SYSTEMS, METHODS AND DEVICES FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF AN INDUSTRIAL MACHINE BASED ON A TUBE ATTRIBUTE.

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for controlling the operation of an industrial machine (e.g., a drill) based on a certain attribute of a tube; a sensor is configured to generate an output signal related to a characteristic of the tube; the characteristic of the tube may be the presence or absence of a tube, a weight of the tube, etc.A controller receives the sensor's output signal and determines a pipe attribute based on that signal. In some modes, the pipe attribute is the pipe's wall thickness. In some modes, the controller determines the pipe wall thickness based on the difference between an initial pipe weight and the pipe's current weight. In some modes, the controller determines the pipe wall thickness based on the difference between an initial pipe diameter and the pipe's current diameter. The controller is then configured to control the industrial machine or take a control action based on the pipe attribute.

Description

SYSTEMS, METHODS AND DEVICES FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF AN INDUSTRIAL MACHINE BASED ON A TUBE ATTRIBUTE CROSS REFERENCE This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 987,485, filed on March 10, 2020, the full content of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The modalities described herein refer to an industrial machine, such as a drilling machine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The modalities described herein provide systems, methods, and devices for controlling the operation of an industrial machine (e.g., a drilling machine) based on a specific attribute of a pipe. A sensor is configured to generate an output signal related to a pipe characteristic. The pipe characteristic can be the presence or absence of the pipe, its weight, etc. A controller receives the sensor's output signal and determines a pipe attribute based on it. In some modalities, the pipe attribute is its wall thickness. The controller determines the pipe wall thickness, for example, based on the difference between an initial weight for the pipe and its current weight. The controller is then configured to control the industrial machine or take a control action based on the pipe attribute.For example, the controller can change which tube the industrial machine is using, can rotate the tubes that are being used by the industrial machine, etc. One modality provides a system for measuring the condition of a pipe in an industrial drilling rig. The system includes a sensor configured to measure a pipe characteristic associated with the pipe and an electronic controller coupled to the sensor, which includes a processor and memory. The electronic controller is configured to receive an output from the sensor indicative of the pipe characteristic, determine a pipe attribute based on that characteristic, and then send an output signal based on the determined pipe attribute. MA / a / zuzz / ui i ¿oa Another modality provides a system for measuring the condition of a pipe in an industrial drilling rig. The system includes a sensor configured to measure a pipe characteristic associated with the pipe and an electronic controller coupled to the sensor, which includes a processor and memory. The electronic controller is configured to receive an output from the sensor indicative of the pipe characteristic, determine a pipe attribute based on that characteristic, and then send an output signal based on the determined pipe attribute. An additional modality provides a method for measuring the condition of a pipe in an industrial drill. The drill is configured to rotationally drive the pipe to perform a drilling operation. The method includes receiving, via an electronic controller, an initial output from a first sensor. This initial output is indicative of a pipe characteristic associated with the pipe. The electronic controller then determines a pipe attribute based on this pipe characteristic. The method further includes comparing the pipe attribute to a predetermined threshold. When the pipe attribute exceeds this threshold, the method sends an output signal based on the determined pipe attribute. Before any of the modalities are explained in detail, it should be understood that the modalities are not limited in their application to the details of the configuration and arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The modalities can be practiced or carried out in various ways. Furthermore, it is understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered limiting. The use of "including," "comprising," or "having" and variations thereof means that it covers the items listed below and their equivalents, as well as additional items. Unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "supported," and "coupled," and variations thereof, are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings.Furthermore, it should be understood that the modalities may include hardware, software, and electronic components or modules that, for the purposes of this description, may be illustrated and described as if most of the components were implemented solely in hardware. However, a person of ordinary technical skill, based on a reading of this detailed description, will recognize that, in at least one modality, the electronics-based aspects may be implemented in software (e.g., stored on a non-transient, computer-readable medium) executable by one or more processing units, such as a microprocessor and / or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). As such, it should be noted that a plurality of hardware- and software-based devices, as well as a plurality of different structural components, may be used to implement the modalities.For example, servers and computing devices described in the specification may include one or more processing units, one or more computer-readable media modules, one or more input / output interfaces, and various connections (e.g., a bus bar system) that connect the components. Other aspects of the modalities will become evident through consideration of the detailed description and the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS MA / a / ZUZZ / UI 1 Zú» FIG. 1 illustrates an industrial machine, according to the modalities described herein. FIG. 2 illustrates a tube storage unit, according to the modalities described herein. FIG. 3 illustrates a tube storage unit, according to the modalities described herein. FIG. 4 illustrates a tube storage unit, according to the modalities described herein. FIG. 5A illustrates a control system for an industrial machine, according to the modalities described herein. FIG. 5B illustrates a portion of the control system of FIG. 5A in accordance with some of the modalities described herein. FIG. 6 is a procedure for the control of an industrial machine, according to the methods described herein. FIG. 7 is a procedure for determining the wear level of a tube in an industrial machine, according to the methods described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Although the embodiments described herein may be applied to or used in conjunction with a variety of industrial machines, the embodiments described herein are described with respect to a drill, such as a borehole drill 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. The drill 100 is used, for example, during surface mining operations. The drill 100 includes a base 105, a body 110 including a machine platform 115, and an operator compartment or cab module 120 supported at least partially on a portion of the machine platform 115. In some embodiments, the drill 100 is moved on drive tracks 125 and, when in an operating position, is supported by at least one support structure 130. The drill 100 defines a first end 135 where a drill mast 140 is located and a second end 145 opposite the first end 135.In the illustrated mode, the cabin module 120 is positioned adjacent to the drill mast 140 near the first end 135 of the drill 100. The drill mast 140 of the drill rig 100 includes a steel drill rod or pipe 150 and a drill bit 155 used to drill holes in the ground during a surface mining operation. The drill mast 140 also includes a lowering / raising mechanism driven by an actuator (e.g., a hydraulic actuator, an electric motor, etc.) that provides torque to rotate the lowering / raising mechanism via a geared elevator transmission. In some embodiments, the drill mast 140 also