Systems and methods for laser downhole extension sensing - Patents.com

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a laser drilling tool assembly comprising: (i) a body including a first segment configured to receive an input beam from a laser source and combine the input beams to provide an illumination beam that irradiates a downhole target, and a second segment housing one or more purge pipes; and (ii) a tool head including a retractable nozzle and one or more optical sensing elements attached to the retractable nozzle, wherein when the downhole target is being illuminated by the illumination beam, the retractable nozzle extends toward the downhole target such that the one or more optical sensing elements are positioned proximate to the downhole target.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 328,564, filed May 24, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to rock characterization and classification during drilling processes. [Background technology]

[0003] A rock, in geology, refers to a naturally occurring aggregate of one or more minerals. Such aggregates constitute the basic units from which the solid Earth is constructed. Aggregates typically form recognizable and mappable volumes. Rock characterization and classification can reveal insights into the formation of layers, including fluid saturation, of the solid Earth during drilling operations in gas and oil exploration. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In one aspect, some embodiments provide a laser drilling tool assembly that includes a body including a first segment configured to receive an input beam from a laser source and combine the input beam to provide an illumination beam that irradiates a downhole target, and a second segment housing one or more purge pipes; and a tool head including a retractable nozzle and one or more optical sensing elements mounted on the retractable nozzle, wherein when the downhole target is being illuminated by the illumination beam, the retractable nozzle extends toward the downhole target such that the one or more optical sensing elements are positioned closer to the downhole target.

[0005] Implementations may include one or more of the following features.

[0006] The one or more optical sensing elements may include an optical brightness sensor or a spectral sensor. The optical brightness sensor may include at least one of a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, an avalanche photodiode (APD), or a photodiode (PD). The spectral sensor may include at least one of a scanning sensor or a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) sensor.

[0007] The one or more optical sensing elements may include coupling optics configured to capture an optical signal emitted from a downhole target. The tool head may further include a sensing cable. The optical signal may be transmitted via the sensing cable to an optical sensor including at least one of a brightness sensor or a spectral sensor. The optical sensor may be located outside the tool head.

[0008] The tool head may further include a wheel within the retractable nozzle. The wheel may be configured to retract or extend the retractable nozzle. Additionally, the wheel may be configured to attach a sensing cable to the retractable nozzle.

[0009] The tool head may further include a sensor disposed at a tip of the tool head, the sensor may be configured to measure an ambient temperature and a distance between the tip of the tool head and the downhole target when the downhole target is illuminated by the illumination beam.

[0010] The tool head may further include a lens assembly for delivering the illumination beam to the downhole target. The tool head may further include one or more internal purge nozzles mounted inside the lens assembly and configured to spray a stream of media to meet with the illumination beam. The tool head may further include one or more external purge nozzles mounted outside the lens assembly and configured to purge debris from the downhole target being illuminated by the illumination beam.

[0011] In another aspect, some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method that includes lowering a laser drilling tool assembly into a well shaft in which a downhole target is located; activating an illumination beam exiting a tool head of the laser drilling tool assembly; and extending one or more retractable nozzles on a tool head of the laser drilling tool assembly such that an optical sensing element mounted to the tool head approaches the downhole target as the downhole target is illuminated by the illumination beam.

[0012] Implementations may include one or more of the following features.

[0013] The method may further include collecting an optical signal emitted from the downhole target being illuminated by the illumination beam. The method may further include analyzing the optical signal to characterize a rock type in the downhole target. The method may further include retracting the one or more retractable nozzles when the optical signal is collected.

[0014] The method may further include measuring an ambient temperature and a distance between the tip of the tool head and the downhole target while the downhole target is illuminated by the illumination beam. The method may further include ceasing extension of the one or more retractable nozzles in response to the ambient temperature exceeding a first threshold or the distance falling below a second threshold. The method may further include ceasing the illumination beam.

[0015] The method may further include activating one or more internal purge nozzles mounted inside a lens assembly of the tool head to spray a stream of media into confluence with the illumination beam.The method may further include activating one or more external purge nozzles mounted outside a lens assembly of the tool head to purge debris from a downhole target being illuminated by the illumination beam.

[0016] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be embodied in computer-implemented methods, hardware computing systems, and tangible computer-readable media. For example, one or more computer systems may be configured to perform certain operations by having software, firmware, hardware, or combinations thereof installed on the system that, when in operation, causes or causes the system to perform the operations. One or more computer programs may be configured to perform certain operations by including instructions that, when executed by a data processing device, cause the device to perform the operations.

