Underwater Drilling Sensor for Real-Time Soil Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current underwater drilling methods for obtaining and analyzing soil samples are time-consuming and costly, especially in high seas, due to the need to lift the drilling device and transport samples for detailed analysis, which can lead to smearing issues affecting layer structure determination and high costs associated with supply ships.
Innovation Solution
An underwater drilling device equipped with a sensor device to determine physical and chemical properties of drill cores in real-time, allowing for immediate analysis and decision-making on drilling continuation or termination, with data processing and transmission capabilities to a remote center for efficient resource exploration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If soil samples are analyzed after lifting the drilling device from water, then detailed analysis can be performed, but the process becomes time-consuming and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor device performs preliminary measurement of physical and chemical properties of soil layers during the drilling process itself, before the drilling device is lifted from water. This preliminary action provides initial analysis data without waiting for post-recovery analysis, thereby reducing the overall time loss while maintaining the option for detailed later analysis.
2Measurement precision
If the drilling device is lifted from water for sample analysis, then samples can be examined in detail, but high costs are incurred due to supply ship requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling device performs self-analysis by incorporating a sensor device that measures physical and chemical properties of soil layers directly at the measurement site during drilling operations. This self-service capability eliminates the need to lift the device for preliminary analysis, avoiding the high costs associated with supply ship deployment while maintaining measurement precision through automated sensing.
3Quantity of substance
If drill cores are removed and stored in a storage area, then multiple cores can be collected, but smearing occurs between soil layers making structure determination difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical core removal and storage system with an in-situ sensing system. Instead of mechanically extracting drill cores (which causes smearing during removal and storage), the sensor device measures physical and chemical properties directly at the measurement site within the borehole, substituting mechanical extraction with non-contact or minimal-contact electromagnetic and optical sensing methods that preserve layer structure integrity.
4Measurement precision
If a sensor is moved along the borehole wall for measurement, then electrical conductivity and magnetic properties can be detected, but two separate process steps are required creating inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor device combines multiple measurement functions (electrical conductivity detection, magnetic property detection, and physical property measurement) into a single integrated sensing system that operates concurrently during the drilling process. This merging of functions into one device eliminates the need for separate measurement steps, thereby improving productivity while maintaining measurement precision.
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
Enables timely and cost-effective soil sample analysis, reducing unnecessary drilling by identifying promising or non-promising cores during the process, thus saving time and resources by allowing the device to remain in the water and making informed decisions on drilling locations.
Implementation Method 1
at least one sensor device is arranged on the base frame in a region surrounding the drilling axis, which is designed to determine at least one physical and/or chemical property of the drill core
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an underwater drilling device and a method for obtaining and analysing soil samples of the bed of a body of water. An underwater drilling device with a base frame is lowered in a body of water and placed on the bed of a body of water. With a drilling drive that is mounted on the base frame and able to move vertically, a drill string consisting of at least one tubular drill string element is drilled into the bed of the body of water in a first drilling step, wherein a core sample is accommodated in a holder in the tubular drill string element. The holder with the core sample is stored in a storage location of a second storage region on the base frame. Subsequently, at least one further drilling step is carried out with a further drill string element. By means of at least one sensor device arranged on a base frame in a surrounding area of the drilling axis, at least one physical and/or chemical property of the core sample is determined. The data thus determined is saved in a data processing device together with data relating to the storage location of the core sample in the second storage region.