US20230349282A1

US20230349282A1 - Auto-crowd control in mobile drill rigs based on soil condition

Info

Publication number: US20230349282A1
Application number: US18/140,512
Authority: US
Inventors: Scott McNeill; Eric Nielsen; Paul Solis
Original assignee: Patriot Equipment Solutions LLC
Current assignee: Patriot Equipment Solutions LLC
Priority date: 2022-04-28
Filing date: 2023-04-27
Publication date: 2023-11-02

Abstract

Systems and methods for operating mobile drill equipment including an auger. The system includes one or more sensors and an electronic controller. The one or more sensors are configured to monitor the mobile drill equipment while the mobile drill equipment performs a drill task. The electronic controller is configured to receive, from at least one of the one or more sensors, sensor data while the mobile drill equipment performs the drill task. The electronic controller is also configured to determine, based on the sensor data, a condition of soil proximate to the mobile drill equipment. The electronic controller is further configured to adjust a rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/335,872 filed Apr. 28, 2022, titled “COMPUTERIZED SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATIC EQUIPMENT CONFIGURATION, MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

Conventional engineering sites, inclusive of drill operations and construction sites, among others, are subject to control, management and maintenance by a foreman, or team of engineers or technicians, that oversee operation of the equipment (or assets, used interchangeably). Typically, such equipment operating at job sites is controlled and managed by the operators tasked with operations. For example, if a technician is operating a drill at a drill site, the technician will set the configuration of the drill based on the requested task (e.g., drill 100 feet, for example) and the surrounding real-world environment (e.g., type of soil, weather conditions, and any other type of factor that can impact the performance of the equipment). However, such manual control and estimation-based configuration and operation can lead to sub-par operational statuses, such as, but not limited to, un-safe working conditions, inadequate usage of resources, improper operations and delays in progress, which can compound into increased expenses and lost wages and/or contracts, among other drawbacks. This is especially true if the technician does not have a lot of experience or is not a dedicated drill operator.

SUMMARY

The disclosed systems and methods address such shortcomings, inter alia, by providing a computerized framework that can automatically determine and implement configuration parameters for equipment at a job site to operate efficiently, accurately and in an overall optimized manner so as to properly and safely perform an operational task. According to some implementations, rather than have an operator determine a configuration of equipment, set that configuration and operate the equipment, the disclosed systems and methods provide novel mechanisms that enable a computerized framework to integrate with infrastructure controlling the equipment to perform such tasks. Therefore, the disclosed framework can operate locally (e.g., on or in connection with the equipment) or remotely (e.g., via a network connection to the equipment) to i) manage how an operational task is set up, performed and concluded, and ii) monitor its performance to account for, address and remedy any issues, anomalies and/or dynamically occurring events that may impact or impede the operational task’s progress, completion and/or safety.
While the operational task discussion herein will be discussed in reference to a drilling (or drill) task with an operator(s) requested to perform a drill operation (e.g., using a drilling rig, such as a hydraulic percussion drilling rig, to drill construction sites, oil wells, water wells or blast holes in the earth’s subsurface, or for subsurface mineral exploration, for example), it should not be construed as limiting, as one of skill in the art would readily understand that the disclosed framework is operational for any type of known or to be known equipment, asset, tool, device and/or machinery that can be used for any type of known or to be known real-world or digital operation that can be computer or device operated (e.g., construction sites, nuclear plants, oil plants, and the like).
According to some implementations, as discussed herein, the disclosed framework can be embodied as a form of a programmable logic controller (PLC) and/or supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system that can act as an operation’s, equipment’s and/or site’s/plant’s control system for performing requested/required tasks (or jobs, used interchangeably).
Therefore, according to some implementations, as discussed in more detail below, the disclosed framework can operationally control how tasks are managed, performed and maintained from the onset of task requests through the completion of the task so as to ensure optimal task completion and that safety is prioritized and maintained. Indeed, the disclosed framework is configured to monitor how configured equipment is performing during a task, and is capable of dynamically modifying configurations in real-time (e.g., near real-time or substantially simultaneous; or “on the fly”) in order to ensure threshold satisfying performance of the equipment (e.g., operating at 95% target efficiency, for example).
According to some implementations, a method is disclosed that electronically manages operations of real-world and/or digital processes performed by local and/or remotely located equipment.
In accordance with one or more implementations, the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for carrying out the above mentioned technical steps. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium has tangibly stored thereon, or tangibly encoded thereon, computer readable instructions that when executed by a device, cause at least one processor to perform a method that electronically manages operations of real-world and/or digital processes performed by local and/or remotely located equipment.
The present disclosure provides a system for operating mobile drill equipment including an auger. The system includes, in one implementation, one or more sensors and an electronic controller. The one or more sensors are configured to monitor the mobile drill equipment while the mobile drill equipment performs a drill task. The electronic controller is configured to receive, from at least one of the one or more sensors, sensor data while the mobile drill equipment performs the drill task. The electronic controller is also configured to determine, based on the sensor data, a condition of soil proximate to the mobile drill equipment. The electronic controller is further configured to adjust a rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil.
The present disclosure also provides a method for operating mobile drill equipment including an auger. The method includes receiving, from one or more sensors, sensor data while the mobile drill equipment performs a drill task. The method also includes determining, by an electronic controller and based on the sensor data, a condition of soil proximate to the mobile drill equipment. The method further includes adjusting, by the electronic controller, a rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil.
The present disclosure further provides a vehicle-mounted drill rig including, in one implementation, a vehicle chassis, drill equipment, one or more sensors, and an electronic controller. The drill equipment is mounted to the vehicle chassis. The drill equipment includes an auger. The one or more sensors are configured to monitor the drill equipment while the drill equipment performs a drill task. The electronic controller is configured to receive, from at least one of the one or more sensors, sensor data while the drill equipment performs the drill task. The electronic controller is also configured to determine, based on the sensor data, a condition of soil proximate to the drill equipment. The electronic controller is further configured to adjust a rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil.
In accordance with one or more implementations, a system is provided that comprises one or more computing devices and/or apparatus configured to provide functionality in accordance with such implementations. In accordance with one or more implementations, functionality is embodied in steps of a method performed by at least one computing device and/or apparatus. In accordance with one or more implementations, program code (or program logic) executed by a processor(s) of a computing device to implement functionality in accordance with one or more such implementations is embodied in, by and/or on a non-transitory computer-readable medium.
