Drill Control System Using Periodic Hammer and Pause Intervals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current drill rig technologies face challenges in efficiently evacuating cuttings during drilling operations, which can lead to suboptimal hole straightness and increased operational difficulties in surface mining.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a drill control system that utilizes a processor and storage medium to execute a method of alternating between hammer drilling and pause intervals, employing a gain scheduling controller and proportional controllers to adjust the drill bit's engagement with the surface, allowing for effective cutting evacuation through interval-based drilling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If continuous hammer drilling is used, then drilling speed is improved, but cutting evacuation becomes inadequate leading to reduced hole straightness
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling process alternates between hammer drilling mode and pause intervals, creating a periodic action pattern. During hammer drilling mode, the drill bit impacts the surface to advance the hole. During pause intervals, the drill bit retracts to reduce engagement and allow cuttings to evacuate. This periodic alternation resolves the contradiction by enabling both fast drilling (during hammer mode) and effective cutting evacuation (during pause intervals), thereby maintaining hole straightness while preserving drilling speed.
2Productivity
If drill bit engagement is increased to improve drilling efficiency, then productivity is improved, but cutting evacuation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic alternation between high-engagement hammer drilling mode (for productivity) and low-engagement pause intervals (for cutting evacuation). The gain scheduling controller dynamically adjusts the feed relief value based on the operational phase, enabling full engagement during drilling phases and reduced engagement during pause phases, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and cutting evacuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The feed relief value is dynamically adjusted during the drilling operation. The gain scheduling controller modifies the feed relief based on the current operational state (drilling vs. pause), allowing the system to optimize both drilling efficiency and cutting evacuation by changing the engagement level in real-time according to the operational phase.
3Manufacturing precision
If pause intervals are introduced to improve cutting evacuation, then hole straightness is improved, but drilling time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling process uses brief, periodic pause intervals rather than continuous drilling or long interruptions. These short pause periods are sufficient to allow cutting evacuation and maintain hole straightness, while the overall drilling time is minimized by quickly returning to hammer drilling mode. The optimized duration of pause intervals ensures that straightness is improved without excessive time loss.
4Manufacturing precision
If dynamic control of weight on drill bit is implemented, then drilling precision is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gain scheduling controller receives feedback about the operational phase (drilling or pause) and dynamically adjusts the feed relief value accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables precise control of weight on the drill bit, improving drilling precision by ensuring appropriate engagement levels during each phase while managing system complexity through a structured control approach.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the evacuation of cuttings during drilling, improves hole straightness, and optimizes drill rig functionality by dynamically controlling the weight on the drill bit, thereby improving drilling efficiency and precision.
Implementation Method 1
activating a hammer drilling mode for a predefined interval parameter, the activated hammer drilling mode causing a drill bit of the drill rig to impact a surface using a hammer drilling technique
Implementation Method 2
a gain scheduling controller driven by an input air pressure value generated by the drill bit operating in the hammer mode, wherein the controller is utilised to generate a feed relief value for adjusting pressure applied to a feed cylinder to control weight on the drill bit
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are a method and system for controlling a drill rig by utilising a drill control module. A drill control module for controlling functionality of a drill rig comprises: a processor; a storage medium for storing a computer program having instructions that when executed on the processor perform the method steps of: drilling a hole by repeatedly: activating a hammer drilling mode for a predefined interval parameter, said activated hammer drilling mode causing a drill bit of said drill rig to impact a surface using a hammer drilling technique; and activating a pause interval for a predefined interval time, during which said drill bit reduces engagement with said surface.