includes a pipe storage area for storing drill pipes when they are not in use. The pipe storage area is described in more detail later. During operation, the drill rig 100 can be positioned at a desired drilling location.Once the drill rig 100 is safely leveled using leveling controls, the drill pipe 150 of the drill rig 100 is used to drill holes in the ground. In some configurations, onboard cameras 160 are positioned on the drill rig 100. The cameras 160 display the area around the drill rig 100. In some configurations, an operator is located remotely from the drill rig 100 and / or the drill rig 100 is autonomous. In some configurations, the autonomous drill rig 100 is a self-contained drill without a cab 100. The condition of drill pipes for drilling operations can decline over time, and the pipes may become unsuitable for drilling. For example, drill pipes wear down over time due to wall thickness erosion caused by the corrosive effect of drill cuttings blown out of the borehole. The integrity of drill pipes can become weaker, thinner, or more susceptible to damage if used during drilling operations, or they may not perform drilling operations as effectively. Accordingly, a system and method are provided for measuring the condition of a pipe and determining whether the pipe is in suitable condition for drilling operations. Figure 2 illustrates a pipe storage area 200 for storing pipes 150 for use with the drill 100, which can be included in the drill mast 140. The illustrated pipe storage area 200 includes a first pipe storage compartment 205, a second pipe storage compartment 210, a third pipe storage compartment 215, and a fourth pipe storage compartment 220. The pipe storage compartments 205-220 can include a first pipe 225 (e.g., pipe 150), a second pipe 230, a third pipe 235, and a fourth pipe 240, respectively stored in the pipe storage compartments 205-220. The four-compartment pipe storage area 200 is shown in Figure 2 for illustrative purposes. In other embodiments, additional or fewer pipe storage compartments may be included in the pipe storage area. For example, FIG.3. A pipe storage area 300 for the drill 100 is included in the drill mast 140. The pipe storage area 300 includes a first pipe storage compartment 305, a second pipe storage compartment 310, a third pipe storage compartment 315, a fourth pipe storage compartment 320, a fifth pipe storage compartment 325, and a sixth pipe storage compartment 330. The pipe storage compartments 305-330 include respectively a first pipe 335, a second pipe 340, a third pipe 345, a fourth pipe 350, a fifth pipe 355, and a sixth pipe 360. In some embodiments, the 200 pipe storage area may be a multi-position rotating platform for receiving and storing 150 pipes. For example, the 200 pipe storage area may be movable to align a pipe storage compartment (e.g., 205-220) and a drill hole in line with the associated 150 pipe for drilling operations. Similarly, the 200 pipe storage area may be movable to align a 150 pipe with a pipe driver for coupling and / or uncoupling the 150 pipe to the pipe driver. Additionally, the 200 pipe storage area may be movable to facilitate pipe exchange (e.g., swapping one pipe for another).For example, the 200 pipe storage area can be movable to align an empty 205-220 storage compartment with a first pipe being removed from the drilling operation and moved into the 205-220 storage compartment. The 200 pipe storage area can then be moved again to align a different 205-200 storage compartment housing a second pipe, which is intended to replace the first pipe for the drilling operation. In other words, the 200 pipe storage area can be moved or rotated to make the various 205-220 storage compartments or the different pipes housed within the 205-220 storage compartments accessible to the drill rig. The movement of the tube storage area 200 can be executed by a tube control drive 510 and a tube control actuator 550, as described herein. For example, the tube storage area motor 655 can assist in moving or rotating the tube storage area 200. Additionally, a clamping arm motor 640 and a clamping arm movement motor 650 can also assist in the movement of the tube storage area 200 and the movement and exchange of tubes 150 within the tube storage area 200. Each of the pipe storage compartments can be configured to measure or detect one or more pipe characteristics of the pipe(s). The operation of the drill 100 can then be controlled based on the measured or detected pipe characteristic(s). In some embodiments, the pipe storage compartments may include a pipe sensor to measure or detect the pipe characteristic(s). Figure 4 illustrates a pipe storage area 400 that includes a pipe storage compartment 405. In some embodiments, the pipe storage compartment 405 corresponds to either pipe storage compartments 205-220 or 305-330. Tube storage compartment 405 includes a tube 410 stored within it. Sensor 415 can be positioned in tube storage area 200 for measuring or detecting the tube's characteristics when tube 410 is stored within either tube storage compartments 205-220 or 305-330. In some configurations, sensor 415 is positioned in a lower or bottom portion of tube storage compartment 405. In other configurations, sensor 415 can be positioned in other sections of tube storage compartment 405. Additionally, in still other configurations, sensor 415 can be positioned outside of tube storage compartment 405.For example, sensor 415 can be positioned in a location separate from the tube storage compartment 405 where tube 410 is conveyed to acquire a tube characteristic measured by sensor 415. In some embodiments, sensor 415 can be permanently or temporarily attached to tube 410 to measure the tube characteristic. Additionally, in some embodiments, sensor 415 can be positioned elsewhere on the drill 100 in a location suitable for measuring the tube characteristics as described herein. In some embodiments, sensor 415 is a load cell (for example, a beam-type load cell). Sensor 415 is configured to, for example, measure the weight (or mass) of the contents of tube storage compartment 405. In other words, sensor 415 is configured to measure the weight of tube 410 when tube 410 is stored inside tube storage compartment 405. For example, load cell 415 can output a voltage signal (for example, between 0 and 5 volts) proportional to the weight resting on load cell 415, thereby measuring the weight of the contents of tube storage compartment 405. In some embodiments, a load cell is positioned differently within the tube storage compartment or outputs different signals to indicate the weight of the contents of tube storage compartment 405.In some configurations, sensor 415 is positioned so that it can determine the hydraulic pressure of a tube drive when the drive is in a particular state. This state can include the operating condition of the industrial machine or a condition of the tubes. For example, the state could be a particular machine operating condition, such as a specific number of tubes in the system, whether the machine is drilling or threading new tubes or drill bits, whether the machine's position is changing, and so on. In one configuration, sensor 415 can determine the hydraulic pressure of the tube drive during a tube handling state (for example, when threading / unthreading tubes, when the mast is vertical, or when the machine is leveled on its supports). In some embodiments, sensor 415 is positioned so that it can determine the diameter of tube 410. In some embodiments, sensor 415 is an optical sensor (e.g., a LiDAR sensor), a sonar, or a laser. Sensor 415 is configured, for example, to determine the diameter of tube 410 at an initial time and then again at a later time when tube 410 is stored in the tube storage compartment 405. For example, sensor 415 can output a signal proportional to the diameter of tube 410. In some embodiments, sensor 415 is positioned in the tube storage compartment or elsewhere on the drill 100 so that it can determine the vibration frequency (e.g., resonant frequency) of tube 410 when a hammer strikes it. For example, sensor 415 can be configured to determine the frequency at which tube 410 resonates after a hammer strikes it. In this embodiment, tube 410 may be hanging freely from the drill 100 when the hammer strikes it, and sensor 415 measures the frequency of tube 410. Sensor 415 can then send a signal to the controller proportional to the frequency at which tube 410 resonates, thereby measuring the mass of tube 410. In