Geotechnical drilling device and method using proportional electro-hydraulic servo control driven by machine learning

Abstract

Geotechnical soil sounding device, comprising a soil sounding machine including, among other things, a drill head, a drill head advance actuator, a main drill head rotation drive actuator and an electronic processing unit and sensors connected to the processing unit which is arranged to record sounding parameters in real time;characterized in that the feed actuator and the rotary drive motor of the drill head implement an autonomous electro-hydraulic proportional system and in that the processing unit is arranged to acquire a geographic position of the drilling machine, access a database containing soil characteristics as a function of the geographic position, control the actuators by instructions determined by machine learning from the soil characteristics corresponding to the acquired geographic position, and drilling parameters measured in real time. ABBREVIATED FIGURE: [Fig. 1];

Description

Title of the invention: Geotechnical drilling device and method using proportional electrohydraulic control driven by machine learning

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of geotechnical surveying.

[0002] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] In the field of land-use planning (e.g., construction and public works, natural hazards), it is important to obtain a soil condition assessment. These soil condition assessments are generated, among other things, from data obtained by diagnostic tools (called well logging tools in the industry) and allow, in particular, the determination of useful data on the lithology of the layers to improve the reliability of the geotechnical model.

[0004] One of these tools is a geotechnical sounding device, comprising: - a soil sounding machine, comprising a drill head, an actuator for advancing said drill head and a main drive motor for rotating said drill head; - an electronic processing unit and sensors connected to the processing unit which is arranged to record real-time survey parameters.

[0005] The drilling rig is equipped with a manual control system allowing an operator to control, among other things, the feed and rotation of the drill head. The drilling rig is controlled manually by the operator, particularly regarding the feed and rotation of the drill head. It is also known to manually calibrate the drilling rig before use, based on the operator's knowledge of the soil type, in order to utilize the drilling parameter measurements in the soil composition analysis.

[0006] However, human intervention in the settings or controls of the drilling machine can affect the values ​​of the drilling parameters recorded to determine soil characteristics (nature and mechanics). As a result, drilling carried out by several operators does not provide reliable soil characteristics, as they may not be comparable.

[0007] SUBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The invention aims in particular to reliably carry out calibrated measurements of drilling parameters in order to obtain, in a homogeneous and comparable manner, the composition of soils by sounding. Summary of the invention

[0009] For this purpose, the invention provides a geotechnical sounding device comprising: - a soil drilling machine, comprising a drill head, a feed actuator for said drill head and a main drive motor for rotating said drill head; - an electronic processing unit and sensors connected to the electronic processing unit which is arranged to record drilling parameters in real time.

[0010] The feed actuator and the main drive motor for rotation of the The drilling head implements a self-contained, proportional electro-hydraulic system, and the processing unit is arranged to: - to acquire a geographical position for the drilling machine, - access the database containing soil characteristics based on geographical location, - control the actuator and the main motor from control instructions derived from machine learning, determined from soil characteristics corresponding to the acquired geographical position, and drilling parameters measured in real time.

[0011] The advance and rotation of the drill head are controlled automatically and proportionally, according to a geographical position of the borehole, soil characteristics determined according to the geographical position and pre-calibrated drilling parameters.

[0012] According to optional features, used individually or in whole or in combination: - the electronic processing unit is arranged to control the drilling machine in such a way as to maintain constant on the one hand an axial stress applied to the drill head when the end of the drill head is in contact with the ground during drilling and on the other hand a rotation speed of the drill head; - the database is hosted in a memory of the electronic processing unit; - the electronic processing unit has in memory, for each type of drilled medium, a control mode for the drilling machine, these control modes being characterized by drilling instructions and the electronic processing unit is arranged to detect a change in medium according to at least one predefined threshold for at least one drilling parameter; - the electronic processing unit is arranged to change its control mode autonomously; - the electronic processing unit includes a control interface arranged to allow an operator to command a change in control mode; - the electronic processing unit is connected to a geolocation system to provide the geographical position of the drilling machine; - the electronic processing unit includes a control interface arranged to allow an operator to enter the geographical position of the drilling machine; - a secondary hydraulic drive is arranged to rotate the drill head, a pressure sensor is arranged to detect a pressure threshold in the main drive motor for rotating the drill head and a switch is associated with the pressure sensor to activate the secondary drive in order to maintain a constant rotation speed in case the pressure threshold is reached in the main drive.

[0013] The invention also relates to a geotechnical survey method comprising the following steps: - to autonomously perform, using proportional electro-hydraulics, a limited advance and a regulated rotation of a drilling head; - detect and adapt drilling parameters in real time, by machine learning, during drilling.