In accordance with one or more implementations, a method is provided comprising steps of: receiving, by a device associated with drill equipment, a request to perform a drilling task, the drilling task comprising information indicating a type of drill operation; collecting, by the device attributes of a soil condition proximate to the drill equipment; analyzing, by the device, the drilling task and the collected attributes, and determining, based on the analysis, configuration parameters of the drill equipment, the configuration parameters enabling the drill equipment to perform the type of drill operation respective to the soil condition; automatically configuring, via instructions by the device, the drill equipment according to the configuration parameters; and performing the drilling task.
The method may further comprise monitoring, by the device, the drilling task to collect updated information about drill conditions; analyzing the updated drill condition information to determine whether adjustments to the configuration parameters are required, wherein, the device continues monitoring the drilling task when it is determined that no adjustments are required, and wherein, the device updates the configuration parameters based on the collected information.
The device may be electronically connected to the drill equipment. The device may be communicatively connected to the drill equipment.
Automatically configuring the drill equipment may further comprise automatically setting up the drill equipment to perform the requested drill task. The drill equipment may be mounted to a vehicle chassis of a vehicle mounted-drill rig. The drill equipment may comprise a mast mounted to the vehicle chassis, a kelly bar operatively coupled with the mast between a drive gearbox and a winch, and an auger coupled to the kelly bar. Automatically configuring the drill equipment may comprise deploying one or more outriggers coupled to the vehicle chassis, raising the mast, and positioning the mast so that the auger is movable between a drilling position and a spin off position.
Analyzing the updated drill condition information may comprise analyzing sensor data received from a plurality of sensors on the drill equipment. The sensor data may analyzed to extrapolate a current soil condition and the configuration parameters may be updated in response to detecting a change in the soil condition. One or more predefined conditions of the drill equipment may be defined for each of a plurality of possible soil conditions. The current soil condition may be extrapolated by comparing the updated drill condition information to the one or more predefined conditions for the drill equipment.
In accordance with one or more implementations, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoded with computer-executable instructions is provided that, when executed by a device, performs a method comprising steps of: receiving, by the device associated with drill equipment, a request to perform a drilling task, the drilling task comprising information indicating a type of drill operation; collecting, by the device, attributes of a soil condition proximate to the drill equipment; analyzing, by the device, the drilling task and the collected attributes, and determining, based on the analysis, configuration parameters of the drill equipment, the configuration parameters enabling the drill equipment to perform the type of drill operation respective to the soil condition; automatically configuring, via instructions by the device, the drill equipment according to the configuration parameters; and performing the drilling task.
The performed method may further comprise monitoring, by the device, the drilling task to collect updated information about drill conditions; and analyzing the updated drill condition information to determine whether adjustments to the configuration parameters are required, wherein, the device continues monitoring the drilling task when it is determined that no adjustments are required, and wherein, the device updates the configuration parameters based on the collected information.
Automatically configuring the drill equipment may further comprise automatically setting up the drill equipment to perform the requested drill task. The drill equipment may be mounted to a vehicle chassis of a vehicle mounted-drill rig. The drill equipment may comprise a mast mounted to the vehicle chassis, a kelly bar operatively coupled with the mast between a drive gearbox and a winch, and an auger coupled to the kelly bar. Automatically configuring the drill equipment may comprise deploying one or more outriggers coupled to the vehicle chassis, raising the mast, and positioning the mast so that the auger is movable between a drilling position and a spin off position.
Analyzing the updated drill condition information may comprise analyzing sensor data received from a plurality of sensors on the drill equipment. The sensor data may be analyzed to extrapolate a current soil condition and the configuration parameters may be updated in response to detecting a change in the soil condition. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be further encoded with a plurality of possible soil conditions and one or more predefined conditions of the drill equipment for each of the possible soil conditions. The current soil condition may be extrapolated by comparing the updated drill condition information with the stored one or more predefined conditions of the drill equipment.
In accordance with one or more implementations, a vehicle-mounted drill rig is provided comprising a vehicle chassis; drill equipment mounted to the vehicle chassis; a plurality of sensors coupled with the drill equipment to monitor the operation thereof; and a processor configured to: receive, in association with the drill equipment, a request to perform a drilling task, the drilling task comprising information indicating a type of drill operation; collect attributes of a soil condition proximate to the drill equipment; analyze the drilling task and the collected attributes, and determine, based on the analysis, configuration parameters of the drill equipment, the configuration parameters enabling the drill equipment to perform the type of drill operation respective to the drilling task; automatically configure the drill equipment according to the configuration parameters; and performing the drilling task.
The processor may be further configured to monitor the drilling task to collect updated condition information about the drill equipment from the plurality of sensors and analyze the updated information to determine whether adjustments to the configuration parameters are required, wherein, the device continues monitoring the drilling task when it is determined that no adjustments are required, and wherein, the device updates the configuration parameters based on the collected information.
The vehicle chassis may comprise one or more outriggers. The drill equipment may comprise a mast mounted to the vehicle chassis, a kelly bar operatively coupled with the mast between a drive gearbox and a winch, and an auger coupled to the kelly bar. Automatically configuring the drill equipment may further comprises automatically deploying the one or more outriggers, raising the mast, and positioning the mast so that the auger is movable between a drilling position and a spin off position.
Analyzing the updated information may comprise analyzing sensor data received from the plurality of sensors on the drill equipment to extrapolate a current soil condition, and the configuration parameters may be updated in response to detecting a change in the soil condition. The vehicle-mounted drill rig may further comprise memory for storing a plurality of possible soil conditions and one or more predefined conditions of the drill equipment for each of the possible soil conditions. The current soil condition may be extrapolated by comparing the updated condition information with the stored one or more predefined conditions of the drill equipment.