some embodiments, the vibration sensor may be an accelerometer. In some models, the vibration sensor may be an eddy current or an extensometer.The vibration sensor can be incorporated within a rotary transmission coupling. In some configurations, sensor 415 can be an audio sensor to determine the vibration frequency of tube 410 when a hammer strikes it. The audio sensor can be a non-contact sensor, such as a shock sensor in an electric motor or a suitably sensitive LIDAR sensor. In this configuration, when the hammer strikes tube 410, the audio sensor records the fundamental frequency of the noise decay. The fundamental frequency will increase with a loss of mass in tube 410. Based on the output signal(s) of sensor 415, one or more characteristics of the tube can be determined. In some embodiments, the presence or absence of tube 410 in the tube storage compartment 405 is determined. In some embodiments, sensor 415 is protected from overload conditions by a hard retaining bracket that limits, for example, the deflection of a load cell. In some embodiments, tube 410 includes an identification device or identification component 420. The identification device 420 is, for example, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag or similar device that allows one or more characteristics of the tube to be determined. For example, the identification device 420 can automatically provide information to a controller (see FIG. 5A) related to an initial or starting weight of tube 410, a product number for tube 410, etc.In other modalities, information related to the initial or starting weight of the 410 tube can be entered manually or received remotely over a network. The drill 100 includes a control system 500 which includes a controller 505, as shown in FIG. 5A. The controller 505 is electrically and / or communicatively connected to a variety of system modules or components 500 or drill 100. For example, the illustrated controller 505 connects to a pipe control drive 510, a drill control drive 515, a motion control drive 520, a network communications module 525 that connects to a network 530, one or more pipe sensors 535 (e.g., sensor 415), one or more drill sensors 540, and one or more load monitoring sensors 545. The pipe control drive 510 connects to a pipe control actuator 550 (e.g., a hydraulic motor / pump, electric motor, etc.), and the drill control drive 515 connects to a drill control actuator 555 (e.g., a hydraulic motor / pump, electric motor, etc.).), and the motion control driver 520 connects to a motion control actuator 560 (e.g., a motor, an electric motor, etc.). The controller 505 includes hardware and software combinations that are operational for, among other things, controlling the operation of system 500, controlling the operation of drill 100, etc. Figure 5B illustrates a portion of the control system of Figure 5A in greater detail, according to some embodiments. In particular, Figure 5B illustrates an example of the pipe control actuator 550 and the drill control actuator 555 in greater detail, and examples of the components connected to it. The drill control actuator 555 is configured to control the rotation of an attached pipe (and thus an attached drill bit) and to control the elevation of the pipe (and thus the attached drill bit). In some embodiments, the drill control actuator 555 includes a pipe rotation motor 605 that rotates to cause the rotation of pipe 150, and a pipe elevation motor 610 that controls the elevation and descent of pipe 150. In some embodiments, the pipe rotation motor 605 is coupled to a transmission 615 that receives the rotational output from the pipe rotation motor 605 and, in turn, rotationally drives a pipe impeller 620 that holds the pipe. The rotation of the pipe impeller 620 rotationally drives the pipe 150 coupled to the pipe impeller 620.In some embodiments, the pipe hoist motor 610 is coupled to drive a pinion 625 that interfaces with a corresponding rack (not shown) provided on and extending along the mast 140. The rack and pinion cooperate to raise and lower a connected pipe assembly 630, based on the clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the pinion, to change the elevation of the pipe hoist 620 and pipe 150. By rotating the pipe 150 and drill bit 155 and lowering the elevation of the pipe 150 and drill bit 155, the drill 100 is configured to drill into the ground below the drill 100 (see, for example, FIG. 1). Although the 620 pipe impeller is shown as coupled to the 150 pipe, the description applies similarly to other pipes of the 100 drill (e.g., the pipes in FIGS. 2 and 3) when one of these other pipes is coupled to the 620 pipe impeller. The 550 pipe control actuator is configured to rotate or change the pipes of the 100 drill. In some configurations, the 550 pipe control actuator may include multiple hydraulic motors / pumps, electric motors, etc., for changing the pipes. For example, the 550 pipe control actuator may include a clamping arm motor 640 that causes a clamping arm 645 to clamp and disconnect the current pipe from the 100 drill at the 620 pipe drive.The tube control actuator 550 further includes a clamping arm movement motor 650 that moves the clamping arm 645 to move the disconnected tube into a tube storage area such as tube storage area 200, and a tube storage area rotation motor 655 that is configured to rotate tube storage area 200 to align an open compartment of tube storage area 200 with the disconnected tube being held by the clamping arm 645. The clamping arm clamping motor 640 is then configured to release the disconnected tube into the open compartment of tube storage area 200.The rotation motor of the tube storage area 620 can then rotate the tube storage compartments 205-220 to align a tube (e.g., one of the tubes 225-240) with the clamping arm 645, and the clamping arm motor 640 is used to control the clamping arm 645 to take the aligned tube from the tube storage compartment of storage area 200. Then, the clamping arm movement motor 650 is used to move the clamping arm 645 to move the taken tube to connect the tube to the tube drive 620. Therefore, the tube control actuator 550 is configured to transfer a first tube (e.g., tube 150) from the tube drive 620 to a second tube (e.g., one of the tubes 225-240) from the tube storage area 200. As described earlier, the 200 tube storage area can be moved to various positions to provide access to a storage compartment (such as the 205-220 storage compartments) or a 150 tube housed within a storage compartment. For example, the 200 tube storage area can be moved to align a 150 tube with a tube drive to couple the tube to the drive. Similarly, the 200 tube storage area can be moved to align a storage compartment with a 150 tube on the drive to remove the tube and position it in the tube storage area. Consequently, the 200 tube storage area can be moved to facilitate tube exchange (e.g., swapping one tube for another).In some embodiments, the pipe storage motor 655 moves the pipe storage area 200 to align with the pipe drive 620 and a borehole requiring pipe. In some embodiments, the clamping arm motor 640 and the clamping arm movement motor 650 can be used to move the clamping arm 645 to exchange a first pipe (e.g., pipe 150) from the pipe drive 620 with a second pipe (e.g., one of pipes 225-240) from the pipe storage area 200. Once the pipes have been exchanged, the pipe storage motor 655 can move the pipe storage area 200 out of the way for the drilling operation. Although the tube storage area 200 is shown and described with respect to the tube control actuator 550 in FIG. 5B, in some embodiments, the tube storage area 300 (and its tubes 335-360) or another tube storage area is used instead. The motors 605, 610, 640, 650, and 655 of FIG. 5B may be a hydraulic pump / motor, an electric motor, or the like. Returning to FIG. 5A, the motion control actuator 560 is configured to drive the drive tracks 125 (see FIG. 1) to move the drill 100 along the ground. The motion control actuator 560 may include a first motor or pump that drives a first (left) track of the drive tracks 125, and a second motor or pump that drives a second (right) track of the drive tracks 125, to provide independent control of each of the first and second drive tracks. With independent control of the first and second drive tracks, the controller 505 can control, via the motion control drive 520, the drill 100 to move forward, to move in reverse, and to turn around. The controller 505 includes a plurality