This application utilizes a movable handle 52 in conjunction with an openable and closable filter plate 53 to retrieve the ice core 6 that has floated to the top of the hollow drill rod 1. The operation is simple and labor-saving, and causes minimal damage to the ice core 6.

[0049] Furthermore, the top of the lifting body 51 is provided with a first groove 511 or the bottom with a second groove 512; one end of the movable handle 52 or the filter plate 53 is provided with a slider 513; the slider 513 slides within the first groove 511 or the second groove 512. The first groove 511 or the second groove 512 restricts the sliding range of the slider 513, thereby restricting the swing range of the movable handle 52 or the filter plate 53 connected to the slider 513. The cooperation between the first groove 511 and the slider 513 restricts the lifting amplitude of the movable handle 52, and the cooperation between the second groove 512 and the slider 513 restricts the opening and closing amplitude of the filter plate 53.

[0050] Furthermore, a limiting block 55 is provided on the upper wall of the lifting body 51, and the hollow drill rod 1 supports the lifting body 51 through the limiting block 55. The limiting block 55 can ensure that the lifting body 51 is stably locked on the top of the hollow drill rod 1.

[0051] In some embodiments, the lifting body 51 is adapted to the shape of the hollow drill rod 1 and is cylindrical. Two movable handles 52 are disposed opposite each other on the top sides of the lifting body 51, with one end hinged to the lifting body 51. The filter plate 53 is divided into two semi-circular plates, the surface of which is provided with holes for water permeation and filtering of small ice fragments, and one end of which is hinged to the bottom of the lifting body 51. The first groove 511 and the second groove 512 are arc-shaped grooves. The slider 513 on the movable handle 52 slides in the first groove 511, and the slider 513 on the filter plate 53 slides in the second groove 512. The opening and closing angle of the filter plate 53 is 0 to 90°. The limiting block 55 consists of two semi-circular rings, disposed on the upper wall of the lifting body 51, below the movable handles 52.

[0052] Optionally (not shown in the figure), the lifting component can be a pipe clamp or other types of clamps.

[0053] In some embodiments, the ice coring method using the above-described ice coring device includes the following steps:

[0054] S1. Core sampling: Start the motor 4 at the bottom of the hollow drill pipe 1 to rotate the rotating part 22 of the drill bit body 2; simultaneously, pump environmentally friendly drilling fluid into the cavity of the hollow drill pipe 1. The density of the drilling fluid is approximately 1.05 g / cm³. 3 The density is greater than that of ice core 6 (approximately 0.9 g / cm³). 3 Drilling operations are carried out using the positive circulation drilling method, where small ice fragments and drilling fluid circulate out through the gap between the hollow drill pipe 1 and the well wall.

[0055] S2. Core cutting operation: The ice core 6 moves upward along the cavity of the hollow drill rod 1. The first protrusion 31 and the second protrusion 32 of the ice core cutting assembly 3 generate a pair of opposite radial forces on the ice core 6, cutting the ice core 6 into several segments according to a preset length.

[0056] S3. Core extraction: Several ice core segments 6 float one by one to the top opening of the hollow drill rod 1 under the action of buoyancy, and enter the cavity of the lifting assembly 5. Pull the movable handle 52 upward, and pull the filter plate 53 upward through the pull line 54 to close the opening at the bottom of the lifting body 51, loading the ice core 6 into the cavity of the lifting body 51.

[0057] S4. Lift the retrieval assembly 5 from the top of the hollow drill rod 1; remove the ice core 6 from the cavity of the retrieval body 51, and then place it back into the top of the hollow drill rod 1. Repeat S3 to remove all the ice cores 6 from the hollow drill rod 1 in sequence.

[0058] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0059] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between components; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0060] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0061] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. An ice core sampling device, characterized in that, include: Hollow drill rod (1) is provided with a cavity to accommodate ice core (6); The drill bit body (2) is located at the bottom of the hollow drill rod (1); The ice core cutting assembly (3) is provided with a first protrusion (31) and a second protrusion (32). The first protrusion (31) and the second protrusion (32) are arranged at vertical intervals and opposite to each other on the inner side of the tube wall of the hollow drill rod (1) above the drill bit body (2). The first protrusion (31) or the second protrusion (32) is provided with a guide surface (33) and a cutting edge (34). The guide surface (33) is used to guide the ice core (6) to deflect to one side when it rises. The cutting edge (34) is located at the upper edge of the guide surface (33) and is used to apply radial force to the ice core (6). The ice core sampling device also includes a retrieval assembly (5) disposed at the top of the hollow drill rod (1); the retrieval assembly (5) is used to retrieve the ice core (6) that has floated to the top of the hollow drill rod (1), the retrieval assembly (5) includes a retrieval body (51), a movable handle (52), a filter plate (53), and a pull line (54), the retrieval body (51) is embedded in the top of the hollow drill rod (1), the movable handle (52) is hinged to the top of the retrieval body (51), the filter plate (53) is hinged to the bottom of the retrieval body (51), the movable handle (52) pulls the filter plate (53) to swing through the pull line (54), and the filter plate (53) closes the opening at the bottom of the retrieval body (51); The top of the lifting body (51) is provided with a first groove (511) or the bottom is provided with a second groove (512). One end of the movable handle (52) or the filter plate (53) is provided with a slider (513). The slider (513) slides in the first groove (511) or the second groove (512). The first groove (511) or the second groove (512) restricts the swing range of the movable handle (52) or the filter plate (53) connected to the slider (513). The first groove (511) and the slider (513) cooperate to form a limitation on the lifting amplitude of the movable handle (52). The second groove (512) and the slider (513) cooperate to form a limitation on the opening and closing amplitude of the filter plate (53).

2. The ice coring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drill bit body (2) includes a fixed part (21), a rotating part (22) and a bearing (23); the top of the fixed part (21) is installed at the bottom end of the hollow drill rod (1), and the bottom of the fixed part (21) is movably connected to the top of the rotating part (22) through the bearing (23). The bottom of the rotating part (22) is provided with cutting teeth (221).

3. The ice coring device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner side of the central region of the rotating part (22) is left empty; on the outer side of the central region, a number of cutting teeth (221) are arranged radially along the rotating part (22) to form cutting edges (222), and a number of cutting edges (222) are distributed circumferentially along the center of the rotating part (22).

4. The ice coring device according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a motor (4) for driving the drill bit body (2) to rotate; the motor (4) is installed at the bottom of the hollow drill rod (1) or at the fixed part (21) of the drill bit body (2); the output shaft of the motor (4) is connected to the rotating part (22) of the drill bit body (2).

5. The ice coring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper wall of the retrieval body (51) is provided with a limiting block (55), and the hollow drill rod (1) supports the retrieval body (51) through the limiting block (55).

6. A method for coring ice layers, employing the ice coring apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, include: For coring operations, start the drill bit body (2) to rotate, and at the same time pump drilling fluid into the cavity of the hollow drill pipe (1); the density of the drilling fluid is greater than the density of the ice core (6); During the core cutting operation, the ice core (6) moves upward along the cavity of the hollow drill rod (1). The first protrusion (31) and the second protrusion (32) generate a pair of opposing forces along its radial direction on the ice core (6), which cut the ice core (6) into several segments according to the preset length. During the core extraction operation, several ice core segments (6) floated one by one to the top opening of the hollow drill rod (1) under the action of buoyancy, and were then lifted out using tools.

Images