Synchronized Drill Rod Guide Jaws with Pressure Feedback
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current drilling rig control equipment requires separate systems and controllers for drill rods of different diameters, leading to increased weight, complexity, and unreliable operation due to continuous contact and friction.
Innovation Solution
The control equipment incorporates synchronized guide jaws with detecting elements, such as pressure sensors, to ensure simultaneous and controlled movement, allowing for easy operation with a single pair of guide jaws that automatically adjust to different drill rod diameters and maintain minimal contact to prevent wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate controllers and hydraulic systems are used for each drill rod diameter, then each drill rod can be guided reliably, but the equipment weight and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate control systems into a single unified controller that can handle different drill rod diameters. The controller integrates multiple hydraulic systems and control means into one centralized unit, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining the ability to guide various drill rod sizes reliably
Solution Approach 2:
The controller is designed with universal functionality to accommodate different drill rod diameters through adjustable guide jaws. A single controller performs multiple functions by adjusting its guide parameters, eliminating the need for separate dedicated controllers for each drill rod size
2Reliability
If separate controllers are used for different drill rod diameters, then each guide can be optimized, but the equipment weight increases particularly at the feed device end
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple separate control units are merged into one integrated controller, consolidating the weight of multiple hydraulic systems and control mechanisms into a single unit. This reduces the distributed weight load at the feed device end while maintaining optimized guidance capabilities
3Reliability
If guide jaws are in continuous contact with the drill rod, then guiding is maintained, but friction and wear increase unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The guide jaws employ periodic contact with the drill rod rather than continuous contact. The hydraulic system controls the guide jaws to make intermittent contact during positioning, then separate to minimize friction. This periodic action maintains guiding reliability while reducing wear and harmful friction forces
4Measurement precision
If V-shaped guide jaws are fed by hydraulic cylinders until contact with drill rod, then positioning is achieved, but the system becomes unreliable due to unequal movement of guide jaws
Solution Approach 1:
The controller incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor the position and movement of each guide jaw independently. Based on this feedback, the controller adjusts hydraulic pressure and movement commands to ensure both guide jaws reach their target positions simultaneously and maintain equal spacing, eliminating the unreliability of unequal jaw movement
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 solution enables reliable and efficient guidance of drill rods of varying diameters with reduced equipment weight and complexity, ensuring precise positioning and minimizing wear, while allowing for easy operation and automatic adjustment.
Implementation Method 1
the detecting elements include a pressure sensor, which detects a pressure rise in the hydraulic fluid of a feed cylinder for the guide jaws
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
Control equipment for guiding a drill rod, the control equipment including a frame (6) and two guide jaws (8a, 8b) provided with guide surfaces and mounted movably in relation to the frame (6), between which guide jaws the drill rod (5) is to be set during drilling, and actuators (9) for moving the guide jaws (8a, 8b) in relation to the drill rod (5). The control equipment comprises synchronization means coupled between the guide jaws (8a, 8b) such that the guide jaws (8a, 8b) always move in opposite directions to one another and at the same speed, and a detector which detects that the guide surfaces of the guide jaws (8a, 8b) are in contact with the drill rod (5).