Other technical features may be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, the various features of the drawings are not necessarily to-scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features may be—and typically are--arbitrarily expanded or reduced for the purpose of clarity.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example configuration within which the systems and methods disclosed herein could be implemented according to some implementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of an exemplary system according to some implementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example of a method for training an artificial intelligence / machine learning model to determine configuration parameters for a drill rig according to some implementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an example of a method for configuring a drill rig to perform a drill task according to some implementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an example of a method for adjusting the configuration of a drill rig to account for changing conditions during a drill task according to some implementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example of a computing device according to some implementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a diagram of an example of a drill rig according to some implementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of an example of a method for setting up a drill rig according to some implementations of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of an example of a method for operating mobile drill equipment according to some implementations of the present disclosure.

NOTATION AND NOMENCLATURE

Various terms are used to refer to particular system components. A particular component may be referred to commercially or otherwise by different names. Further, a particular component (or the same or similar component) may be referred to commercially or otherwise by different names. Consistent with this, nothing in the present disclosure shall be deemed to distinguish between components that differ only in name but not in function. In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to....” Also, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct connection, or through an indirect connection via other devices and connections.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example implementations only, and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” as used herein in connection with any type of processing component configured to perform various functions may refer to one processing component configured to perform each and every function, or a plurality of processing components collectively configured to perform each of the various functions. By way of example, “A processor” configured to perform actions A, B, and C may refer to one processor configured to perform actions A, B, and C. In addition, “A processor” configured to perform actions A, B, and C may also refer to a first processor configured to perform actions A and B, and a second processor configured to perform action C. Further, “A processor” configured to perform actions A, B, and C may also refer to a first processor configured to perform action A, a second processor configured to perform action B, and a third processor configured to perform action C. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
The terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections; however, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another region, layer, or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms, when used herein, do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the example implementations. The phrase “at least one of,” when used with a list of items, means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used, and only one item in the list may be needed. For example, “at least one of: A, B, and C” includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and C. In another example, the phrase “one or more” when used with a list of items means there may be one item or any suitable number of items exceeding one.
Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “up,” “upper,” “top,” “bottom,” “down,” “inside,” “outside,” “contained within,” “superimposing upon,” and the like, may be used herein. These spatially relative terms can be used for ease of description to describe one element’s or feature’s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatially relative terms may also be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use, or operation, in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptions used herein interpreted accordingly.
“Real-time” may refer to less than or equal to 2 seconds. “Near real-time” may refer to any interaction of a sufficiently short time to enable two individuals to engage in a dialogue via such user interface, and will generally be less than 10 seconds (or any suitable proximate difference between two different times) but greater than 2 seconds.
The present disclosure is described below with reference to block diagrams and operational illustrations of methods and devices. It is understood that each block of the block diagrams or operational illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams or operational illustrations, can be implemented by means of analog or digital hardware and computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer to alter its function as detailed herein, a special purpose computer, ASIC, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, implement the functions/acts specified in the block diagrams or operational block or blocks. In some alternate implementations, the functions/acts noted in the blocks can occur out of the order noted in the operational illustrations. For example, two blocks shown in succession can in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks can sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
For the purposes of this disclosure a non-transitory computer readable medium (or computer-readable storage medium/media) stores computer data, which data can include computer program code (or computer-executable instructions) that is executable by a computer, in machine readable form. By way of example, and not limitation, a computer readable medium may comprise computer readable storage media, for tangible or fixed storage of data, or communication media for transient interpretation of code-containing signals. Computer readable storage media, as used herein, refers to physical or tangible storage (as opposed to signals) and includes without limitation volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for the tangible storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer readable storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other solid state memory technology, optical storage, cloud storage, magnetic storage devices, or any other physical or material medium which can be used to tangibly store the desired information or data or instructions and which can be accessed by a computer or processor.
For the purposes of this disclosure the term “server” should be understood to refer to a service point which provides processing, database, and communication facilities. By way of example, and not limitation, the term “server” can refer to a single, physical processor with associated communications and data storage and database facilities, or it can refer to a networked or clustered complex of processors and associated network and storage devices, as well as operating software and one or more database systems and application software that support the services provided by the server. Cloud servers are examples.
For the purposes of this disclosure a “network” should be understood to refer to a network that may couple devices so that communications may be exchanged, such as between a server and a client device or other types of devices, including between wireless devices coupled via a wireless network, for example. A network may also include mass storage, such as network attached storage (NAS), a storage area network (SAN), a content delivery network (CDN) or other forms of computer or machine readable media, for example. A network may include the Internet, one or more local area networks (LANs), one or more wide area networks (WANs), wire-line type connections, wireless type connections, cellular or any combination thereof. Likewise, sub-networks, which may employ differing architectures or may be compliant or compatible with differing protocols, may interoperate within a larger network.
For purposes of this disclosure, a “wireless network” should be understood to couple client devices with a network. A wireless network may employ stand-alone ad-hoc networks, mesh networks, Wireless LAN (WLAN) networks, cellular networks, or the like. A wireless network may further employ a plurality of network access technologies, including Wi-Fi, Long Term Evolution (LTE), WLAN, Wireless Router (WR) mesh, or 2nd, 3rd, 4^th or 5^th generation (2G, 3G, 4G or 5G) cellular technology, mobile edge computing (MEC), Bluetooth, 802.1 1b/g/n, or the like. Network access technologies may enable wide area coverage for devices, such as client devices with varying degrees of mobility, for example.
In short, a wireless network may include virtually any type of wireless communication mechanism by which signals may be communicated between devices, such as a client device or a computing device, between or within a network, or the like.
A computing device may be capable of sending or receiving signals, such as via a wired or wireless network, or may be capable of processing or storing signals, such as in memory as physical memory states, and may, therefore, operate as a server. Thus, devices capable of operating as a server may include, as examples, dedicated rack-mounted servers, desktop computers, laptop computers, set top boxes, integrated devices combining various features, such as two or more features of the foregoing devices, or the like.
For purposes of this disclosure, a consumer or user device, referred to as a client device, may include a computing device capable of sending or receiving signals, such as via a wired or a wireless network. The client device may, for example, include a desktop computer or a portable device, such as a cellular telephone, a smart phone, a display pager, a radio frequency (RF) device, an infrared (IR) device a Near Field Communication (NFC) device, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld computer, a tablet computer, a phablet, a laptop computer, a set top box, a wearable computer, smart watch, an integrated or distributed device combining various features, such as features of the forgoing devices, or the like.