of electrical and electronic components that provide power, operational control, and protection to the components and modules within the controller 505, system 500, and / or punch 100. For example, the controller 505 includes, among other things, a processing unit 565 (for example, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, or other suitable programmable device), a memory 570, input units 575, and output units 580. The processing unit 565 includes, among other things, a control unit 585, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 590, and a plurality of registers 595 (shown as a register group in Figure 5A), and is implemented using a known computer architecture (for example, a modified Harvard architecture, a von Neumann architecture, etc.).The processing unit 565, the memory 570, the input units 575, and the output units 580, as well as the various modules or circuits connected to the controller 505, are connected by means of one or more control and / or data busbars (for example, the common busbar 600). The control and / or data busbars are generally shown in FIG. 5A for illustrative purposes. The use of one or more control and / or data busbars for interconnection and communication between the various modules, circuits, and components of the system 500 would be known to a person skilled in the art in view of the invention described herein. Memory 570 is a non-transient, computer-readable medium and includes, for example, a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area and the data storage area may include combinations of different types of memory, such as ROM, RAM (e.g., DRAM, SDRAM, etc.), EEPROM, fast memory, a hard disk, an SD card, or other suitable magnetic, optical, physical, or electronic memory devices. Processing unit 565 is connected to memory 570 and executes software instructions that can be stored in RAM of memory 570 (e.g., during execution), ROM of memory 570 (e.g., on a generally permanent basis), or other non-transient, computer-readable medium such as other memory or a disk. The software included in the system implementation 505 can be stored in memory 570 of controller 505.The software includes, for example, unerasable programs, one or more applications, program data, filters, rules, one or more program modules, and other executable instructions. Controller 505 is configured to retrieve from memory 570 and execute, among other things, the instructions related to the control procedures and methods described in this document. In other configurations, Controller 505 includes additional, fewer, or different components. In some configurations, the 505 controller is configured to receive input signals via the 525 network communication module over the 530 network. The input signals received by the 505 controller include motion command signals from, for example, a remote control interface. These motion command signals include, for instance, signals related to adding or changing pipe in a drill string, controlling the movement of the drill bit 155, controlling the movement of the drill rig 100, and so on. After receiving a motion command signal, the 505 controller controls the pipe control actuator 550, the drill control actuator 555, and the motion control actuator 560 accordingly. iviA / a / zuzz / uii ¿jy A 530 network is, for example, a wide area network (WAN) (e.g., a TCP / IP-based network), a local area network (LAN), a neighborhood area network (NAN), a home area network (HAN), or a personal area network (PAN) that employs any of a variety of communication protocols, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, etc. In some implementations, the 530 network is a cellular network, such as, for example, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, an Optimized Evolution Data (EV-DO) network, an Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) network, a 3GSM network, a 4GSM network, a 4G LTE network, a 5G New Radio network, a Digital Enhanced Wireless Telecommunications (DECT) network, a Digital AMPS (es-136 / TDMA) network, or an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN) network, etc. One or more 535 tube sensors (e.g., sensor 415) generate and provide output signals to controller 505. Based on the output signals received from the 535 tube sensors, controller 505 is configured to, among other things, determine the presence or absence of a tube in a tube storage compartment, determine a characteristic (e.g., weight, mass, diameter, vibration frequency) of a tube either in or outside a tube storage compartment, and determine a tube attribute (e.g., tube wall thickness, tube erosion level, tube soundness, tube integrity, wear level, etc.) based on that characteristic. For example, the weight and diameter of a new, unused tube for drill 100 are known but may vary depending on the tube size.Based on the known starting or initial weight of a pipe installed for use with the drill rig 100 (for example, within a pipe storage compartment), a measured weight of the pipe can be used by the controller 505 to determine the amount of pipe erosion that has occurred (i.e., based on the difference between the initial weight and the current weight, or the difference between the initial diameter and the current diameter). Once the pipe's erosion exceeds a predetermined threshold, the controller 505 can determine if the pipe is in suitable condition for drilling operations. For example, once the pipe erosion exceeds a predetermined threshold, the controller 505 can control the drill rig 100 to replace the eroded pipe with a replacement pipe.Additionally, or alternatively, the 505 controller can inform an industrial machine operator of the level of tube erosion or that the tube erosion has exceeded a threshold so that the operator can take appropriate action. For example, the pipes used with the 100 drill are made of known materials and can have predictable wear patterns based on specifications provided by a manufacturer (e.g., a linear relationship between pipe weight and pipe wall thickness, and between pipe diameter and pipe wall thickness). As a result, as the pipe wears or is eroded by use (e.g., from the corrosive effect of drill cuttings blown out of the borehole), the 505 controller is configured to correlate a reduction in pipe weight or pipe diameter to a reduction in pipe wall thickness (i.e., pipe material loss). The pipe wall thickness can then be used to determine when the pipe should be replaced and / or removed.The 505 controller can store weight and diameter measurements for pipes and specified pipe wall thicknesses in memory 570. Once the pipe weight or pipe wall thickness falls below a predetermined threshold, the 505 controller can initiate a command to replace the pipe. The one or more drill sensors 540 include accelerometers, proximity sensors, etc., which are used by the controller 505 to determine a position or orientation associated with the drill 100. For example, the drill sensors 540 can be used to determine the orientation of the drill mast 140 with respect to gravity (e.g., to determine the verticality of the drill mast 140). An output from the pipe sensors 535 can be modified or compensated based on the angle of the drill mast (e.g., when the drill mast 140 is not vertical, the full weight of a pipe is not measured by the pipe sensor 535). The compensated outputs from the pipe sensors 535 can then be used to determine the pipe attribute. The controller 505 can store the compensated weight measurements for the pipes and the determined pipe attribute in memory 570. The one or more load monitoring sensors 545 include, for example, vibration sensors, torque sensors, rotational speed sensors, etc. The load monitoring sensors 545 can be used by the controller 505 to determine the load experienced by a tube over time. For example, the controller 505 stores and monitors the torque applied to each tube, the vibrations experienced by the tube, the rotational speed of the tube, the acceleration of the tube, etc., to determine a load or load force value for each tube (for example, in newtons). The monitored load experienced by a tube can be used in conjunction with, or instead of, the weight of the tube to determine the level of wear experienced by the tube.In some modalities, the load experienced by a tube is monitored and compared to a certain wall thickness so that the tube can determine if the determined wall thickness and the load experienced by the tube are consistent with each other (i.e., the load experienced produced expected