Drilling Pattern Design for Rock Cavern Blasting Accuracy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional drilling pattern designs at the navigation plane often result in inaccuracies, particularly at corners, leading to insufficient accuracy in rock blasting and inefficient rock detachment during cavern excavation.

Innovation Solution

The method involves planning drill holes at the bottom of the round, using a blast plane located at a distance from the navigation plane, incorporating blasting-technical data for precise hole placement and charge determination, and utilizing interdependence rules between burden, hole spacing, and specific charge to optimize drilling patterns.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If drilling pattern is designed at the navigation plane, then the design process is simplified and easier to operate, but the accuracy of rock blasting and hole placement deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedesign process easeVSAvoidhole placement accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention transitions the design perspective from the navigation plane (2D surface view) to the blast plane (3D bottom view of the round). By examining drill hole locations at the bottom of the round rather than at the surface, the system achieves accurate 3D hole placement while maintaining computational simplicity through automated coordinate transformation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If conventional blasting methods are used without blasting-technical examination, then the design process is faster, but the quality of rock detachment and cavern excavation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedesign speedVSAvoidrock detachment quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention performs blasting-technical examination during the initial drilling pattern design phase rather than as a subsequent correction step. By calculating burden, hole spacing, and specific charge values before drilling begins, the system ensures optimal rock detachment quality from the outset while maintaining efficient design throughput through integrated computation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Quantity of substance

If drill hole locations are determined without blasting-technical examination, then the number of holes may be reduced, but the efficiency of rock detachment deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of drill holesVSAvoidrock detachment efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes drill hole parameters (burden, hole spacing, specific charge) based on blasting-technical calculations performed at the blast plane. By adjusting these parameters according to precise geometric relationships and rock mechanics principles, the system achieves efficient rock detachment with the minimum necessary number of holes, avoiding both over-drilling and under-drilling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2094943B1Designing drilling pattern for excavating rock cavern
Publication Date: 2019.03.27 SANDVIK MINING & CONSTR OY
  • EP2094943B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2094943B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2094943B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The invention relates to a method and a software product for designing a drilling pattern for excavating a rock cavern. The invention further relates to a rock- drilling rig, in whose control unit the software product and the method are executable. During designing of the drilling pattern (12), drill hole bottom locations are placed at a blast plane (29) at the bottom of a round (25). A drilling pattern design program determines the missing properties of the drill holes viewed from the bottom of the round towards a navigation plane (28). The program is able to determine a starting location (36) for a drill hole based on the location (36) and the direction of the bottom. The program also performs blasting calculation on the drill holes positioned.