According to some implementations, user equipment (UE) may refer to equipment (or asset(s), tool(s), device(s) or machinery, used interchangeably). For example, UE can be, but is not limited to, a drilling machine (e.g., radial, upright, automatic, and the like), construction equipment (e.g., crane, excavator, and the like), and the like, and/or any other type of sub-part or component included therein (e.g., a winch, pump, lift, and the like, for example). In some implementations, as discussed below, the client device may be embedded within and/or communicatively coupled to the user equipment. Thus, the client device and user equipment can vary in terms of capabilities or features, and the disclosed (and claimed) subject matter is intended to cover a wide range of potential variations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following discussion is directed to various implementations of the present disclosure. Although one or more of these implementations may be preferred, the implementations disclosed should not be interpreted, or otherwise used, as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, including the claims. In addition, one skilled in the art will understand that the following description has broad application, and the discussion of any implementation is meant only to be exemplary of that implementation, and not intended to intimate that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that implementation.
With reference to FIG. 1 , system 100 (or framework) is depicted which includes client device 102, network 104, cloud system 106, and electronic controller 200.
In some implementations, client device 102 can be any type of device, such as, but not limited to, a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, personal computer, sensor, Internet of Things (IoT) device, autonomous machine, and any other device equipped with a cellular or wireless or wired transceiver. Further discussion of client device 102 is provided below at least in reference to FIG. 6 .
In some implementations, as discussed above, client device 102 can be integrated in user equipment at a job site (e.g., an oil drill at a drill site, for example), or another device that is communicatively coupled to user equipment at a job site that enables reception of readings from sensors of the equipment. For example, user equipment can be a drilling machine or drilling rig that is configured with sensors that can feed data to/from electronic controller 200, as discussed below. In another non-limiting example, client device 102 can be an operator’s smartphone (or drill site equipment, such as a foreman’s computer, for example) that is connected via a wireless network, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)) or NFC, for example, to user equipment situated as a peripheral device to client device 102. Thus, in some implementations, client device 102 can be configured to receive data from sensors associated with equipment, as discussed in more detail below.
Network 104 can be any type of network, such as, but not limited to, a wireless network, cellular network, the Internet, and the like (as discussed above). As discussed herein, network 104 can facilitate connectivity of the components of system 100, as illustrated in FIG. 1 .
Cloud system 106 can be any type of cloud operating platform and/or network based system upon which applications, operations, and/or other forms of network resources can be located. For example, cloud system 106 can correspond to a service provider, network provider, and/or content provider from where services and/or applications can be accessed, sourced or executed from. In some implementations, cloud system 106 can include one or more servers and/or a database of information which is accessible over network 104. In some implementations, a database (not shown) of cloud system 106 can store a dataset of data and metadata associated with local and/or network information related to one or more users of client device 102, one or more users and client device 102, and the services and applications provided by cloud system 106 and/or electronic controller 200.
While reference to cloud system 106 is that of it being a cloud system, it should not be construed as limiting, as cloud system 106 can be a localized network system, such as a private network for a job site or particular processing plant that is securely maintained and only enables communication and connectivity between devices via connectivity to that specific network.
Electronic controller 200, as discussed below in more detail, includes components for electronically managing operations of real-world and digital processes performed by on premise and remotely located equipment (e.g., a PLC/SCADA engine, discussed supra). Implementations of such functionality and the novel operational configuration that provide such advanced implementations are discussed infra.
According to some implementations, electronic controller 200 can be a special purpose machine or processor and could be hosted by a device on network 104, within cloud system 106 and/or on client device 102. In some implementations, electronic controller 200 can be hosted by a peripheral device connected to client device 102 (not shown).
According to some implementations, electronic controller 200 can function as an application provided by cloud system 106. In some implementations, electronic controller 200 can function as an application installed on client device 102. In some implementations, such application can be a web-based application accessed by client device 102 over network 104 from cloud system 106 (e.g., as indicated by the connection between network 104 and electronic controller 200, and/or the dashed line between client device 102 and electronic controller 200 in FIG. 1 ). In some implementations, electronic controller 200 can be configured and/or installed as an augmenting script, program or application (e.g., a plug-in or extension) to another application or program provided by cloud system 106 and/or executing on client device 102.
As illustrated in FIG. 2 , according to some implementations, electronic controller 200 includes task module 202, environment module 204, equipment module 206, and operations module 208. It should be understood that the modules discussed herein are non-exhaustive, as additional or fewer engines and/or modules (or sub-modules) may be applicable to the implementations of the systems and methods discussed. More detail of the operations, configurations and functionalities of electronic controller 200 and each of its modules, and their role within implementations of the present disclosure will be discussed below.
As noted above, while the discussion herein, particularly the discussion related to FIGS. 3-5 , will be discussed in relation to a drilling task (or drill rig operating at a drill site), it should not be construed as limiting, as any other type of known or to be known equipment/machinery can be utilized for any other type of known or to be known task at other known or to be known forms of job sites without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Turning to FIG. 3 , method 300 details non-limiting example implementations of the disclosed framework’s operations for training an artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) algorithm, executed and/or embodied via electronic controller 200, to perform the automated configuration and operation of the equipment. As mentioned above, method 300 of FIG. 3 (as well as methods 400 and 500, of FIGS. 4 and 5 , respectively) will be discussed in relation to specific equipment — a drill rig (e.g., an automated drill rig (ADR) or mechanical rockdrill, for example), and such discussion should not be construed a limiting.
According to some implementations, the drill rig can be configured with electronic sensors that are capable of, but not limited to, detecting soil conditions (e.g., texture, hardness, depth, type, and the like), weather conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, precipitation, and the like), drill conditions (e.g., down force, pressure, position, torque, speed, revolutions per minute (RPMs), electronic or hydraulic controls, and the like), and the like, or some combinations thereof. By way of a non-limiting example, as discussed below, the drill rig’s sensors can be configured to detect a type of soil (e.g., sand or granite) and monitor the speed and down force of the drill as it operates.