erosion of the tube based on historical wear data for the tube). Figure 6 is a procedure 700 for controlling an industrial machine, such as the punch 100. Procedure 700 begins with the measurement of a pipe characteristic (STEP 705). The pipe characteristic is measured, for example, using one or more pipe sensors 535 or one or more load monitoring sensors 545, as described earlier. The output signals from the one or more pipe sensors 535 or load monitoring sensors 545 related to the pipe characteristic are provided to the controller 505. After STEP 705, a punch characteristic is measured (STEP 710). The punch characteristic is measured using one or more punch sensors 540 or one or more load monitoring sensors 545, as described earlier. The output signals from one or more drill sensors 540 or load monitoring sensors 545 related to the drill characteristic are provided to the controller 505.For example, one or more sensors on the drill rig 540 indicate to the controller 505 a position or orientation associated with the drill rig 100, such as the orientation of the drill mast 140 with respect to gravity. One or more load monitoring sensors 545 can indicate a load applied to the pipe during drill operation. After STEP 710, the controller 505 determines a pipe attribute (e.g., pipe wall thickness, pipe integrity, or pipe wear level) based on the pipe characteristic and the drill characteristic (STEP 715). For example, to determine the pipe attribute, the pipe characteristic indicated by one or more pipe sensors 535 may be modified or compensated based on the drill mast angle (e.g., when the drill mast 140 is not vertical, the full weight of a pipe or the precise pipe diameter is not measured by the pipe sensor 535). In some configurations, when the drill mast 140 is vertical, and the pipe sensor 535 includes the load cell (see FIG.4) The vibration sensor, or the pressure sensor that indicates the weight of the pipe, the weight indicated by the load cell, the vibration sensor, or the pressure sensor can be determined to be the weight of the pipe without additional compensation (e.g., the weight can be multiplied by a compensation factor of 1.0). However, when the drill characteristic indicates that the drill mast 140 is at an angle of 15 degrees away from vertical, the weight of the pipe indicated by the sensor can be adjusted upward by multiplying the indicated weight by a compensation factor corresponding to the 15-degree angle. In some embodiments, when the drill mast 140 is vertical, and the pipe sensor 353 includes an optical sensor that indicates the diameter of the pipe, the diameter indicated by the optical sensor can be determined to be the diameter of the pipe without additional compensation (e.g., the diameter may not require additional calculations).However, when the drill characteristic indicates that the drill mast 140 is at an angle of 15 degrees away from the vertical, the tube diameter indicated by the optical sensor can be adjusted by the controller 505 by calculating the diameter with the 15-degree offset taken into account. The compensated outputs of the 535 pipe sensors can then be used to determine the pipe attribute. For example, the compensated weight value or diameter value can correspond to a pipe thickness, a pipe integrity level, or a pipe wear level. As described earlier, the pipe weight 150 can correspond to the pipe wall thickness and, therefore, the pipe wear level. For example, as the pipe wears or erodes from use (e.g., from the corrosive effect of drill cuttings blown out of the borehole), the reduction in pipe weight or pipe diameter corresponds to a reduction in pipe wall thickness and indicates an increase in the amount of pipe wear.In one example, to determine a pipe attribute, the 505 controller can determine the difference between the calculated offset weight or diameter and a previously stored initial offset weight or diameter measurement for the pipe. This difference corresponds to the pipe attribute. For example, the 505 controller can include a lookup box that maps the difference levels to a pipe thickness, pipe soundness level, pipe integrity level, or pipe wear level, where a larger difference corresponds to a higher wear level, lower soundness level, and lower pipe thickness. In another example, the 505 controller can include a lookup box that maps the offset weights or diameters for a particular pipe or pipe type to a pipe attribute, where a smaller weight or diameter corresponds to a higher wear level, lower soundness level, and lower pipe thickness.Consequently, to determine a tube attribute in some modes, the 505 controller uses the determined weight or offset diameter as an input to the search box and obtains the tube attribute as an output. Although listed as separate examples of pipe attributes, pipe thickness, pipe soundness level, and pipe wear level can have some overlap in their meanings and scope. For example, pipe thickness can be an example of pipe wear level or pipe soundness level, and pipe wear level can be an example of pipe soundness level. In some embodiments of procedure 700, in STEP 715, the pipe attribute is determined based on the pipe characteristic and without considering the drill characteristic. For example, STEP 710 can be omitted, and the pipe characteristic determined in STEP 705 can be used as input to a lookup box or equation that maps the pipe characteristic to the pipe attribute (e.g., without compensating the pipe characteristic based on a measured drill characteristic). Consequently, in some embodiments, procedure 700 is executed by measuring a pipe characteristic (STEP 705), determining a pipe attribute (STEP 715), and sending an output signal based on the determined pipe attribute (STEP 720). After controller 505 determines the pipe attribute, it is configured to send an output signal based on that attribute (STEP 720). In some configurations, the output signal may be a control signal sent by controller 505 to control drill 100 based on the pipe attribute (STEP 720A). As described in more detail herein, controller 505 may control pipe control actuator 550 or drill control actuator 555 based on the pipe attribute. In another configuration, the output signal may be an electronic message to an operating device to inform a drill operator of the pipe attribute and / or whether the pipe is suitable for the drilling operation (STEP 720B).In addition, in some modes, the 505 controller can be configured both to send a control signal to control the operation of the drill (STEP 720A) and to send an electronic message to an operating device to inform a drill operator of the pipe attribute (STEP 720B). Controller 505 is configured to determine when a pipe is no longer suitable for use with the drill. Controller 505 can determine that a pipe is unsuitable for use with the drill when the pipe's attribute (e.g., weight, wall thickness, or load on the pipe) exceeds a predetermined threshold. As will be understood by a person skilled in the art, depending on the pipe's attribute, an attribute can exceed a predetermined threshold when the attribute is greater than the threshold, or it can exceed a predetermined threshold when the pipe's attribute falls below a predetermined threshold. For example, Controller 505 can determine that a pipe is unsuitable for use with the drill when the pipe's wall thickness (e.g., the pipe wall is too thin) falls below a predetermined threshold.As another example, the 505 controller can determine that a pipe is unsuitable for use with the drill when a load (e.g., a twist) applied to the pipe is greater or for a longer period of time than a predetermined threshold. Once controller 505 determines the pipe attribute and / or whether the pipe is in condition for drilling, controller 505 can send an output signal either to control the drill operation (STEP 720A) or to inform the operator of the pipe attribute and its condition for drilling (STEP 720B). In some configurations, controller 505 is configured to send a control signal to change a pipe being used by drill 100 based on the pipe attribute (STEP 720A). For example, controller 505 is configured to rotate the pipes being used by drill 100 to distribute wear among all the pipes on drill 100.For example, controller 505 is configured to provide an indication to drill control actuator 555, pipe control actuator 550, or both, to change pipes based on pipe attributes in order to distribute wear among the plurality of pipes (e.g., between pipes 225-240). To change pipes, in some