[0014] The advance and rotation of the drill head are controlled proportionally according to a geographical position of the borehole, soil characteristics determined according to the geographical position and drilling parameters.

[0015] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a particular, non-limiting embodiment of the invention. Brief description of the drawings

[0016] Reference will be made to the attached drawings, among which:

[0017] [Fig-1] [Fig.1] is a schematic elevation view of a drilling machine used in the device according to the invention;

[0018] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a diagram illustrating the overall operation of the device geotechnical survey according to the invention;

[0019] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a flowchart showing an implementation of the process of geotechnical survey according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The invention relates to a geotechnical sounding device which includes in particular a sounding machine 1 and an electronic processing and control unit 100.

[0021] The drilling machine 1 comprises a mobile frame 11, a lifting frame 12 mounted to pivot about a horizontal axis on the frame 11, and a drill head 14 which slides on the lifting frame 12 and drives a drill string 13. This drill string 13 rotates about an axis of rotation coinciding with a central axis of the drill string 13.

[0022] The sounding machine 1 also includes several hydraulic actuators.

[0023] An actuator 15.1 allows the drill head 14 to move forward or backward, and therefore the Drill string 13. This actuator 15.1 incorporates a first hydraulic circuit 16.1 having a geared motor or a cylinder 22.1 capable of converting the pressure in said first circuit 16.1 into a translational movement of the drill string 13. The hydraulic pressure in the first circuit 16.1 is regulated by a proportional electro-hydraulic distributor 17.1 belonging to the first circuit 16.1. It is understood that the pressure within the first hydraulic circuit 16.1 determines the forward speed of the drill head 14. By controlling the proportional electro-hydraulic distributor 17.1 of the first circuit 16.1, it is therefore possible to precisely and analogously control the pressure within said first circuit 16.1, and thus the forward speed of the drill head 14.

[0024] A main drive 15.2, independent of the actuator 15.1, enables the rotation of the drill head 14. This main drive 15.2 incorporates a second hydraulic circuit 16.2 having a hydraulic motor 22.2 capable of converting the fluid flow within said second circuit 16.2 into a rotational movement of the drill head. The flow in this second circuit 16.2 is regulated by a proportional electro-hydraulic flow regulator 17.2. By controlling this proportional electro-hydraulic flow regulator 17.2, it is possible to precisely and analogically control the fluid flow within the second circuit 16.2, and thus, precisely control the rotational speed of the drill head 14.

[0025] An auxiliary drive 15.3 is installed within the device, in parallel with the main drive 15.2. The auxiliary drive 15.3 is arranged to rotate the drill head 14. This auxiliary drive 15.3 incorporates a hydraulic motor 22.3 capable of converting the fluid flow circulating within said second circuit 16.2 into a rotational movement of the drill head. The hydraulic circuit of the auxiliary drive 15.3 is the same as that of the main drive 15.2. This auxiliary drive 15.3 is actuated by a switch 18 when overpressure is detected in the second hydraulic circuit 16.2. The drive Auxiliary drive 15.3 does not operate during normal device operation. Activation of this auxiliary drive 15.3 allows the drill head 14 to maintain a constant rotational speed if the pressure limit threshold is reached in the main drive 15.2.

[0026] The processing unit 100 comprises at least one processor, a memory containing programs executable by the processor, a communication interface with the drilling machine 1 for sending control signals to it and receiving measurement signals from sensors installed in the drilling machine 1, a human-machine interface to allow an operator to communicate with the processing unit 100, a precise electronic control board for the electrohydraulic functions, a telecommunications board, and a satellite geolocation signal receiver 19. The interface of the processing unit 100 is thus connected to a set of sensors 20 enabling the acquisition of measurement parameters, including: pressure sensors, an accelerometer, a flow meter, and an encoder. Among these parameters acquired by the processing unit 100 are: - the penetration length (encoder); - the thrust pressure (pressure sensor); - the restraint pressure (pressure sensor); - the pressure of the drilling fluid responsible for cooling the drill head and the removal of drilling debris (pressure sensor); - the injection rate of the drilling fluid (flow meter); - the rotation speed of the drilling head (flow meter and tachometer); - the rotational torque (pressure sensor); - reflected energy (accelerometer).

[0027] All the measured data is recorded locally on a physical storage system 21 connected to the processing unit 100.

[0028] The processing unit 100 is programmed to acquire as input data the geolocation data from the satellite geolocation signal receiver 19 enabling said processing unit 100 to know its position.