According to some implementations, the drill rig can be configured with sensors including, but not limited to, one or more crowd (or down force) pressure sensor, one or more crowd position sensor, one or more rotary pressure sensor, one or more rotary speed sensor, one or more winch sensor, one or more outrigger sensor, one or more mast sensor, one or more voltage sensor, and the like, or some combination thereof. As discussed herein, such sensors, and the subsequent analysis and output via electronic controller 200, can enable the dynamic and automatic determination of how fast to drill (e.g., rotations per minute (RPM)) or how much crowd (down force) to implement. Such auto-enabled (e.g., auto-crowd) features enable the optimization of the drill rig’s performance, as RPMs and crowd parameters can be dynamically adjusted prior to and/or during a drilling task. This ensure the consistent maintenance of maximum production while securing optimal safety measures for those proximate to the drilling task.
By way of a non-limiting example, the operation of electronic controller 200, as discussed herein in relation to FIGS. 3-5 , prevents the equipment (e.g., drill rig) from corkscrewing into the ground. As discussed herein, electronic controller 200 can use crowd position sensor data and rotary speed sensor data to accomplish this task. When crowding and rotating, the crowd will only move down a predetermined distance (e.g., six inches) at a time until it has seen a predetermined number of revolutions (e.g., two revolutions) of the auger. This ensures the auger to dig rather than just screw into the ground.
Moreover, the operation of electronic controller 200 can ensure the operation of the drilling task by the drill rig is as efficient as possible. For example, the drill rig is doing the most work when the rotary pressure (e.g., a function of the amount of applied crowd pressure) is as high as possible without hitting a stall pressure. The crowd pressure can be increased until the rotary pressure hits a desired set point, from which electronic controller 200 can instruct to the drill rig to keeps it as close to that pressure (e.g., within a threshold limit) as the ground conditions vary. Accordingly, electronic controller 200 can operate to decrease the crowd pressure as the pressure reaches a stall pressure in a similar manner.
According to some method, block 302 of method 300 can be performed by task module 202 of electronic controller 200; block 304 can be performed by environment module 204; block 306 can be performed by equipment module 206; and blocks 308, 310, 312, and 314 can be performed by operations module 208.
Method 300 begins at block 302 where electronic controller 200 identifies a drilling task. In some implementations, the drilling task can be provided by a site administrator, technician/operator and/or requesting entity, and received by electronic controller 200. In some implementations, a drilling task can be automatically determined based on previous behaviors of the drill rig. For example, a pattern of drill operations for drilling a well can be detected; therefore, upon starting the drill rig, electronic controller 200 can determine that the previous tasks have not been completed (e.g., the well is not the requested depth/width), and electronic controller 200 can determine, derive, or otherwise identify a remaining drilling task or sub-task.
In some implementations, block 302 can involve electronic controller 200 parsing the drilling task object (e.g., drill instruction message/input) and determining, extracting or otherwise identifying information related to the job, objective, parameters, requesting user/entity, location, and the like, or some combination thereof.
According to some implementations, a drilling task can be configured as, but not limited to, an electronic file, message, data structure within a database that is provided and/or retrieved, an encrypted data item and/or an entered set of instructions provided by electronic controller 200 and/or a technician, or some combination thereof. In some implementations, the drilling task can indicate specific sub-tasks or operations to particular specifications. For example, the drilling task can provide instructions for the drill rig to, but not limited to, sample subsurface mineral deposits, test rock, soil and groundwater physical properties, install subsurface fabrications (e.g., underground utilities, instrumentation, tunnels or wells), and the like. Moreover, drilling tasks can also or alternatively, involve, but are not limited to, drilling through quantities of the surface (e.g., thousands of meters of the Earth’s crust), using large “mud pumps” to circulate drilling mud (slurry) through the drill bit and up the casing annulus, for cooling and removing the “cuttings” while a well is drilled, lifting pipe (e.g., tons of pipe), force materials (e.g., acid or sand) into reservoirs to facilitate extraction of the oil or natural gas, and the like, or some combination thereof.
At block 304, electronic controller 200 can determine attributes of the real-world environment related to the drilling task. As mentioned above, this can involve electronic controller 200 instructing a sensor or plurality of sensors (e.g., a set of sensors) on the drill rig to collect information related to conditions in and/or around the drill rig to determine what operating conditions currently exist. For example, this can involve, but is not limited to, determining a type of soil, density of the soil, and/or weather conditions, which can impact how malleable the soil is, and the like. In another implementation, this can involve electronic controller 200 receiving a soil and/or weather report advising of the type of soil, the density of the soil, and/or weather conditions.
At block 306, electronic controller 200 can determine a configuration of the equipment based on the attributes of the real-world environment. That is, according to some implementations, electronic controller 200 can analyze the determined attributes determined at block 304, and determine which operational parameters and configuration of the drill rig are needed to perform the drill task. For example, if the soil is determined to be a type X with a density Y, and the weather conditions indicated a particular humidity and precipitation, then the drill rig’s auger can be configured at particular position/angle, and configured to operate with a particular force (or pressure) and speed (e.g., RPM). The configuration of the drill rig / auger can account for the real-world attributes so as to ensure it can operate accordingly (e.g., actually drill through with proper down force and rotation without malfunctioning (e.g., corkscrewing)).
At block 308, electronic controller 200 can execute an AI/MI, model based on the determined attributes (from block 304) and determined configuration (from block 306). According to some implementations, electronic controller 200 can perform computational analysis by executing any type of known or to be known computational analysis algorithm, technology, mechanism or classifier, such as, but not limited to, neural networks (e.g., artificial neural network analysis (ANN), convolutional neural network (CNN) analysis, and the like), computer vision, cluster analysis, data mining, Bayesian network analysis, Hidden Markov models, logical model and/or tree analysis, and the like.
According to some implementations, based on the computational analysis performed by electronic controller 200 at block 308, electronic controller 200 can parse the information related to the determined attributes and configuration, and determine, derive, extract or otherwise identify a set of operational processing instructions for controlling/managing the drill rig in order to perform the specific drilling task, as in block 310. According to some implementations, this can involve the determination of how the drill rig is to operate in order to perform the requested drilling task in light of the attributes of the real-world conditions (e.g., soil type, for example) via the determined configurations (e.g., auger position, crowd and speed).
According to some implementations, the operational processing information can include information related to, but not limited to, winch performance, drill performance, outrigger movements, mast movements and maneuverability, voltage manipulation, and the like, or some combination thereof.
