Rigid Bending Joint Drilling for Short Radius Branching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current drilling technologies face challenges in creating branching boreholes with short vertical distances and short curvature radii, which are essential for preventing water inrush accidents in coal mines by effectively managing water conducting fracture zones, as existing flexible drilling equipment limits the curvature radius of boreholes to around 10 meters, and there is no effective solution for ultra-small radius drilling.
Innovation Solution
A directional drilling method and system utilizing a rigid bending joint directional drilling device with a wedge deflection tool and drill pipe, which includes obtaining geological data to determine optimal drilling points and trajectories, and applying a propulsion force to bend the drill pipe, allowing for the creation of boreholes with short vertical distances and curvature radii as low as 5 meters, overcoming the limitations of flexible drilling tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If flexible drilling equipment is used, then the drilling process is simple, but the curvature radius of the borehole is limited to around 10 meters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the drilling tool from flexible to rigid, and introduces a bending joint with specific elasticity modulus and cross-sectional area parameters. This allows the borehole curvature radius to be controlled at 5-10 meters while maintaining operational feasibility through calculated propulsion forces and contact reaction forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The drilling tool incorporates a bending joint that can dynamically adapt its curvature during the drilling process. The rigid bending joint directional drilling device allows the borehole trajectory to be adjusted in real-time based on geological conditions, enabling curvature radii of 5-10 meters while maintaining control through propulsion force management.
2Manufacturing precision
If a rigid bending joint directional drilling device is used, then the curvature radius can be reduced to 5-10 meters, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling device is segmented into distinct functional components: a rigid bending joint guiding unit with specific geometric parameters, a wedge deflection tool for applying contact reaction forces, and a propulsion force application mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while achieving the overall goal of 5-10 meter curvature radius.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge deflection tool acts as an intermediary mechanism between the propulsion force and the drill pipe. It converts the propulsion force into contact reaction forces that bend the rigid bending joint guiding unit, enabling precise curvature control without directly applying complex bending moments to the drill pipe.
3Manufacturing precision
If the propulsion force is increased to bend the drill pipe more sharply, then the curvature radius decreases, but the contact reaction force perpendicular to the drilling wall increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the geometric parameters of the bending joint (cross-sectional area, length, elasticity modulus) to achieve the desired curvature radius while minimizing the contact reaction force. By carefully selecting these parameters, the system achieves 5-10 meter curvature radii with controlled propulsion forces and acceptable contact reaction forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically balances the propulsion force and contact reaction force during the drilling process. The wedge deflection tool adjusts the contact reaction force perpendicular to the drilling wall based on the required curvature at each stage, allowing progressive bending of the drill pipe while maintaining force equilibrium and preventing excessive lateral loads.
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 enables the drilling of branching boreholes with average deflection rates of 13-17°/m and curvature radii around 5 meters, effectively addressing the challenge of drilling inclined sections with short vertical distances and radii, thereby preventing water inrush accidents and improving mining safety.
Implementation Method 1
The rigid bending joint guide unit may include a drill pipe. The wedge deflection tool may be used to receive a contact reaction force perpendicular to a drilling wall from an axial direction of the rigid bending joint directional drilling device and to bend the rigid bending joint guiding unit.
Data Source
AI summary
A directional drilling method applied to a rigid bending joint directional drilling device includes: obtaining geological data; determining a lateral drilling point and a target point of a branching borehole based on the geological data; drawing a target borehole trajectory of the branching borehole based on the lateral drilling point and the target point; obtaining parameters of the drill pipe; determining a propulsion force corresponding to the target borehole trajectory based on the parameters, the target borehole trajectory, and the geological data; and applying the propulsion force to the rigid bending joint directional drilling device for drilling the branching borehole. A directional drilling system and related devices are also disclosed.