Boring or penetrating the earth – Processes – Boring with specific fluid
Patent
1994-12-16
1996-03-12
Novosad, Stephen J.
Boring or penetrating the earth
Processes
Boring with specific fluid
175 92, 175215, 175217, 175218, 175296, E21B 414, E21B 2112
Patent
active
054978394
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a drilling means, arrangement and method.
It is presently conventional to have a drill stem at the end of which is a drill bit which is being intermittently impacted to effect a cutting of the presented face from which cuttings are flushed by a flow of air. Such arrangements when used down a mine require a large compressor at the surface providing pressurised air via pipes to a boosting compressors down the mine. This is relatively inefficient and expensive due to the lengths of pipes and number of compressors required. Alternatively, this cost can be reduced by removing the boosting compressor and thereby using lower pressure air at the expense of a decreased drilling rate.
When using high pressure air drills they can be dangerous if a break or rupture occurs in the pipes or hoses which feed the drill stem from the compressor. If there is such a break or rupture it is possible that the pipe will have a whip action caused by the high pressures flowing therethrough, therefore this is dangerous and may result in injuries or loss of life.
A further disadvantage is that high pressure air drills can cause a significant amount of dust to be created causing discomfort or health problems to personnel involved in the drilling. In addition, drilling with high pressure air is extremely noisy causing further safety and discomfort problems.
Another disadvantage of high air pressure systems is that cuttings are generally flushed, or removed, by pressurised air flowing over or near the drill bit and along the outside of the drill stem. However, due to the high air velocity involved there can be a significant wearing of the outside of the drill stem due to the abrasive nature of the cuttings when forced along the outside of the stem.
Due to the above problems associated with air pressure drill systems it is preferable to drive the impacting hammers with liquids at high pressures. There are two known methods of drilling with high pressure liquids these are: top hole hydraulic hammer (the hammering mechanism is located at the top of the drill stem away from the bit and is powered by pressurised hydraulic oil); down the hole liquid hammer (the hammering mechanism located immediately behind the drill bit at the bottom of the stem and is powered by pressurised liquid).
The top hole hydraulic hammer transmits the hammering action from the top of the drill stem, therefore there is a cyclic strain upon the total length of the drill stem. Consequently, the drill stem has to be strong and therefore it is substantially more expensive than other drill stems. Other factors which increase the cost of top hole hydraulic hammers are due to the expensive top hole hydraulic hammer. Furthermore, this type of drilling is inaccurate compared to both air and liquid down the hole drilling.
To our knowledge current down the hole liquid hammers have been developed to work upwards only, that is the drill bit is physically above the hammering mechanism and the rest of the drill stem. In such systems all of the liquid is flushed out of at the end of the drill bit that is the flushing liquid and cuttings flow out of the hole by the effects of gravity and the liquid is not re-used. Consequently, vast amounts of liquid are required to operate such drills and there are problems associated with removal of this liquid (especially when drilling down a mine).
It is the intended object of this invention to alleviate one or more of the above problems or at least provide the public with a useful alternative to currently used drilling methods, means or arrangements.
According to one form this invention there is provided an arrangement in which there is a down the hole hammer adapted to be driven by a liquid. A feature of this arrangement however which allows this to be generally considered to be feasible is that there are means such that, of the water at pressure used to drive the down the hole hammer, there are means to divert a proportion only of such water for the flushing of cuttings.
According to another form of this invention the
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patent: 3268017 (1966-08-01), Yarbrough
patent: 3491838 (1990-01-01), Wilder et al.
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patent: 3596720 (1971-08-01), Elenburg
patent: 3970152 (1976-06-01), Harris et al.
patent: 4819746 (1989-04-01), Brown et al.
Meller Michael N.
Novosad Stephen J.
SDS Pty Ltd.
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