For example, with regard to winch performance, old school winch tensioners take too long to respond, and when they do, they are typically too late to eliminate a problem with the drill’s operation. At block 310, electronic controller 200 can determine instructions and/or information that can slows the winch as the drill approaches the bottom of the hole, thereby eliminating paying out too much cable. Moreover, winch performance can be improved by increasing the winch capacity and line speed a determined factor (e.g., twice as fast as conventional manufacturers perform), thereby eliminating cable issues, providing more capacity, and faster cycle times, among other operational benefits.
With regard to drill performance, electronic controller 200 can determine information for when the drill is to “return to center” - that is, electronic controller 200 can determine information related to hole and spin off locations, and cycle times between each, so that the drill can set the hole location and spin off location according to the cycle times, thereby enabling the drill to quickly return to either.
With regard to the outrigger movements, electronic controller 200 can determine information that ensures that drill is level before the mast is raised (at least a threshold amount) via determined outrigger adjustment variables/factors. This can enable a single instruction (e.g., “one button”) approach to ensuring proper maneuvering and usage of the drill and mast.
With regard to the mast movements, similar to outrigger movements, electronic controller 200 can determine information for properly manipulating, positioning, and holding and releasing the mast via automatic movements that can act in concert with the auger and/or other operational movements of the drill as they correspond to the drilling task and followed safety measures. In some implementations, electronic controller 200 can determine and dictate a mast maneuverability that can ensure that industry compliance is maintained (e.g., no more than 10 degrees side mast tilt).
With regard to voltage manipulation, electronic controller 200 can determine information that can set a threshold voltage value (e.g., a voltage that is dangerous to the drill’s integrity, drill operation and/or technician(s) in the proximity of the drill as it operates) that can trigger an alarm. In some implementations, electronic controller 200 can communicate directly with the drill’s main CPU to automatically stop the mast from being raised when it detects a voltage at or above the threshold voltage.
At block 312, electronic controller 200 can cause the determined information to be compiled into a created/generated data structure, message, file, object or item, and thereby store the determined information into a database. Thus, the compiled and stored information can include or be based on, but not limited to, the determined operational processing information (from block 310), the determine attributes of the real-world conditions (from block 304) and the determined configuration (from block 306). In some implementations, the compiled and stored information can also include information related to the drilling task (from block 302).
According to some implementations, such information can be stored in the database in association with each other via, for example, a searchable look-up table (LUT), or any other type of known or to be known relational database or blockchain.
At block 314, electronic controller 200 operates to train the AI/ML model (used in block 308) based on the stored information. Thus, the data stored can act as training data, or service as a corpus of information used to configure the AI/ML model for usage in real-world situations.
Thus, it should be understood that while the discussion of the steps of method 300 were discussed in relation to a single drilling task, it should not be construed as limiting, as a plurality of drilling tasks can be processed according to the steps of method 300 without departing form the scope of the present disclosure.
Turning to FIG. 4 , method 400 details non-limiting example implementations of processing a specific drilling task using the electronic controller 200 after training (from method 300 of FIG. 3 , discussed supra).
According to some implementations, block 402 of method 400 can be performed by task module 202 of electronic controller 200; blocks 404 and 406 can be performed by equipment module 206; and blocks 408 and 410 can be performed by operations module 208.
Method 400 begins at block 402 where electronic controller 200 receives information related to a drilling task. As discussed above, such reception can be responsive to information provided by a site administrator, requesting entity and/or automatically determined, and received by electronic controller 200. For example, the drilling task information can be provided by a technician’s input.
In some implementations, block 402 can involve the drill collecting sensor data related to a requested drill operation, so as to determine the landscape of where, how and when the drill operation will and can be performed. In such implementations, block 402 can operate in a similar manner as discussed above in relation to block 304, where the real-world environment attributes are determined.
At block 404, electronic controller 200 can analyze the received information to determine attributes and/or characteristics of the drilling request. The operation of block 404 can be performed in a similar manner as the computational analysis processing discussed above in relation to at least block 304, 306, and 308. Thus, block 404 can involve determining real-world environmental attributes and configuration information of the drill rig to be operated.
At block 406, electronic controller 200 can determine parameters of the configurations of the drill rig. According to some implementations, block 406 can operate in a similar manner as discussed above at least in relation to block 310, whereby the operational processing configurations of the drill are determined. Accordingly, the processing of block 406 is performed via electronic controller 200 after training from FIG. 3 .
In some implementations, the determined information from block 406 can be stored in the database in a similar manner as discussed above in relation to block 312. Accordingly, this information can be leveraged for further training of electronic controller 200 (as discussed above in relation to block 314).
At block 408, the determined configuration parameters are applied to the drill rig, thereby automatically setting up the drill rig and its components to perform the requested drill task. For example, the auger, mast, winch, and the like, are positioned and set at speeds, levels and movements according to the determined configuration parameters, as discussed above.
And, at block 410, the drilling task can be commenced (or initiated) via the configured drill rig (from block 408).
Turning to FIG. 5 , method 500 details non-limiting example implementations of the commenced drilling task (from block 410). According to some implementations, as discussed herein, electronic controller 200 operates to monitoring the drilling operations in order to ensure they are being performed in an optimized and safe manner.
According to some implementations, block 502 of method 500 can be performed by task module 202 of electronic controller 200; blocks 504 and 506 can be performed by environment module 204 and/or equipment module 206; block 508 can be performed by equipment module 206; and block 510 can be performed by operations module 208.
Method 500 begins at block 502 where electronic controller 200 monitors the ongoing drilling task. According to some implementations, such monitoring can be performed continuously, or according to periodic intervals. For example, as mentioned above, after every six inch movement and/or after every two revolutions.
At block 504, electronic controller 200 can collect sensor data associated with the drill rig and/or drilling environment (e.g., real-world environment). According to some implementations, electronic controller 200 can instruct, according to the monitored frequency of block 502, respective sensors to detect the operating conditions of the drill (e.g., how the drill is performing — for example, is the mast maintaining a sub-10 degree tilt; or is the voltage at or below the threshold voltage) as well as the integrity of the surface being drilled (e.g., are there pockets of air in the soil or are there different types of soils being detected, for example).
