Drilling device and method for use with deep seabed penetrating probe rods

Abstract

The present application provides a drill hole drilling device and a method for using the same, which are applicable to deep-sea floor penetrating exploration rods. The device comprises a drill pipe, a sleeve, a drill hole drilling device, and a sensor unit structure. The sleeve is integrally connected to the drill hole drilling device by a connecting plate. The drill pipe has a diameter smaller at its lower end than at its upper end, and the connection point between the upper and lower ends is a diameter change position. The drill pipe is detachably drilled into the sleeve. The drill hole drilling device is provided with a resistance bracket and a numerical control module arranged inside the drill hole drilling device. The numerical control module is communicatively connected to an operator's controller. The numerical control module is connected to the resistance bracket by a signal to control the extension or contraction of the resistance bracket. The sensor unit structure is attached to the drill hole drilling device. This device can effectively separate the penetration drill pipe from the sensor unit structure during seafloor sediment monitoring, avoiding the problem that long-term monitoring cannot be carried out after the exploration rod is retrieved in the conventional exploration rod configuration in which the drill pipe and exploration unit are integrated, and improving the utilization efficiency of the drill pipe in the penetration device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application relates to the field of marine sediment monitoring equipment technology, and more particularly to a borehole drilling device and method of use applied to deep seafloor penetrating probes. [Background technology]

[0002] Monitoring the physical properties of deep-sea surface sediments is an important task in marine civil engineering. There are three main methods for in-situ penetration and long-term monitoring of multi-parameter measurement sensors in seafloor sediments. The first involves pre-digging holes at designated locations and burying monitoring equipment in the pre-dug holes. However, this method requires large vessels, drilling systems, and underwater deployment equipment, making operation difficult, expensive, time-consuming, and cost-effective. The second involves using gravity penetration equipment to penetrate to a certain depth using its own gravity. However, this generally involves point-by-point monitoring, and the penetration depth is uncertain due to geological conditions. The third involves using hydraulic drive to penetrate the equipment's own monitoring sensor into the seafloor. However, the entire monitoring equipment must remain on the seafloor along with the penetration device for a long period of time, making subsequent recovery difficult.

[0003] Conventional seabed sediment monitoring equipment integrates a drill pipe and a sensor at the penetration section to form a probe that can penetrate into the seabed sediments, and uses gravity or the hydraulic power structure of the penetration end to insert the probe into the seabed sediments while simultaneously pulling the sensor into the sediments. However, this method has an obvious drawback in that once the mechanical probe is withdrawn after penetration, the sensor is also withdrawn from the sediments, making it impossible to ensure that the sensor unit can perform long-term in-situ monitoring of the sediments. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present application aims to provide a drilling device and method for use in deep seafloor penetrating probe rods to overcome the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present application is realized by the following technical solution: A drill hole drilling device applicable to a deep-sea penetrating exploration rod, comprising a drill pipe, a sleeve, a drill hole drilling device, and a sensor unit structure, the sleeve being integrally connected to the drill hole drilling device by a connecting plate, the drill pipe having a diameter smaller at its lower end than at its upper end, and a connecting point between the upper and lower ends being a diameter change position, the drill pipe being detachably drilled in the sleeve, the drill hole drilling device being provided with a resistance bracket and a numerical control module disposed inside the drill hole drilling device, the numerical control module being controlled by an operator. the numerical control module is connected to the resistance bracket via a signal to control the extension or contraction of the resistance bracket; the sensor unit structure is attached to the drill hole drilling device; when the drill pipe is penetrated, the drill pipe passes downward through the sleeve and is locked in the sleeve at a diameter change position; after the penetration is completed, the operator operates the controller to send a command; the numerical control module receives the signal and then releases the resistance bracket, and the drill pipe is detached from the sleeve and retrieved.