[0017] The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter of this specification are set forth in the description, claims, and accompanying drawings. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, claims, and accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a laser drilling tool.

[0019] [Diagram 2] 1A-1C illustrate the operation of a laser drilling tool configuration.

[0020] [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a laser drilling tool aimed at a target.

[0021] [Figure 4] 1 illustrates a configuration of a laser drilling tool having a retractable nozzle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] [Figure 5A] FIG. 1 illustrates a retractable nozzle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5B] 1 illustrates a retractable nozzle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5C]1 illustrates a retractable nozzle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] [Figure 6] 1 illustrates a laser drilling tool having a retractable nozzle in an extended position to collect reflected light according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of real-time in-situ reflectance data collected by a laser drilling tool during an expansion operation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computer system that may be used to provide computational functionality associated with the described algorithms, methods, functions, processes, flows and procedures, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] The disclosed technology is directed to real-time and in-situ acquisition of reflectance and spectroscopic data during laser drilling operations using a high power laser (HPL). Such data can characterize the interaction of the high power laser with subsurface materials, the analysis of which can lead to rock type classification. The interaction of the high power laser with subsurface materials is complex, very strong, and fast-paced. Various properties of the subsurface can affect the process. The real-time sensing tool can be configured to evaluate the performance of the laser drilling and characterize the target and the environment. The operating principle of the sensing tool is based on broadband spectroscopy and intensity characterization of backscattered laser and blackbody radiation. Spectroscopy can identify fluids and rocks, similar to fingerprints, and can also measure the temperature of the laser drilling process. Intensity (brightness) analysis can reveal information about the laser drilling process and the coupling between the laser and the substrate.

[0028] The tool assembly according to this embodiment of the disclosure incorporates various subsystems (sensor modules and edge computing) for analyzing the light. In some embodiments, the tool assembly also hosts several acquisition systems to collect light from multiple points (e.g., at different points close and far from the interaction). In a multi-point collection configuration, light collected near the interaction can provide information about the formation and temperature, while light collected at different points far from the sample provides information about the environment due to absorption by wellbore fluids.

[0029] The terminology used in this disclosure includes the following terms:

[0030] The term "HPL" refers to a high power laser. HPL can include pulsed lasers, continuous wave (CW) lasers, or multiple lasers with high energy. The term high power refers to lasers with peak powers of 100 watts or more. A typical HPL for underground operations has a peak power of 10 kW or more. HPL can be in the visible and infrared range, for example, with wavelengths from 600 nm to 10,000 nm.

[0031] The term "process state" refers to the state of the laser drilling process. Examples can include glass forming, process failure / success / completion, etc.

[0032] The term "machine learning analysis" refers to the use of machine learning and applied statistics to predict unknown states based on available data. Two common areas that fall under machine learning analysis are classification and regression. Classification refers to predicting categorical values, whereas regression refers to predicting continuous numeric values. One embodiment of machine learning is also known as "supervised learning" where the "correct" target or y values ​​are available. For illustration, the goal of some embodiments is to learn from available data to predict unknown values ​​with some defined error metric. For example, in supervised learning, there are known predictor variables (features) x1, x2,..., xm known to the system, and target values ​​y1, y2,..., yn to be inferred. The goal of the system is to train a machine learning model to predict new target values ​​y1, y2,..., yn by observing new feature points.

[0033] In the present embodiment, various machine learning algorithms can be employed. For classification, examples of predictive algorithms can include logistic regression, decision tree, nearest neighbor, support vector machine, K-means clustering, boosting, and neural network. For regression, examples of predictive algorithms can include least squares regression, Lasso, etc. The performance of an algorithm can depend on several factors, such as the set of selected feature points, training / validation method, and hyperparameter tuning. Thus, machine learning analysis can be manifested as an iterative approach of knowledge discovery, including trial and error. The iterative approach can iteratively modify data preprocessing and model parameters until the results achieve the desired characteristics.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1, an example of a tool assembly 100 for real-time evaluation of laser drilling process and downhole target characterization using a high power laser (HPL) is shown. The laser source of the HPL can have its power and spectral signature. As shown, the tool assembly 101 includes a first segment including coupling fiber optic components for receiving an input laser beam. The input laser beam can be generated from a high power laser source located at ground level. The input laser beam can propagate inside a conduit cavity inside a main body 102. In some cases, the input laser beam can also propagate along a fiber medium inside the main body to reach the downhole target as an illumination beam.