At block 506, based on the collected sensor data, electronic controller 200 can determine whether adjustments to the configuration parameters of the drill rig are required. That is, based on how the drill is operating, and/or the conditions within which it is operating, should electronic controller 200 determine new configuration parameters to ensure/maintain optimal operation and safety. For example, electronic controller 200 can determine to increase or decrease the RPMs of the auger based on a change in soil conditions being detected. In one implementation, the change in soil conditions may be detected based on direct sensor readings of the soil. In another implementation, a current soil condition may be extrapolated from the sensor readings of the drill conditions. For example, electronic controller 200 can store a plurality of possible soil conditions along with one or more predefined conditions of the drill equipment for each of the plurality of possible soil conditions. Accordingly, when the sensor readings of the drill conditions change from one of predefined conditions of the drill equipment to another of the predefined conditions of the drill equipment, electronic controller 200 can extrapolate that the current soil condition has changed.
According to some implementations, method 500 can recursively proceed from block 506 back to block 502 when electronic controller 200 determines that the currently applied configurations of the drill are still operable. That is, the drill is still operating as a threshold satisfying capacity given current operating conditions.
In some implementations, method 500 proceeds from block 506 to block 508 when electronic controller 200 determines that adjustments to the currently applied configurations are required for the drill to operate at a threshold satisfying capacity given the current operating conditions. According to some implementations, block 508 involves electronic controller 200 re-executing block 404 (and blocks 406, 408, and 410 of method 400) so as to dynamically, in real-time re-configure the drill rig according to the currently detected conditions. Method 500 can then proceed back to block 502 for recursive monitoring of the drill’s modified operations.
In some implementations, block 510 can then be performed (e.g., perform block 312 after the performance of block 508) so as update the stored information in the database and train (via block 314) electronic controller 200 according to the updated/modified drill configurations/operations.
According to some implementations, upon the storage of drill information and training of electronic controller 200 (e.g., as in blocks 312, 314, 406, and 510, discussed supra), electronic controller 200 can compile and/or create/generate consumable instructions as a set of images and/or a video. Such instructions can enable a technician to be trained to understand how to operate the drill rig according to particular drilling tasks and real-world environments. Accordingly, such training instruction (e.g., videos) can be stored in the database as an on-demand library that can be accessible by a technician assigned a particular task. In some implementations, a pointer or link (e.g., a uniform resource locator (URL)) can be included in a drilling task when provided to a technician for easy access to instructions for providing input/setup and operation of equipment; thereby ensuring the crew always has access to the most up-to-date training information for particular machinery.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a computing device 600 showing an example of a client device or server device used in the various implementations of the present disclosure.
The computing device 600 may include more or fewer components than those shown in FIG. 6 , depending on the deployment or usage of the computing device 600. For example, a server computing device, such as a rack-mounted server, may not include audio interfaces 652, displays 654, keypads 656, illuminators 658, haptic interfaces 662, a GPS receiver 664, cameras 666, or sensors 668. Some devices may include additional components not shown, such as GPU devices, cryptographic co-processors, AI accelerators, or other peripheral devices.
As shown in FIG. 6 , the computing device 600 may include a central processing unit (CPU 622) in communication with a mass memory 630 via a bus 624. The computing device 600 may also include one or more network interfaces 650, an audio interface 652, a display 654, a keypad 656, an illuminator 658, an input/output interface 660, a haptic interface 662, a GPS receiver 664 (and/or an interchangeable or additional GNSS receiver), cameras 666, and sensors 668 (e.g., optical, thermal, and/or electromagnetic sensors). The positioning of the cameras 666 and sensors 668 on the computing device 600 can change per computing device 600 model, per computing device 600 capabilities, and the like, or some combination thereof.
In some implementations, the CPU 622 may comprise a general-purpose CPU. The CPU 622 may comprise a single-core or multiple-core CPU. The CPU 622 may comprise a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or a similar embedded system. In some implementations, a GPU may be used in place of, or in combination with, a CPU 622. Mass memory 630 may comprise a dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) device, a static random-access memory device (SRAM), or a Flash (e.g., NAND Flash) memory device. In some implementations, mass memory 630 may comprise a combination of such memory types. In one implementation, the bus 624 may comprise a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) bus. In some implementations, the bus 624 may comprise multiple busses instead of a single bus.
Mass memory 630 illustrates another example of computer storage media for the storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Mass memory 630 stores a basic input/output system (“BIOS”) 640 for controlling the low-level operation of the computing device 600. The mass memory also stores an operating system 641 for controlling the operation of the computing device 600.
Applications 642 may include computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the computing device 600, perform any of the methods (or portions of the methods) described previously in the description of the preceding Figures. In some implementations, the software or programs implementing the method implementations can be read from a hard disk drive (not illustrated) and temporarily stored in RAM 632 by CPU 622. CPU 622 may then read the software or data from RAM 632, process them, and store them to RAM 632 again.
The computing device 600 may optionally communicate with a base station (not shown) or directly with another computing device. Network interface 650 is sometimes known as a transceiver, transceiving device, or network interface card (NIC).
The audio interface 652 produces and receives audio signals such as the sound of a human voice. For example, the audio interface 652 may be coupled to a speaker and microphone (not shown) to enable telecommunication with others or generate an audio acknowledgment for some action. Display 654 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), gas plasma, light-emitting diode (LED), or any other type of display used with a computing device. Display 654 may also include a touch-sensitive screen arranged to receive input from an object such as a stylus or a digit from a human hand.
Keypad 656 may comprise any input device arranged to receive input from a user. Illuminator 658 may provide a status indication or provide light.
The computing device 600 also comprises an input/output interface 660 for communicating with external devices, using communication technologies, such as USB, infrared, Bluetooth™, or the like. The haptic interface 662 provides tactile feedback to a user of the client device.
GPS receiver 664 can determine the physical coordinates of the computing device 600 on the surface of the Earth, which typically outputs a location as latitude and longitude values. GPS receiver 664 can also employ other geo-positioning mechanisms, including, but not limited to, triangulation, assisted GPS (AGPS), E-OTD, CI, SAI, ETA, BSS, or the like, to further determine the physical location of the computing device 600 on the surface of the Earth. In one implementation, however, the computing device 600 may communicate through other components, provide other information that may be employed to determine a physical location of the device, including, for example, a MAC address, IP address, or the like.