embodiments, controller 505 is configured to control drill control actuator 555 to stop the rotation of a first pipe, such as pipe 225, from a plurality of pipes 225-240. Controller 505 then controls pipe control actuator 550 to change, based on pipe attributes, from the first pipe 235 to a second pipe, such as pipe 230. Pipe control actuator 550 can be controlled to change pipes as described earlier with respect to Figure 5B.Controller 505 then controls drill control actuator 555 to rotationally drive the second tube 230. Additionally, or alternatively, the 505 controller can send an electronic message to an operator device to inform the drill operator of the pipe attribute (STEP 720B). For example, in some configurations, the controller is configured to provide an electronic message or other indication via the 525 network communications module or over the 530 network to an operator device. The operator device can be a remote device positioned at a remote location on the drill, or it can be included in or near the drill (such as in the 120 cab module). The operator device can include a portable user device, such as a smartphone, tablet, phone, or laptop computer. The operator device can receive an electronic message from the 505 controller indicating that one or more of the pipes inside the drill rig 100 has reached or will soon reach the end of its service life.By doing this, additional tubes for drill 100 can be ordered and / or transported to drill 100 to avoid a delay due to downtime while waiting for new tubes to arrive. Although the steps in Procedure 700 are illustrated sequentially, one or more of the steps can be performed before or after one or more other steps. For example, STEP 710 can be performed before or concurrently with STEP 705. Therefore, the order of Procedure 700 shown in FIG. 6 is for illustrative purposes only. In some embodiments, the drill features are not used in the drill operation, and STEP 710 is omitted. Figure 7 shows a procedure 750 for determining the wear level of a tube in an industrial machine, such as the punching machine 100. The procedure begins with the measurement of a tube characteristic (STEP 755). The tube characteristic is measured, for example, using the load cell 415, as described earlier with reference to Figure 4. The output signals from the load cell 415 related to the tube characteristic of a tube 150 in a punching machine 100 are provided to the controller 505. In some embodiments, the load cell or the vibration sensor indicates a weight of the tube 150, which is used as the tube characteristic. In some embodiments, the optical sensor indicates a diameter of the tube 150, which is used as the tube characteristic.After STEP 755, the controller 505 is configured to determine a wear level for tube 150 based on the tube's characteristics, such as its weight as determined by the load cell or vibration sensor and its diameter as determined by the optical sensor (STEP 760). As described earlier, the weight and diameter of tube 150 can correspond to the tube's wall thickness and, therefore, to its wear level. For example, as the pipe wears or erodes from use (e.g., from the corrosive effect of drill cuttings blown out of the borehole), the reduction in pipe weight or diameter corresponds to a reduction in pipe wall thickness and indicates an increase in the amount of wear. In one example, to determine a wear level, the 505 controller can determine the difference between the weight measured in STEP 755 and a previously stored initial weight measurement for the pipe, and this difference corresponds to a wear level. In another example, to determine a wear level, the 505 controller can determine the difference between the pipe diameter measured in STEP 755 and a previously stored initial diameter measurement for the pipe. This difference corresponds to a wear level for the pipe. For example, the 505 controller can include a lookup box that maps difference levels to wear levels, where a larger difference indicates a higher wear level. In another example, the 505 controller can include a lookup box that maps the weights for a particular pipe or pipe type to a wear level, where a lower weight indicates a higher wear level. Consequently, to determine a wear level in some modes, the 505 controller can use the pipe weight measured in STEP 755 as an input to the lookup box and obtain the wear level as an output.In another example, the 505 controller may include a lookup box that maps the diameter of a particular tube or tube type to a wear level, where the smaller the diameter, the higher the wear level. Therefore, to determine a wear level in some modes, the 505 controller uses the tube diameter measured in STEP 755 as an input to the lookup box and obtains the wear level as an output. After controller 505 determines the wear level, it is configured to provide an indication of the wear level of tube 150. For example, controller 505 can provide an indication when the tube wear level exceeds a predetermined threshold (STEP 765). Alternatively, controller 505 can be configured to send an electronic message to an operator device to inform the drill rig 100 operator of the determined wear level, allowing the operator to take appropriate action. The operator device can be a personal computing device (e.g., laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc.), a user interface device inside the drill rig 100 cab, or another electronic computing device.The operator device can, in response to the electronic message, provide the wear level graphically (e.g., on a display screen), audibly (e.g., via a speaker), or with a tactile output device (e.g., via a vibration generator). The 505 controller can be configured to provide an indication to the 550 tube control actuator and the drill control actuator. MA / a / ZUZZ / UI 1 Zú» 555, or both, to change or rotate the tubes, as described earlier with respect to STEP 720 of FIG. 6. Controller 505 can be configured to provide an indication to store the determined wear level in register 595 or memory 570. The stored wear level can be retrieved later by another device or used by controller 505 to provide an electronic message to an operator device or to control the changing of the tubes, as described.In some embodiments, the controller 505 is further configured to determine whether a tube, such as tube 410, is present in tube storage compartment 405, based on the tube characteristic of tube 410 measured using a sensor 415, such as the load cell, vibration sensor, or optical sensor. In one example embodiment, tube 410 is the first tube 225 of a plurality of tubes 225-240 that are configured to be rotationally driven by the drill 100. In such cases, the controller 505 can be configured to determine whether a second tube 230 is present in the second tube storage compartment 210, based on an output from a second sensor, which is similar to sensor 415 but associated with the second tube storage compartment 210.In another example, a tube characteristic of the second tube 230 is measured by the second sensor, and the controller 505 is configured to determine a wear level for the second tube 230 based on this tube characteristic. In such cases, the controller 505 can be configured to provide a second indication, which indicates the wear level of the second tube 230. Consequently, the sensor 415 for each tube is configured to provide the controller 505 with both a tube wear level indication and a tube presence indication. The controller 505 is further configured to provide a tube presence indication (in addition to the wear level), such as by providing the indication to an operator device to be conveyed visually, audibly, or tactilely. In some variations of procedure 750, controller 505 measures a feature of the drill, similar to STEP 710 of procedure 700. In these variations, controller 505 can then use the drill feature together with the pipe feature to determine the level of pipe wear, similar to how it was described earlier with respect to STEP 715 of procedure 700. Although the steps of procedure 750 are illustrated in a sequential manner, one or more of the steps of procedure 750 are capable of being performed both before or after one or more of the other steps of procedure 750. As such, the order of procedure 750 shown in FIG. 7 is merely illustrative. Thus, the modalities described herein provide, among other things, systems, methods, and devices for controlling the operation of an industrial machine such as a drill based on a certain attribute of a tube.