[0035] In some embodiments, the tool assembly 100 also includes a second segment 103 for spectroscopy and luminosity (light intensity), as shown in Figure 1. For example, sensors for spectroscopy and luminosity may be housed within the second segment 103. Examples of spectral sensors include scanning and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

[0036] The tool assembly 100 may further include a sensing cable 104 extending from the segment 103 into the tool head 106. The sensing cable may provide optical signals collected from the tool head 106 to a sensor housed in the segment 103. In some cases, the sensing cable is connected to a sensing element 107 in the head. The sensing element may collect optical signals for spectroscopy and brightness during the laser drilling process. Additionally, sensors for temperature and distance measurement may be housed in the tool head to measure the distance from the tool head to the downhole target. The tool assembly 100 may additionally include a purge supply pipe 105 that drains a flow of medium to ensure a path for the input laser beam to reach the downhole target as an illumination beam. The purge supply pipe may also cool the tool head during the laser drilling process. In particular, the transmission of the HPL beam for illumination is achieved using a specialized fiber optic cable that can effectively transmit high energy with minimal losses. Meanwhile, the reflections are captured by a different optical fiber such as the sensing cable 104. Because the reflected energy is relatively low, the reflected energy may not need to be handled by special optical cables.

[0037] This configuration includes a sensor for capturing optical signals to characterize rock during the laser drilling process, but the challenge is that when the subsurface material is exposed to the HPL energy, the interaction creates debris, gases and vapors. Depending on the laser power, the debris absorbs the reflected optical energy and contaminates the reflected light, making it difficult, if not impossible, for the sensor and sensing cable to capture the reflected light, for example, when the sensor is attached to the tool assembly itself, i.e., located away from the target.

[0038] For additional context, FIG. 2 illustrates an example 200 of operating the tool assembly 101 to irradiate a downhole target. Once the tool assembly 101 is positioned in the wellbore 202 and transported to the downhole target, a laser beam 208 can be guided down the body of the tool assembly 100 to exit the tool head 106. This high powered laser can then interact with the subsurface material. Laser drilling can heat the subsurface material to extreme temperatures, allowing material to be removed for penetration. The reflected light 209 can propagate in all directions, carrying with it debris, gases, fluids, and other by-products, which can make it difficult, if not impossible, to capture the reflected light and characterize the subsurface material based on this reflected light to assess the quality of the light interaction. For example, impurities can cause misinterpretation or misinterpretation of data. In conventional normal operation, the laser tool may be positioned such that the tool head is a distance away from the downhole target.

[0039] 3 illustrates an example 300 in which a laser drilling tool assembly is used to direct a laser beam to a target. As shown, the laser beam exits the tool head 106. The laser beam is directed to a spot on the target 301. As shown, the tool head 106 is separated from the target 301 by a distance. If the optical sensing element is located on the tool head 106, that distance may allow debris and other by-products of the laser drilling to contaminate the path of the laser beam, for example due to absorption. This contamination may affect spectroscopic or luminosity measurements.

[0040] FIG. 4 is a diagram 400 illustrating an example of a laser drilling tool assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Diagram 400 illustrates a proposed solution to this problem that has plagued conventional systems. Specifically, the solution employs a design that includes one or more retractable nozzles. Here, the tool head includes a fiber optic cable 401, an internal purge nozzle 402, an external purge nozzle 403, and a retractable nozzle 405. The fiber optic cable 401 can provide a laser beam 404 as an illumination beam for the laser drilling operation. The internal purge nozzle 402 is configured to generate a water-containing medium flow that merges with the laser beam 404 and is directed toward a downhole target 406. The external nozzle 403 is located outside of the lens assembly 408. The external nozzle 403 can purge the hole / target area and ensure a path for the laser beam 404. This purge can also result in cooling of the lens assembly 408. The retractable nozzle 405 is located at the tip of the tool. The retractable nozzle 405 may include a sensing cable connected to a sensor 407 attached to the tip of the retractable nozzle. The sensor 407 may capture a reflected beam from the downhole target 406. The sensor 407 may further capture blackbody radiation from the downhole target 406. The sensor 407 may measure optical luminosity. For example, the sensor 407 may include a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, an avalanche photodiode (APD) or a photodiode (PD). The sensor 407 may also include a spectral sensor, such as a scanning sensor or a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) sensor. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor 407 may be passive and include coupling optics capable of capturing light from the drilling process and then transmitting the light to the light sensor via the sensing cable 104. The tool head may further include additional sensors for measuring the ambient temperature and the distance of the retractable nozzle from the downhole target.In these embodiments, the retractable nozzle is extendable so that the distance between the target and the fiber sensor from which the optical signal is collected can be substantially minimized.