[0006] The drill hole drilling device can mechanically connect the drill pipe and the sensor unit structure, and since the drill pipe is thin at the bottom and thick at the top, when the drill pipe is penetrated, it can be automatically locked in one direction by the sleeve as it enters the sleeve, thereby achieving synchronized penetration of the drill pipe and the drill hole drilling device, and at the same time ensuring that the drill pipe contacts the mud surface of the seabed before the sensor unit structure.

[0007] The drill pipe has a conical bottom end, and the taper hole drilling device has a conical bottom end, which can effectively drill through soft sediments on the seabed surface.

[0008] The drill hole drilling device is provided with a mounting groove, and the resistance bracket is mounted in the mounting groove and rotatably extends outward to form an inverted umbrella-like structure, which can increase the resistance force against seabed sediments and prevent the sensor unit structure from being affected and displaced when the drill pipe is retrieved.

[0009] The resistance bracket is a plurality of blades hinged in the mounting groove, and the numerical control module controls whether the blades rotate to extend and spread out from the mounting groove or retract and retract into the mounting groove.

[0010] The three blades and the three mounting grooves are uniformly distributed around the periphery of the drilling device in the circumferential direction, which is advantageous in that the blades and the mounting grooves are uniformly distributed, so that the force they receive is uniform and the friction force with the sediment is increased.

[0011] The resistance bracket is a rigid structure.

[0012] The sensor unit structure is a flexible sensor chain, the lower end of which is attached to the cone-shaped hole digging device and the upper end of which is connected to a float. The flexible sensor chain is used as the sensor unit structure to prevent the cone-shaped hole digging device and the sensor unit structure from disappearing together, and the cooperation with the float is advantageous for subsequent retrieval work, thereby achieving the purpose of data retrieval.

[0013] The method of using the drill bit drilling device applied to the deep seabed penetrating exploration rod includes steps 1 to 6. In step 1, the drill pipe is inserted into the sleeve so that the diameter change position of the drill pipe is locked in the sleeve, and the sensor unit structure and the drill pipe are released and inserted into the seabed. In step 2, the drill pipe and sensor unit structure are synchronously penetrated into the seabed sediments by the action of the drill hole drilling device so that the drill pipe contacts the seabed mud surface before the sensor unit structure. In step 3, the operator operates the controller to send a command, and after the numerical control module receives the signal, it releases the resistance bracket to distribute it in an umbrella shape, detaches the drill pipe from the sleeve and retrieves it on the research vessel, and the sensor unit structure and the drill hole drilling device remain on the seabed. In step 4, the sensor unit structure is released and relaxed to a state where no force is applied, and the research vessel enters monitoring mode, performing long-term data collection and storage operations for the numerical control module. In step 5, the recovered drill pipe can be further used for other drilling operations. In step 6, an underwater grip or float is attached to the top of the sensor unit structure, and after the monitoring period is over, the worker remotely controls the unmanned underwater vehicle to grab the underwater grip or float, thereby recovering the sensor unit structure and the drilling device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] Compared with conventional technologies, the present application has the following advantages: the device solves the important technical problem of effectively separating the sensor unit from the mechanical drill pipe during the drill pipe recovery stage after the drill pipe has penetrated the seabed sediments; the technology significantly improves the work efficiency of the penetrating monitoring device for shallow seabed strata, realizes an operation mode in which one drill pipe can be matched with multiple sensor units, and improves the utilization rate of the penetration equipment and drill pipe by automatically separating the drill pipe from the sensor unit structure; and the device fulfills the function of effectively separating the penetrating drill pipe from the sensor unit structure during the seabed sediment monitoring process, thereby avoiding the problem that long-term monitoring cannot be carried out after the probe rod is recovered in the conventional probe rod form in which the drill pipe and the probe unit are integrated, and improving the utilization rate of the drill pipe in the penetration device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] In order to more clearly describe the embodiments of the present application or the solutions of the prior art, the following will briefly describe the drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Of course, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can conceive of other drawings based on these drawings without any creative effort. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the present application in an inserted state. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the present application in an inserted state. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present application in an inserted state. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the present application in the other direction in an inserted state. [Figure 6] 1 is a front view of a drill pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention in a withdrawn state. [Figure 7] 1 is a plan view of a drill pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention in a withdrawn state. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 1 is a side view of a drill pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention in a withdrawn state. [Figure 10] 1 is a perspective view of a drill pipe according to an embodiment of the present application in a withdrawn state. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the drill pipe according to the embodiment of the present application in a withdrawn state, viewed from the other side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the technical solutions will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings related to the present application, and it should be understood that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, and not all of the embodiments, and all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work based on the embodiments in the present application fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0017] Hereinafter, the drill hole digging device and method of use applied to the deep seafloor penetrating exploration rod provided by the present application will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] Please refer to Figures 1 to 11. This is a drill hole drilling device applicable to a deep seabed penetrating exploration rod, and it comprises a drill pipe 1, a sleeve 2, a drill hole drilling device 3, and a sensor unit structure 4, the sleeve 2 is integrally connected to the drill hole drilling device 3 by a connection plate 5, the diameter of the drill pipe 1 at its lower end is smaller than the diameter of its upper end, and the connection point between the upper and lower ends is a diameter change position, the drill pipe 1 is detachably drilled in the sleeve 2, the drill hole drilling device 3 is provided with a resistance bracket 6 and a numerical control module arranged inside the drill hole drilling device, and the numerical control module is controlled by an operator. The numerical control module is communicatively connected to the controller of the drill pipe 1, and the numerical control module is connected to the resistance bracket 6 by signal to control the extension or contraction of the resistance bracket 6. The sensor unit structure 4 is attached to the drill hole drilling device 3, and when the drill pipe 1 is penetrated, the drill pipe 1 passes through the sleeve 2 downward and is locked in the sleeve 2 at the diameter change position. After the penetration is completed, the operator operates the controller to send a command, and the numerical control module releases the resistance bracket 6 after receiving the signal, and the drill pipe 1 is detached from the sleeve 2 and retrieved.