Claims

1. An industrial drill for mining operations, the drill comprising: a pipe configured to be rotationally driven to perform a drilling operation; a drive control actuator configured to rotationally drive the pipe during the drilling operation; a drill mast including a pipe storage compartment, the pipe storage compartment being configured to receive the pipe when the pipe is not being used for the drilling operation; a sensor configured to measure a pipe characteristic associated with the pipe; and an electronic controller coupled to the sensor and including a processor and memory, the electronic controller being configured to: receive an output from the sensor indicative of the pipe characteristic; determine a pipe attribute based on the pipe characteristic, the pipe attribute being indicative of a pipe condition for the drilling operation;and send an output signal based on the determined attribute of the tube.

2. The industrial drill according to claim 1, further characterized in that sending an output signal based on the determined attribute of the tube includes sending a control signal to control the operation of the drill.

3. The industrial drill according to claim 1, further characterized in that sending an output signal based on the determined attribute of the tube includes sending an electronic message to an operator device, the electronic message providing information about the condition of the tube for the drilling operation.

4. The industrial punch according to claim 1, further characterized in that the sensor is configured to measure a tube characteristic of the tube when the tube is received inside the tube storage compartment.

5. The industrial drill according to claim 1, further characterized in that the tube characteristic measured by the sensor includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a presence or absence of the tube within the tube storage compartment, a tube weight, a tube diameter, and a tube resonant frequency.

6. The industrial drill according to claim 1, further characterized in that the tube attribute includes at least one of a tube wall thickness and a tube wear level.

7. The industrial drill according to claim 1, further characterized in that the sensor includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a load cell, a pressure sensor, a vibration sensor, an audio sensor, and an optical sensor.

8. The industrial drill according to claim 1, further characterized in that the sensor is a load monitoring sensor configured to determine a load experienced by the pipe during the drilling operation, the load monitoring sensor includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a vibration sensor, a torque sensor, a rotational speed sensor, an audio sensor, and an accelerometer.

9. The industrial drill according to claim 1, further characterized in that the sensor is a first sensor, wherein the industrial drill further comprises a second sensor configured to measure a second feature of the tube, and wherein the controller determines an attribute of the tube based on an output from the first sensor and an output from the second sensor.

10. The industrial drill according to claim 1, further characterized in that the electronic controller is configured to determine the attribute of the tube based on a difference between an initial characteristic of the tube and a current characteristic of the tube.

11. The industrial drill according to claim 1, further characterized in that the electronic controller is configured to determine when the pipe is unsuitable for the drilling operation, wherein the pipe is unsuitable for the drilling operation when the pipe attribute exceeds a predetermined threshold.

12. The industrial drill according to claim 11, further characterized in that the output signal is a control signal to a tube control drive to change the tube with a replacement tube when the tube is unsuitable for the drilling operation.

13. The industrial drill according to claim 12, further characterized in that the tube control impeller changes the tube with a replacement tube by moving the tube storage compartment in line with the impeller control actuator to replace the tube with a replacement tube.

14. The industrial drill according to claim 12, further characterized in that the tube control drive controls a clamping arm to remove the drill operating tube and place it in the tube storage compartment.

15. The industrial drill according to claim 14, further characterized in that the tube control impeller controls the clamping arm to remove the replacement tube from the tube storage compartment and positions it on the impeller control actuator.

16. A system for measuring a condition of a pipe in an industrial drill, the system comprising: a sensor configured to measure a pipe characteristic associated with the pipe; and an electronic controller coupled to the sensor and including a processor and a memory, the electronic controller being configured to: receive an output from the sensor indicative of the pipe characteristic; determine a pipe attribute based on the pipe characteristic, the pipe attribute being indicative of a pipe condition for the drilling operation; and send an output signal based on the determined pipe attribute.