[0041] 5A-5C show a retractable nozzle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the retractable nozzle is made of a material with high thermal resistance. Examples of materials with high thermal resistance include silicon carbide, aluminum, copper, and 3D printed plastics such as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and PET-G (polyethylene terephthalate glycol modified).

[0042] 5A shows the retractable nozzle 405 in a folded position 501. This is the position of the retractable nozzle when the laser beam is not activated or when the tool assembly is not in an acquisition mode to collect optical signals.

[0043] 5B shows an example of the internal configuration 502 of a retractable nozzle, including the sensing cable 104, wheels 501, and sensor 407. The sensing cable 104 can transmit collected optical signals to reach segments within the main tool, where such optical signals can be analyzed for spectroscopy and brightness. The wheels 501 can allow the retractable nozzle to retract and extend. The wheels 501 can also allow the sensing cable 104 to be attached to the nozzle and move smoothly with the retracting / extending nozzle. In some cases, these wheels 501 can rotate as the tool retracts and retracts.

[0044] 5C shows an example of a retractable nozzle in extended mode 503 where the sensor 407 is brought closer to the downhole target. When the laser drilling tool assembly is in operation, the retractable nozzle is extended. In some cases, additional sensors are mounted on the tip of the tool head 106 to measure temperature and distance range. These measurements can be used judiciously to prevent the nozzle from getting too close to the target and being damaged, for example, by excessive heat.

[0045] As shown in diagram 600 of FIG. 6, when the laser drilling tool assembly is in an operational mode within the shaft of the wellbore 202, the retractable nozzle extends towards the downhole target. In this extended position, the distance between the tip of the retractable nozzle and the downhole target is reduced. This reduced distance allows data acquisition to bypass contamination caused by debris, resulting in quality measurements of reflected light. Articulation of the retractable nozzle can be accomplished mechanically, electrically, hydraulically, or by any other configuration. For example, FIG. 5B shows the use of a wheel 501 to control the position of the retractable nozzle. Control of the retractable nozzle can be asserted from the surface, or can be programmed by the tool assembly such that the tool assembly senses and determines the appropriate amount of light to be collected. As shown, the distance is close enough to capture the reflected light. At the same time, the tool is kept at a safe distance to prevent damage to the retractable nozzle. In some embodiments, machine learning algorithms can be incorporated to iteratively adjust the extent to which the retractable nozzle is extended taking into account the measured temperature, resulting in a smart trade-off where the tool head is not at risk of damaging the sensor or optical sensing element due to affinity to the impact zone, and contamination from debris generation is substantially reduced. The collected measurement data can be wirelessly transmitted to the surface or stored in a memory device located on the laser drilling tool assembly. As described, the measurement data includes data from a multi-point configuration. For example, the measurement data can include spectral and brightness data based on reflected light or blackbody radiation from the downhole target. The measurement data can also include measurements of the ambient temperature and distance between the tip of the retractable nozzle and the downhole target.

[0046] Figure 7 shows an example of real-time in-situ reflectance data collected by a laser drilling tool assembly with a retractable nozzle. The acquired data is processed by an in-line spectrometer to provide a readout of the optical signal as a function of time (vertical axis) and wavelength (horizontal axis).

[0047] 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computer system 800 that may be used to provide computational capabilities associated with the described algorithms, methods, functions, processes, flows, and procedures, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The illustrated computer 802 is intended to encompass any computing device, such as a server, a desktop computer, a laptop / notebook computer, a wireless data port, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet computing device, one or more processors within these devices, other computing devices, or a combination of computing devices including a combination of physical or virtual instances of computing devices. Additionally, the computer 802 may comprise a computer that includes an input device, such as a keypad, keyboard, touch screen, another input device, or combination of input devices, that can accept user information, and an output device that communicates information related to the operation of the computer 802, including digital data, visual, audio, another type of information, or a combination of types of information, on a graphical type user interface (UI) (or GUI) or other UI.

[0048] The computer 802 may act as a client, a network component, a server, a database, or another persistence, another role, or a combination of roles in a computer system for implementing the subject matter described in this disclosure. The illustrated computer 802 is communicatively coupled to a network 803. In some embodiments, one or more components of the computer 802 may be configured to operate within an environment including a cloud computing-based, local, global, another environment, or a combination of environments.