[0019] The drill hole drilling device 3 can connect the drill pipe 1 and the sensor unit structure 4 by mechanically coupling them together. Since the drill pipe 1 is thin at the bottom and thick at the top, when the drill pipe 1 is penetrated, it can automatically engage with the sleeve 2 in one direction as it enters the sleeve 2. This enables the drill pipe 1 and the drill hole drilling device 3 to penetrate synchronously, and at the same time ensures that the drill pipe 1 contacts the mud surface of the seabed before the sensor unit structure 4.

[0020] The bottom end of the drill pipe 1 has a conical structure, and the bottom end of the taper hole drilling device 3 also has a conical structure. Because the bottom ends of both the drill pipe 1 and the taper hole drilling device 3 have a conical structure, they can effectively drill through soft sediments on the seabed surface and are advantageous in reducing the resistance force during the penetration process of the entire equipment.

[0021] The drill hole drilling device 3 is provided with a mounting groove 7, and the resistance bracket 6 is mounted within the mounting groove 7 and extends rotatably outward to form an inverted umbrella-like structure. After penetration is complete, an operator on the research vessel issues a command to retrieve the drill pipe 1 on the deck, and the drill hole drilling device 3 releases the resistance bracket 6. The inverted umbrella-like structure of the resistance bracket 6 increases the resistance force with the seabed sediments, and prevents the sensor unit structure 4 from being affected and displaced when the drill pipe 1 is retrieved upward.

[0022] The resistance bracket 6 is a plurality of blades hinged in a mounting groove 7, and the numerical control module controls whether the blades rotate to extend and fold out from the mounting groove or retract and retract into the mounting groove 7.

[0023] There are three blades and three corresponding mounting grooves 7, and the three mounting grooves 7 are uniformly distributed circumferentially around the outer periphery of the conical hole digging device 3. By uniformly distributing the blades and mounting grooves 7, the force they receive is uniform, which is advantageous for increasing the frictional force with the sediment.

[0024] The resistance bracket 6 is a rigid structure.

