Borehole Drill Leveling System Using Multi-Phase Jack Control

Solution Overview

Problem

Automatic leveling systems for drilling machines face challenges such as overshooting and instability due to slow sensor response times and the inability to retract jacks, leading to continued oscillation and excessive jack extension, especially on uneven ground, which affects the stability of the drilling platform.

Innovation Solution

An automatic leveling system that includes a multi-step process involving ground contact detection, coarse leveling, lowering, and fine leveling phases, utilizing a combination of closed-loop control and machine learning to adjust jack lengths and maintain a stable level state, with the ability to adapt to changing conditions during drilling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If closed-loop control using pitch and roll sensors is used to control jacks for automatic leveling, then the desired level state can be achieved, but the slow response time of sensors and jacks causes overshooting and continued oscillation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveleveling precisionVSAvoidresponse time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The leveling process is divided into distinct phases: a first leveling phase where jacks are controlled to achieve initial levelness, and a second leveling phase after lowering where fine adjustments are made. This segmentation allows the system to address different aspects of leveling at different times, preventing oscillation by separating coarse adjustments from fine adjustments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs a lowering action before the second leveling phase, proactively creating conditions that prevent future oscillation. By lowering the drilling machine chassis before making fine leveling adjustments, the system ensures jacks remain in optimal contact with the ground, preventing the oscillation that would occur if leveling were attempted while jacks were extended to their limits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If jacks are not retracted or lowered during leveling to prevent loss of ground contact, then ground contact is maintained, but oscillation continues and jacks are extended more than necessary

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveground contact stabilityVSAvoidleveling stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs a lowering action before the second leveling phase, proactively creating conditions that prevent future oscillation. By lowering the drilling machine chassis before making fine leveling adjustments, the system ensures jacks remain in optimal contact with the ground, preventing the oscillation that would occur if leveling were attempted while jacks were extended to their limits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the operational state of the drilling machine by transitioning between different phases (first leveling, lowering, second leveling). This dynamic approach allows the system to optimize jack extension levels at different stages, maintaining ground contact stability while achieving precise leveling without excessive oscillation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If the drilling machine starts on very unlevel ground, then the machine can be positioned, but jacks on the high side are extended more than necessary resulting in a less stable platform

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning capabilityVSAvoidplatform stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs a lowering action before the second leveling phase, proactively creating conditions that prevent future oscillation. By lowering the drilling machine chassis before making fine leveling adjustments, the system ensures jacks remain in optimal contact with the ground, preventing the oscillation that would occur if leveling were attempted while jacks were extended to their limits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operational parameters of the jack control system by implementing a two-phase approach with intermediate lowering. This parameter change allows the system to adapt to unlevel ground conditions by resetting jack extension levels between phases, ensuring optimal stability regardless of initial ground conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11702887B2System, apparatus, and method to perform leveling for borehole drills

Publication Date: 2023.07.18 PECK TECH CONSULTING

AI summary

A system, apparatus, and method for leveling a borehole or blasthole drilling machine, or portion thereof, provided over a drilling site can implement a ground contact detect phase or operation, a first coarse leveling phase or operation, a lowering phase or operation, and a fine leveling phase or operation. The phases or operations can be based on or responsive to signals from sensors of the drilling machine. The phases or operations can involve changing length of one or more of the jacks of the drilling machine when the drilling machine is positioned over the drilling site.