[0049] Computer 802 is an electronic computing device operable to receive, transmit, process, store, or manage data and information related to the described subject matter. According to some embodiments, computer 802 may also include or be communicatively coupled to a server, including an application server, an email server, a web server, a caching server, a streaming data server, another server, or a combination of servers.

[0050] Computer 802 may receive requests over network 803 (e.g., from a client software application running on another computer 802) and respond to the received requests by processing the requests using a software application or combination of software applications. Additionally, requests may be sent to computer 802 from internal users, external or third parties, or other entities, individuals, systems, or computers.

[0051] Each component of the computer 802 can communicate using a system bus 803. In some embodiments, any or all of the components of the computer 802, including hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software, can be connected (interfaced) through the system bus 803 using an application programming interface (API) 812, a service layer 813, or a combination of the API 812 and the service layer 813. The API 812 can include specifications of routines, data structures, and object classes. The API 812 can be computer language independent or computer language dependent and can refer to a complete interface, a single function, or a set of APIs. The service layer 813 provides software services to the computer 802 or other components communicatively coupled to the computer 802 (whether or not shown). The functionality of the computer 802 can be accessible to all service consumers using this service layer. Software services such as those provided by the service layer 813 provide reusable defined functionality through defined interfaces. For example, the interface may be software written in JAVA, C++, another computing language, or a combination of computing languages ​​that provides data in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format, another format, or a combination of formats. Although shown as an integrated component of computer 802, alternative embodiments may depict API 812 or services layer 813 as a stand-alone component in relation to other components of computer 802 or other components communicatively coupled to computer 802 (whether shown or not). Additionally, any or all portions of API 812 or services layer 813 may be implemented as a child or sub-module of another software module, enterprise application, or hardware module without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0052] The computer 802 includes an interface 804. Although shown in FIG. 8 as a single interface 804, two or more interfaces 804 may be used depending on the particular needs, desires, or particular implementation of the computer 802. The interface 804 is used by the computer 802 to communicate with another computing system (whether shown or not) communicatively linked to the network 803 in a distributed environment. Generally, the interface 804 is operable to communicate with the network 803 and is comprised of logic encoded in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. More specifically, the interface 804 may be comprised of software supporting one or more communication protocols related to communication such that the network 803 or interface hardware is operable to communicate physical signals within and outside the illustrated computer 802.

[0053] Computer 802 includes a processor 805. Although shown in Figure 8 as a single processor 805, more than one processor may be used according to the particular needs, desires, or particular implementation of computer 802. Generally, processor 805 executes instructions and manipulates data to perform the operation of computer 802 and any algorithms, methods, functions, processes, flows, and procedures described in this disclosure.

[0054] The computer 802 also includes a database 806 that can hold data for combination with the computer 802, another component (whether shown or not) communicatively linked to the network 803, or another component other than the computer 802. For example, the database 806 can be an in-memory, conventional, or another type of database that stores data consistent with the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the database 806 can be a combination of two or more different database types (e.g., a hybrid in-memory and conventional database) according to the particular needs, desires, or particular implementation of the computer 802 and the described functionality. Although shown in FIG. 8 as a single database 806, two or more databases of similar or different types can be used according to the particular needs, desires, or particular implementation of the computer 802 and the described functionality. Although the database 806 is shown as an integral component of the computer 802, in alternative embodiments, the database 806 can be external to the computer 802. As shown, the database 806 holds the aforementioned data 816, including multiple streams of data from various sources, such as measurement data from a multi-point configuration as described in connection with FIG. 6. Measurements from the multi-point configuration can include brightness measurements, spectral measurements, ambient temperature measurements, and distance measurements between the tip of the retractable nozzle and a downhole target.

[0055] The computer 802 also includes a memory 807 that can hold data for the computer 802, another component or components (whether or not shown) communicatively linked to the network 803, or a combination of the computer 802 and another component. The memory 807 can store any data consistent with this disclosure. In some embodiments, the memory 807 can be a combination of two or more different types of memory (e.g., a combination of solid-state and magnetic storage devices) according to the particular needs, desires, or particular implementation and described functions of the computer 802. Although shown in FIG. 8 as a single memory 807, two or more memories 807, or similar or different types, can be used according to the particular needs, desires, or particular implementation and described functions of the computer 802. Although the memory 807 is shown as an integral component of the computer 802, in alternative embodiments, the memory 807 can be external to the computer 802.