17. The system according to claim 16, further characterized in that sending an output signal based on the determined attribute of the tube includes sending a control signal to control the operation of the drill.

18. The system according to claim 16, further characterized in that sending an output signal based on the determined attribute of the tube includes sending an electronic message to an operator device, the electronic message providing information about the condition of the tube for drilling operation.

19. The system according to claim 16, further characterized in that the sensor is configured to measure a tube characteristic of the tube when the tube is received within a tube storage compartment of the industrial drill.

20. The system according to claim 16, further characterized in that the feature of the tube measured by the sensor includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a presence or absence of the tube within the tube storage compartment, a weight of the tube, a diameter of the tube, and a resonant frequency of the tube.

21. The system according to claim 16, further characterized in that the tube attribute includes at least one tube wall thickness and tube wear level.

22. The system according to claim 16, further characterized in that the electronic controller is configured to determine the wall thickness of the tube based on one or more of a difference between an initial weight of the tube and an actual weight of the tube, and a difference between an initial diameter of the tube and an actual diameter of the tube.

23. The system according to claim 16, further characterized in that the electronic controller is configured to determine the weight of the tube based on a difference between an initial frequency at which the tube sounds when a hammer strikes the tube and an actual frequency at which the tube sounds when the hammer strikes the tube.

24. The system according to claim 16, further characterized in that the sensor includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a load cell, a pressure sensor, a vibration sensor, an audio sensor, and an optical sensor.

25. The system according to claim 16, further characterized in that the sensor is a load monitoring sensor configured to determine a load experienced by the pipe during the drilling operation, the load monitoring sensor includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a vibration sensor, a torque sensor, a rotational speed sensor, an audio sensor, and an accelerometer.

26. The system according to claim 16, further characterized in that the sensor is a first sensor configured to measure a first feature of the tube, wherein the industrial drill further comprises a second sensor configured to measure a second feature of the tube, and wherein the controller determines an attribute of the tube based on an output from the first sensor and an output from the second sensor.

27. The system according to claim 26, further characterized in that the first feature of the tube includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a presence or absence of the tube within the tube storage compartment, a tube weight, a tube diameter, and a tube resonant frequency, and wherein the second feature of the tube includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a tube vibration, a torsion exerted on the tube, and a tube rotational speed.

28. The system according to claim 16, further characterized in that the electronic controller is configured to determine when the tube is unsuitable for use with the industrial drill, wherein the tube is unsuitable for use when the attribute of the tube exceeds a predetermined threshold.

29. The system according to claim 28, further characterized in that the output signal is an electronic message to an operator device to inform a drill operator when the tube attribute exceeds the predetermined threshold.

30. The system according to claim 28, further characterized in that the output signal is a control signal to a tube control actuator to change the tube with a replacement tube when the tube attribute exceeds the predetermined threshold.

31. The industrial drill according to claim 30, further characterized in that the tube control impeller changes the tube with a replacement tube by moving the tube storage compartment in line with the impeller control actuator to replace the tube with a replacement tube.

32. The industrial drill according to claim 30, further characterized in that the tube control drive controls a clamping arm to remove the drill operating tube and place it in the tube storage compartment.

33. The industrial drill according to claim 32, further characterized in that the tube control impeller controls the holding arm to remove the replacement tube from the tube storage compartment and positions it on the impeller control actuator.

34. A method for measuring a condition of a pipe in an industrial drill, the drill being configured to rotationally drive the pipe to perform a drilling operation, the method comprises: receiving, by an electronic controller, a first output from a first sensor, the first output being indicative of a pipe characteristic associated with the pipe; determining, by the electronic controller, a pipe attribute based on the pipe characteristic; comparing the pipe attribute with a predetermined threshold, and when the pipe attribute exceeds a predetermined threshold, sending an output signal based on the pipe attribute.

35. The method according to claim 34, further characterized in that sending an output signal based on the determined attribute of the tube includes sending a control signal to control the operation of the drill.

36. The method according to claim 34, further characterized in that sending an output signal based on the determined attribute of the tube includes sending an electronic message to an operator device, the electronic message providing information about the condition of the tube for the drilling operation.

37. The method according to claim 34, further characterized in that the tube feature includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a presence or absence of the tube within the tube storage compartment, a tube weight, a tube diameter, and a tube resonant frequency.

38. The method according to claim 34, further characterized in that determining the attribute of the tube includes determining at least one of a tube wall thickness and tube wear level.

39. The method according to claim 34, further characterized in that determining the attribute of the tube includes determining the wall thickness of the tube based on one or more of a difference between an initial weight of the tube and a current weight of the tube, and a difference between an initial diameter of the tube and a current diameter of the tube.

40. The method according to claim 34, further characterized in that determining the attribute of the tube includes determining the weight of the tube based on a difference between an initial frequency at which the tube sounds when a hammer strikes the tube and an actual frequency at which the tube sounds when a hammer strikes the tube.

41. The method according to claim 34, further characterized in that receiving the first output from the first sensor includes receiving the first output from at least one selected from the group consisting of a load cell, a pressure sensor, a vibration sensor, and an optical sensor.

42. The method according to claim 34, further characterized in that receiving the first output from the first sensor includes receiving the first output from a vibration sensor, a torque sensor, a rotational speed sensor, an audio sensor, and an accelerometer.

43. The method according to claim 34, further characterized in that it additionally comprises receiving, by the electronic controller, a second output from a second sensor, the second output being indicative of a second feature of the tube associated with the tube.

44. The method according to claim 43, further characterized in that the first feature of the tube includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a presence or absence of the tube within the tube storage compartment, a weight of the tube, a diameter of the tube, and a resonant frequency of the tube, and wherein the second feature of the tube includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a vibration of the tube, a torsion exerted on the tube, and a rotational speed of the tube.

45. The method according to claim 34, further characterized in that sending an output signal includes sending a control signal to a tube control actuator to switch the first tube with a second tube.

46. ​​The method according to claim 45, further characterized in that changing the first tube with a second tube includes sending a control signal to a tube control actuator to disconnect the first tube from a tube drive and connect a second tube to the tube drive.

47. The method according to claim 45, further characterized in that changing the first tube with a second tube includes sending a control signal to a tube control actuator to insert the first tube into a tube storage compartment and remove the second tube from the tube storage compartment.

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