[0025] The sensor unit structure 4 is a flexible sensor chain, the lower end of which is attached to the drilling device 3, and the upper end of which is connected to a submersible grip or float. The flexible sensor chain prevents the drilling device 3 and the sensor unit structure 4 from disappearing together, and its use in conjunction with the float facilitates subsequent recovery and achieves the purpose of data recovery. The submersible grip or float is not shown in the drawings. In this embodiment, the sensor unit structure 4 can employ a soil mechanical strength sensor, a temperature sensor, a sediment void pressure sensor, a resistivity sensor, and a tilt sensor. The sensor unit structure 4 can be an independent unit or a collection of multiple sensors.

[0026] The method of using the boring device 3 applied to the deep seabed penetrating exploration rod includes steps 1 to 6. In step 1, the drill pipe 1 is inserted into the sleeve 2 so that the diameter change position of the drill pipe 1 is locked in the sleeve 2, and the sensor unit structure 4 and the drill pipe 1 are released and inserted into the seabed. In step 2, the drill pipe 1 and the sensor unit structure 4 are synchronously penetrated into the seabed sediments by the action of the drill hole drilling device 3 so that the drill pipe 1 contacts the mud surface of the seabed before the sensor unit structure 4. In step 3, the operator operates the controller to send a command, and after the numerical control module receives the signal, the resistance bracket 6 is released and distributed in an umbrella shape, the drill pipe 1 is detached from the sleeve 2 and retrieved to the research vessel, and the sensor unit structure 4 and the drilling device 3 remain on the seabed. In step 4, the sensor unit structure 4 is released and loosened to a state where no force is applied, and the monitoring mode of the research vessel is initiated, and the numerical control module performs long-term data collection and storage operations. In step 5, the recovered drill pipe 1 can be further used for other drilling operations. In step 6, an underwater grip or float is attached to the top of the sensor unit structure 4, and after the monitoring period is over, the worker remotely controls the unmanned underwater vehicle to grab the underwater grip or float, thereby recovering the sensor unit structure 4 and the drilling device 3.

[0027] In this embodiment, when the entire drill pipe 1 reaches the target depth in the deposit, the numerical control module issues a command to the drill hole drilling device 3 to expand the originally closed resistance bracket 6. The rigid resistance bracket 6 increases the friction between the device and the soil when expanded, preventing the sensor unit structure 4 with the drill pipe 1 from being carried away when the entire drill pipe 1 is retrieved. The drill pipe 1, with its thick upper end and thin lower end, can pass directly through the sleeve during retrieval. The retrieval of the drill pipe 1 does not affect the position of the drill hole drilling device 3 and its attached sensor unit structure 4 in the deposit, effectively ensuring that the sensor unit structure 4 can be used for long-term in-situ monitoring. The retrieved drill pipe 1 can then be used for other drilling operations. Although the drill pipe 1 may push the sleeve slightly upward during retrieval, the resistance of the resistance bracket 6 compensates for the sleeve's movement error, preventing the sensor unit structure 4 from changing position.

[0028] After the penetration operation is completed, the flexible sensor chain sinks into the seabed sediments. After the drill pipe 1 is retrieved, the flexible sensor chain is released and becomes slack and tension-free. After the drill pipe 1 is retrieved, the flexible sensor chain remains on the seabed and enters monitoring mode, performing long-term data collection and storage. After the detection cycle is over, the drill hole drilling device 3, flexible sensor chain, and float are remotely operated to be retrieved by an unmanned underwater vehicle. A data collection and storage unit can be installed inside the float, allowing for emergency retrieval of the float even if the flexible sensor chain fails to be retrieved, thereby achieving the purpose of data recovery.

[0029] In this embodiment, a processor is employed as the numerical control module. The processor may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be another general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, or the like. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or the processor may be any conventional processor, or the like. The processor serves as the control center of the device and connects each part using various interfaces and wiring.