[0056] Application 808 is an algorithmic software engine that provides functionality according to the particular needs, desires, or particular implementation of computer 802, particularly with respect to the functionality described in this disclosure. For example, application 808 can function as one or more components, modules, or applications. Further, while shown as a single application 808, application 808 can be implemented as multiple applications 808 on computer 802. Additionally, while shown as integrated into computer 802, in alternative embodiments, application 808 can be external to computer 802.

[0057] The computer 802 can also include a power source 814. The power source 814 can include a rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery that can be configured to be either user-replaceable or non-user-replaceable. In some embodiments, the power source 814 can include power conversion or management circuitry (including recharge, standby, or other power management functions). In some embodiments, the power source 814 can include a power plug to allow the computer 802 to be plugged into, for example, a wall outlet or another power source to power the computer 802 or to recharge a rechargeable battery.

[0058] There can be any number of computers 802 associated with or external to the computer system that includes computer 802, and each computer 802 can communicate via network 803. Furthermore, the terms "client," "user," or other appropriate terminology can be used interchangeably as appropriate without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, this disclosure contemplates that many users can use one computer 802, or that one user can use multiple computers 802.

[0059] Embodiments of the subject matter and functional operations described herein may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, tangibly embodied computer software or firmware, computer hardware including the structures disclosed herein and their structural equivalents, or a combination of one or more of them. Software implementations of the described subject matter may be implemented as one or more computer programs, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for execution by or to control the operation of a data processing device. Alternatively or additionally, the program instructions may be encoded in / on an artificially generated propagated signal, e.g., a mechanically generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal generated to encode information for transmission to a receiver device for execution by a data processing device. The computer storage medium may be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a random access or serial access memory device, or a combination of computer storage media. Configuring one or more computers means that one or more computers have installed hardware, firmware, or software (or a combination of hardware, firmware, and software) such that, when the software is executed by the one or more computers, specific computing operations are performed.

[0060] "Real-time," "fast forward (RFT)," "near real-time (NRT)," "quasi-real-time," or similar terms (as understood by those skilled in the art) mean close in time such that an individual perceives an action and response to occur substantially simultaneously. For example, the time difference between an individual's action of accessing the data and a response to the display (or initiation of display) of the data may be less than 1 millisecond (ms), less than 1 second (s), or less than 5 seconds. The requested data need not be displayed (or initiated for display) instantly, but may be displayed (or initiated for display) without any intentional delay, taking into account the processing limitations of the described computing system and the time required, for example, to collect, accurately measure, analyze, process, store, or transmit the data.

[0061] The terms "data processing device", "computer", or "electronic computing device" (or equivalents as understood by those skilled in the art) refer to data processing hardware and encompass any kind of device, device, and machine for processing data, including, by way of example, a programmable processor, computer, or multiple processors or computers. The device may also be or further include special purpose logic circuitry, such as a central processing unit (CPU), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). In some embodiments, the data processing device or special purpose logic circuitry (or a combination of data processing device or special purpose logic circuitry) may be hardware-based or software-based (or a combination of both hardware-based and software-based). The device may optionally include code that creates an execution environment for a computer program, such as code that constitutes a processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or a combination of the execution environment. The present disclosure contemplates the use of a data processing device that includes several types of operating systems, such as LINUX®, UNIX®, WINDOWS®, MAC OS®, ANDROID®, IOS, another operating system, or a combination of operating systems.

[0062] A computer program may be called or described as a program, software, software application, unit, module, software module, script, code or other component, may be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, or declarative or procedural languages, and may be deployed in any form, such as, for example, as a stand-alone program, module, component or subroutine for use in a computing environment. A computer program may correspond to a file in a file system, but need not. A program may be stored in part of a file that holds other programs or data, for example, one or more scripts stored in a markup language document, a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple cooperating files, for example, files that store one or more modules, subprograms or code portions. A computer program may be deployed to be executed on one computer, or on multiple computers located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

[0063] Although some of the programs illustrated in the various figures may be illustrated as individual components, such as units or modules, that implement the features and functions described using various objects, methods, or other processes, the programs may instead include several sub-units, sub-modules, third party services, components, libraries, and other components, as appropriate. Conversely, features and functions of the various components may be combined into a single component, as appropriate. The thresholds used to perform the computational determination may be determined statically, dynamically, or both statically and dynamically.