[0029] The processing unit 100 is also programmed to connect via the telecommunications card to a network and to access the contents of an external geotechnical database. The database contains a set of archived geotechnical data. The database also contains soil composition characteristics listed according to geographic location and all the data previously measured by the geotechnical drilling device. During communication between the processing unit and the database, the processing unit 100 is programmed to: - retrieve from said database the characteristics of cor- soils corresponding to the geographical position corresponding to the geolocation data; - to store in the database all the measured data and the corresponding geographical position so that they can be archived there.

[0030] Processing unit 100 is programmed to: - Acquire a geographical position for drilling machine 1, - Access the database containing soil characteristics based on the geographical position, - control the actuator 15.1 and the main motor 15.2 from control instructions determined by automatic learning (or machine learning) from the soil characteristics corresponding to the acquired geographical position, and drilling parameters measured in real time (this is presented in more detail later).

[0031] In order to measure as precisely as possible the reaction of the drilled medium (i.e. the soil) during the drilling, and thus determine its characteristics, the value of the pressure applied to the drill head 14 against the soil is kept constant by the processing unit 100. The processing unit 100 controls the drill head 14 advance actuator 15.1 so as to apply a constant axial stress during drilling, i.e. when the tool of the drill string 13 is in contact with the soil during drilling.

[0032] Preferably, the processing unit 100 has in memory several control modes for the drilling machine 1, each corresponding to a type of medium to be drilled (for example, limestone soil, limestone soil with marl, granite soil... or more broadly, hard soil, soft soil...). Each control mode for the drilling machine 1 includes instructions to be executed by the various actuators of the drilling machine 1 in order to acquire the measured data as efficiently as possible.

[0033] Each control mode corresponds to a calibration adapted to the environment in question. This calibration makes it possible, in particular, to limit nominal feed rate values ​​and regulate rotation speeds, and to adjust the feed rate and rotation speed of the drill head 14 between minimum and maximum values ​​corresponding to the environment. The processing unit 100 is programmed to detect a change in the medium during drilling, based on the crossing of at least one predefined threshold for at least one drilling parameter. The processing unit therefore changes its operating mode autonomously, that is to say, without operator intervention.

[0034] The control of the maximum feed rate and the maximum rotational speed of the drill head 14 is carried out analogously and is ensured by the proportional electro-hydraulic regulator and the proportional electro-hydraulic distributor, allowing for improved quality and comparability of drilling tests.

[0035] External to the drilling device, at the level of the server hosting the database, the measured parameters are used by a statistical learning system operating through machine learning. This system allows, through learning, the deduction of the average soil behavior as a function of location. This learning is based on data acquired from various previously surveyed sites, and on engineering conclusions drawn from these measurements—that is, a phase of human operation whose conclusions are provided to the learning system in a form and in a computer format usable by the latter. With this database and the average parameters obtained through machine learning, the drilling device will be able to be configured and calibrated for a given location.All the information in the database is processed via machine learning and then transmitted to the operational phase level for improved relevance of analysis, and to the processing unit 100 level for improved calibration of the sounding machine 1.

[0036] In order to enable the processing unit 100 to determine the effectiveness of the drilling machine calibration for a given drilling condition, it is necessary that the drill head tool type 14 be acquired and recorded by said processing unit 100 and that the drilling tool be retained for the entire duration of the drilling operation. This acquisition can be manual (recording a code associated with the drill head, reading a barcode) or automatic (the drill head is equipped with an NFC circuit, for example RFID, which can be read by a reader on the machine when the head is in place on the drill string).

[0037] In order to take into account the influence of the drilling rig 1 when analyzing the results of a borehole, systematic recording of the parameters and characteristics of the drilling rig 1 is planned. The manual setting of certain parameters of the drilling rig 1 must be defined at predetermined values. To account for the influence of the drilling rig 1 on the results obtained, it is also planned to operate the various components of the drilling rig 1 significantly below their maximum capacity to ensure the success and quality of the measurement. Preferably, the drilling rig 1 is designed to perform hammering when drilling in hard media; in this case, the use of such hammering must be recorded to be taken into account when analyzing the drilling results.

[0038] In order to minimize the operator's influence on the results, it is therefore important that the operator records every action he performs, such as hammering, or the flow rate and pressure when using a pump. Mud, for example. The operator has influence because they can manually activate the auxiliary motor and thus affect the pressure and flow rate of the injection output from the main drive motor. Controlling the rotation speed electro-hydraulically will relieve the operator of this control and influence. Similarly, it will allow for the automatic recording and logging of the secondary motor's activation.