[0030] Finally, it should be understood that the above embodiments are for illustrating the technical solutions of the present application, not for limiting the same, and the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments. However, those skilled in the art may still modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some or all of the technical features thereof, and such modifications or substitutions shall not deviate from the essence of the corresponding technical solutions and the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0031] This application claims priority from a Chinese patent application bearing application number 2023107055536 and entitled "Drilling apparatus and method for use applied to deep seabed penetration exploration rods," filed with the China Patent Office on June 14, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1. Drill pipe 2 sleeves 3 Cone-shaped hole digging device 4. Sensor unit structure 5 Connection board 6 Resistance Bracket 7 Mounting groove

Claims

1. A drill hole drilling device applicable to a deep seabed penetrating exploration rod, comprising a drill pipe, a sleeve, a drill hole drilling device, and a sensor unit structure, wherein the sleeve is integrally connected to the drill hole drilling device by a connecting plate, the diameter of the drill pipe at its lower end is smaller than the diameter of its upper end, and the connecting point between the upper end and the lower end is a diameter change position, the drill pipe is detachably drilled in the sleeve, the drill hole drilling device is provided with a resistance bracket and a numerical control module arranged inside the drill hole drilling device, the numerical control module is connected to an operator's controller so as to be able to communicate with the numerical control module, a control module connected to the resistance bracket by a signal to control the extension or contraction of the resistance bracket; the sensor unit structure is attached to the drilling device; when the drill pipe is penetrated, the drill pipe passes downward through the sleeve and is locked in the sleeve at a diameter change position; after the penetration is completed, an operator operates a controller to send a command; the numerical control module receives a signal and then releases the resistance bracket, and the drill pipe is detached from the sleeve and retrieved.

2. The drill pipe has a bottom end with a conical structure, and the drill hole drilling device has a bottom end with a conical structure.

3. The taper hole digging device applicable to the deep seafloor penetrating exploration rod described in claim 1, characterized in that the taper hole digging device is provided with an attachment groove, and the resistance bracket is attached within the attachment groove and extends rotatably outward to form an inverted umbrella-shaped structure.

4. 4. The deep seafloor penetrating exploration rod of claim 3, wherein the resistance bracket is a plurality of blades hingedly connected within the mounting groove, and the numerical control module controls whether the blades rotate to extend and spread out from the mounting groove or contract and store within the mounting groove.

5. A taper hole digging device applicable to a deep seabed penetrating exploration rod as described in claim 4, characterized in that there are three blades, three corresponding mounting grooves, and the three mounting grooves are uniformly distributed circumferentially around the outer periphery of the taper hole digging device.

6. The drilling device applied to a deep-sea penetrating probe as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the resistance bracket is a rigid structure.

7. The sensor unit structure is a flexible sensor chain, the lower end of which is attached to the drilling device and the upper end of which is connected to an underwater grip or a float.

8. 1. A method of using a borehole drilling device applied to a deep seafloor penetrating probe, comprising: Step 1: penetrating a drill pipe into a sleeve so as to lock a diameter change position of the drill pipe into the sleeve, and then releasing the sensor unit structure and the drill pipe to penetrate into the seabed; Step 2: synchronously penetrating the drill pipe and the sensor unit structure into the seabed sediments by the action of the drill hole drilling device so that the drill pipe contacts the seabed mud surface before the sensor unit structure; Step 3: the operator operates the controller to send a command, and after the numerical control module receives the signal, the resistance bracket is released to distribute it in an umbrella shape, the drill pipe is detached from the sleeve and retrieved into the research vessel, and the sensor unit structure and the drilling device remain on the seabed; Step 4: releasing the sensor unit structure to a relaxed, non-acting state, and starting the monitoring mode of the research vessel to perform the long-term data collection and storage operation of the numerical control module; Step 5: using the recovered drill pipe for further drilling operations; and (6) attaching an underwater grip or float to the top of the sensor unit structure, and after the monitoring period is over, an operator remotely controls the unmanned underwater vehicle to grab the underwater grip or float, thereby retrieving the sensor unit structure and the drilling device.

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