[0064] The described methods, processes or logic flows represent one or more examples of functions consistent with the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the described or illustrated embodiments, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described. The described methods, processes or logic flows may be performed by one or more programmable computers executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output data. The methods, processes or logic flows may also be performed by special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., a CPU, FPGA, or ASIC, and an apparatus may also be implemented as a special purpose logic circuit.

[0065] A computer for executing a computer program can be based on a general-purpose or dedicated microprocessor, or both, or another type of CPU. Generally, the CPU receives instructions and data from a memory and writes data to the memory. The essential elements of a computer are a CPU for executing or executing instructions, and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer is also operatively coupled to receive data from, transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, such as magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computer need not have such devices. Furthermore, a computer can be incorporated in another device, such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile audio or video player, a game console, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, or a portable memory storage device.

[0066] The non-transitory computer readable medium for storing computer program instructions and data may include all forms of media and memory devices, magnetic devices, magneto-optical disks, and optical memory devices. Memory devices include semiconductor memory devices, such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), and flash memory devices. Magnetic devices include, for example, tapes, cartridges, cassettes, internal / removable disks. Optical memory devices include, for example, digital video disks (DVD), CD-ROM, DVD+ / -R, DVD-RAM, DVD-ROM, HD-DVD, and BLURAY, as well as other optical memory technologies. The memory may store various objects or data, including caches, classes, frameworks, applications, modules, backup data, jobs, web pages, web page templates, data structures, database tables, repositories for storing dynamic information, or other suitable information including any parameters, variables, algorithms, instructions, rules, constraints, or references. Additionally, the memory may include other suitable data, such as logs, policies, security or access data, or report files. The processor and the memory may be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

[0067] To provide for interaction with a user, implementations of the subject matter described herein may be implemented on a computer having a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube), LCD (liquid crystal display), LED (light emitting diode), or plasma monitor, for displaying information to the user, and a keyboard and pointing device, e.g., a mouse, trackball, or trackpad, by which the user can provide input to the computer. Input may also be provided to the computer using a touch screen, such as a tablet computer surface with pressure sensitivity, a multi-touch screen using capacitive or electrical sensing, or another type of touch screen. Other types of devices may be used to interact with the user. For example, feedback provided to the user may be any form of sensory feedback. Input from the user may be received in any form, including acoustic, voice, or tactile input. In addition, the computer may interact with the user by sending documents to and receiving documents from a client computing device used by the user.

[0068] The terms "graphical user interface" or "GUI" may be used in the singular or plural to describe one or more graphical user interfaces and each of the presentations of a particular graphical user interface. Thus, a GUI may represent any graphical user interface, including, but not limited to, a web browser, a touch screen, or a command line interface (CLI), that processes information and efficiently presents information results to a user. In general, a GUI may include some or all of the user interface (UI) elements associated with a web browser, such as interactive fields, pull-down lists, and buttons. These and other UI elements may relate to or represent the functionality of a web browser.

[0069] An embodiment of the subject matter described herein includes a computing system including a back-end component, such as a data server, a computing system including a middleware component, such as a computing system including an application server, a computing system including a front-end component, such as a client computer having a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with an embodiment of the subject matter described herein, or any combination of one or more such back-end, middleware, or front-end components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of wired or wireless digital data communication (or combination of data communication), such as a communication network. Examples of communication networks include a local area network (LAN), a radio access network (RAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), Worldwide Interoperability For Microwave Access (WIMAX), a wireless local area network (WLAN) using, for example, 802.11a / b / g / n or 802.20 (or a combination of 802.11x and 802.20 or other protocols consistent with this disclosure), all or a portion of the Internet, another communication network, or a combination of communication networks. A communications network may communicate, for example, Internet Protocol (IP) packets, Frame Relay frames, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) cells, voice, video, data, or other information between network addresses.

[0070] A computing system may include clients and servers. Clients and servers are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

[0071] Although this specification contains many specific embodiment details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Some features described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in a single embodiment in combination. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments, separately or in any subcombination. Furthermore, although the features described above may be described as acting in a particular combination, and even as originally claimed, one or more features from a claimed combination may in some cases be excluded from the combination, and the claimed combination may be subject to subcombinations or variations of the subcombinations.

[0072] Specific embodiments of the present subject matter have been described. Other embodiments, modifications, and permutations of the described embodiments, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, are within the scope of the following claims. Although operations are shown in the drawings or claims in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown, or in sequential order, or that all of the shown operations be performed (some operations are considered optional) to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking or parallel processing (or a combination of multitasking and parallel processing) may be advantageous and may be performed as deemed appropriate.