[0039] It is planned that the measurements will be acquired and recorded by the processing unit 100 with a frequency allowing a resolution of at least one measurement per centimeter, even when the drilling progress speed is at its maximum.

[0040] The measuring unit 100 is arranged to perform data acquisition by obeying commands such as: Start measurements; Send measurements; Pause measurements; Resume measurements; Stop measurements.

[0041] All the measured data are then transmitted to the physical storage system 21 connected to the processing unit, before being sent to the database.

[0042] Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described but encompasses any variant falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0043] In particular, although the change of operating mode according to the drilled medium is ensured autonomously by the processing unit, the case is envisaged where the device includes a control interface arranged to allow an operator to manually control a change of operating mode.

[0044] Regarding the acquisition of geolocation data, although the device in the described embodiment has a satellite geolocation signal receiver allowing automatic geolocation acquisition, the case is considered where the device includes a control interface arranged to allow an operator to enter the geographical position of the machine.

[0045] Although the sounding described in the description is purely destructive, consideration is given to the fact that the sounding device may also be used to carry out sampling in a coring, augering, and pressuremeter measurement operation requiring the use of a drill bit adapted for this purpose.

[0046] The database may contain only soil characteristics based on location: the processing unit is configured to generate machine commands from the soil characteristics corresponding to its location. Alternatively, the database may also contain machine commands that have been determined from the soil characteristics corresponding to the location: the processing unit is then configured to directly use the commands from the database.

[0047] Machine learning is preferably performed on an external server, between the database and the processing unit. Therefore, in the envisaged embodiment, machine learning does not take place within the processing unit itself. The machine learning process is designed to obtain configuration parameters, which are then transmitted to the processing unit, which subsequently configures the survey machine. The configuration of the actuator / motor commands is performed after the instructions have been determined by machine learning.

[0048] It is intended that the electronic components of the device meet the outdoor measurement conditions, for example through tropicalization of the components.

Claims

Demands

1. Geotechnical drilling device, comprising: - a soil drilling machine (1), comprising a drill head (14), a drill head feed actuator (15.1) and a main drive motor (15.2) for rotating said drill head (14); - an electronic processing unit (100) and sensors (20) connected to the electronic processing unit (100) which is arranged to record drilling parameters in real time; characterized in that the feed actuator (15.1) and the main drive motor (15.2) Drill head rotation drive (14) implements an autonomous electro-hydraulic proportional system and in that the processing unit is arranged to: - acquire a geographical position of the drilling machine, - access the database containing soil characteristics according to the geographical position, - control the actuator and the main drive from control instructions from machine learning, determined from the soil characteristics corresponding to the acquired geographical position, and the drilling parameters measured in real time.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic processing unit (100) is arranged to control the drilling machine (1) so as to maintain constant on the one hand an axial stress applied to the drill head (14) when the end of the drill head (14) is in contact with the ground being drilled and on the other hand a rotation speed of the drill head.

3. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the database is hosted in a memory of the electronic processing unit (100).

4. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic processing unit (100) has in memory, for each type of drilled medium, a control mode for the drilling machine (1), these control modes being characterized by drilling instructions and The electronic processing unit (100) is arranged to detect a change in medium based on at least one predefined threshold for at least one drilling parameter.

5. Device according to claim 4, wherein the electronic processing unit (100) is arranged to change control mode autonomously.

6. Device according to claim 4, wherein the electronic processing unit (100) includes a control interface arranged to enable an operator to command a change in control mode.

7. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic processing unit (100) is connected to a geolocation system (19) to provide the geographic position of the drilling machine (1).

8. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the electronic processing unit (100) includes a control interface arranged to enable an operator to enter the geographical position of the drilling machine (1).

9. Device according to claim 1, comprising a secondary hydraulic drive (15.3) arranged to rotate the drill head (14), a pressure sensor arranged to detect a pressure threshold in the main drive for rotating the drill head (14), and a switch (18) associated with the pressure sensor to activate the secondary drive (15.3) in order to maintain a constant rotation speed in the event of reaching the pressure threshold in the main drive (15.2).

10. Geotechnical drilling method comprising the steps: - autonomously performing a limited advance and regulated rotation of a drill head using proportional electrohydraulics; - detecting and adapting drilling parameters in real time, by machine learning, during drilling; characterized in that the advance and rotation of the drill head (14) are controlled proportionally as a function of a geographical position of the drilling, soil characteristics determined as a function of the geographical position and drilling parameters.

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