[0073] Furthermore, the separation or integration of various system modules and components in the foregoing embodiments should not be understood as requiring such separation or integration in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the program components and systems described may generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged in multiple software products.

[0074] Furthermore, any claimed embodiment is deemed applicable to a computer system comprising at least a computer-implemented method, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions for performing the computer-implemented method, and a computer memory interoperably coupled with a hardware processor configured to execute the computer-implemented method or the instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium.

Claims

1. A first segment configured to receive an input beam from a laser source and combine the input beam to provide an irradiation beam for irradiating an in-pit target, and A body including a second segment for accommodating one or more purge pipes, A retractable nozzle, and One or more optical sensing elements attached to the retractable nozzle, wherein when the in-pit target is irradiated by the irradiation beam, the retractable nozzle extends towards the in-pit target such that the one or more optical sensing elements are positioned near the in-pit target, the tool head including the one or more optical sensing elements, The one or more optical sensing elements include an optical brightness sensor or a spectrum sensor, A laser excavation tool assembly.

2. The brightness sensor includes at least one of a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor, a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, an avalanche photodiode (APD) or a photodiode (PD), The laser excavation tool assembly according to Claim 1.

3. The spectrum sensor includes at least one of a scanning sensor or a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) sensor, The laser excavation tool assembly according to Claim 1.

4. One or more optical sensing elements include a coupling optical component configured to capture an optical signal emitted from the in-pit target, The laser excavation tool assembly according to Claim 1.

5. The tool head further includes a sensing cable, The optical signal is transmitted via the sensing cable to an optical sensor including at least one of a brightness sensor or a spectrum sensor, The optical sensor is disposed outside the tool head, The optical sensor is different from the one or more optical sensing elements attached to the retractable nozzle of the tool head, The laser excavation tool assembly according to Claim 4.

6. The tool head further includes a wheel within the retractable nozzle, The wheel is configured to retract or extend the retractable nozzle, Furthermore, the wheel is configured to attach the sensing cable to the retractable nozzle, The laser excavation tool assembly according to Claim 5.

7. The tool head further includes a sensor located at the tip of the tool head, The sensor is configured to measure the ambient temperature and the distance between the tip of the tool head and the in-pit target when the in-pit target is irradiated by the irradiation beam. The laser excavation tool assembly according to claim 1.

8. The tool head further includes a lens assembly configured to couple the irradiation beam to reach the in-pit target. The laser excavation tool assembly according to claim 1.

9. The tool head further includes one or more internal purge nozzles mounted inside the lens assembly and configured to spray a flow of medium to merge with the irradiation beam. The laser excavation tool assembly according to claim 8.

10. The tool head further includes one or more external purge nozzles mounted outside the lens assembly and configured to purge debris from the in-pit target irradiated by the irradiation beam. The laser excavation tool assembly according to claim 8.

11. Lowering a laser excavation tool assembly into an in-pit shaft in which an in-pit target is disposed; Actuating an irradiation beam exiting from the tool head of the laser excavation tool assembly; Extending one or more retractable nozzles on the tool head of the laser excavation tool assembly so as to bring an optical sensing element attached to the tool head closer to the in-pit target when the in-pit target is irradiated by the irradiation beam; Collecting an optical signal radiated from the in-pit target irradiated by the irradiation beam. Method.

12. further comprising analyzing the optical signal to characterize the rock type at the in-pit target. The method according to claim 11.

13. further comprising retracting the one or more retractable nozzles when the optical signal is collected. The method according to claim 11.

14. further comprising measuring the ambient temperature and the distance between the tip of the tool head and the in-pit target when the in-pit target is irradiated by the irradiation beam. The method according to claim 11.

15. Further comprising the step of stopping the extension of the one or more retractable nozzles in response to the ambient temperature exceeding a first threshold value or the distance falling below a second threshold value. The method according to claim 14. **Claim 16** Further comprising the step of stopping the irradiation beam. The method according to claim 15. **Claim 17** Further comprising the step of operating one or more internal purge nozzles mounted inside the lens assembly of the tool head to spray a flow of medium that merges with the irradiation beam. The method according to claim 11. **Claim 18** Further comprising the step of operating one or more external purge nozzles mounted outside the lens assembly of the tool head to purge debris from the in-pit target irradiated by the irradiation beam. The method according to claim 11.

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