FIG. 7 illustrates an example of drilling rig 700 in accordance with as aspect of an implementation. In an implementation, the drilling rig may be configured to drill holes for utility infrastructure, building infrastructure, wells, and the like. Examples of utility infrastructure include utility poles, such as hydro poles and telephone poles, cell towers, substations, and the like. Examples of building infrastructure include foundations for buildings, foundation for multilevel structures such as parking garages and golf driving ranges.
The drilling rig 700 may comprise a vehicle 701 having a chassis 702 (on example of a “vehicle chassis”). A pair of front outriggers 704A, a pair of rear outriggers 704B, and a base frame 706 may be coupled to the chassis 702. A slide base 708 may be coupled to the base frame 706. An operator cab 707 may be mounted on the body 710. A mast 714 may be coupled to the body 710. One or more derrick cylinders 716 may be coupled between the mast 714 and the body 710. A winch 718 and a drive gearbox 726 may be coupled to the mast 714 on opposite sides thereof. A crowd cylinder 724 may be coupled between the mast 714 and the drive gearbox 726. A kelly bar 722 may be operatively coupled to the drive gearbox 726. The kelly bar 722 may be further coupled to the winch 718 via a cable 720. An auger 728 may be coupled to the kelly bar 722. Pumps 712 may be mounted on the body 710 and coupled to the one or more of the derrick cylinders 716, the winch 718, the crowd cylinder 724, and the drive gearbox 726.
The winch 718 may be fixedly attached to the mast 714. The winch 718 may raise or lower the kelly bar 722 by retracting or paying out the cable 720. The drive gearbox 726 may be movably coupled to the mast 714. The drive gearbox 726 may move linearly along the mast 714 under force (“crowding”) from the crowd cylinder 724.
The kelly bar 722 may comprise high strength, ductile steel tubes. In an implementation, the kelly bar 722 may be telescoping. Telescoping kelly bars have a plurality of tubular sections with varying transverse cross-sectional diameters sequentially arranged in telescopic fashion. The tubular sections may be fabricated of high-tensile steel for a combination of increased strength and minimal weight.
The kelly bar 722 may also comprise a locking system of keys, teeth, or other locking recesses welded onto or otherwise forming a part of the inner and outer surfaces of the tubular sections. Conversely, the drive gearbox 726 may comprise a complementary locking system of keys, teeth, or other locking protrusions configured to engage the locking system on the kelly bar 722. Accordingly, when the kelly bar 722 is engaged with the drive gearbox 726, it may transfer torque from the drive gearbox 726 to the auger 728. Similarly, when the kelly bar 722 is engaged with the drive gearbox 726, it may also transfer linear force (referred to as crowd force) from the crowd cylinder 724, via the drive gearbox 726, to the auger 728.
During transport of the drilling rig 700, the derrick cylinders 716 may be retracted and the mast 714 may be substantially horizontal to the base frame 706. In some implementations, the pair of front outriggers 704A may be retracted and positioned alongside the sides of the chassis 702 during transport of the drill rig 700. In some implementations, the pair of rear outriggers 704B may be retracted and positioned across the rear of the base frame 706 during transport of the drill rig 700.
The implementation described above will further be described with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 . Setting up the drill rig is described with reference to the method discussed in FIG. 4 . At block 402, electronic controller 200 receives information related to a drilling task. As discussed, such reception can be responsive to information provided by a site administrator, requesting entity and/or automatically determined, and received by electronic controller 200. For example, the drilling task information can be provided by a technician’s input.
In some implementations, block 402 may involve the drill collecting attributes of a soil condition proximate to the drill rig, so as to determine the landscape of where, how and when the drill operation will and can be performed. For example, electronic controller 200 may instruct one or more sensors on the drill rig 700 to collect information related to conditions in and/or around the drill rig to determine what operating conditions currently exist. For example, this can involve, determining a type of soil, density of the soil, and/or weather conditions, which can impact how malleable the soil is, and the like. In another example, electronic controller 200 may receive a soil report advising of the type of soil, the density of the soil, and the like. Electronic controller 200 may also receive a weather report advising of the weather conditions. The soil report may be commissioned and obtained prior to the drill operation. In another example, electronic controller 200 may receive input from a drill rig operator estimating the soil conditions.
At block 404, the received information may be analyzed to determine attributes and/or characteristics of the drilling request. Thus, block 404 can involve determining real-world environmental attributes and configuration information of the drill rig 700 to be operated.
At block 406, parameters for the configuration of the drill rig 700 may be determined. According to some implementations, the operational processing configurations of the drill rig 700 may be determined.
At block 408, the determined configuration parameters may be applied to the drill rig, thereby automatically setting up the drill rig and its components to perform the requested drill task. In an implementation, block 408 is illustrated in greater detail with reference to FIG. 8 . In FIG. 8 , a method 800 for setting up the drilling rig 700 once it is parked in position is illustrated. The method 800 may be automatically implemented by one or both of equipment module 206 and operations module 208 of electronic controller 200.
At block 802, the pair of front outriggers 704A and the pair of rear outriggers 704B may be deployed to stabilize the drilling rig 700. In an implementation, at block 802A, the pair of front outriggers 704A may be positioned to extend perpendicular to the chassis 702. At block 802B, the feet of the pair of front outriggers 704A and the pair of rear outriggers 704B may be extended towards the ground. Pressure monitors for each of pair of front outriggers 704A and the pair of rear outriggers 704B may detect a load placed thereon. Specifically, the monitors may monitor the pressure while extending the feet of the pair of front outriggers 704A and the pair of rear outriggers 704B. When the pressures rise above a set latch pressure, it can be determined that the pair of front outriggers 704A and the pair of rear outriggers 704B have touched the ground and are supporting a load. The set latch pressure ensures that the pair of front outriggers 704A and pair of the rear outriggers 704B are providing lateral support to the drilling rig 700. The feet for each of the pair of front outriggers 704A and each of the pair of rear outriggers 704B may be controlled independently from each other to account for variations in the ground surface.
At block 804, the mast 714 may be raised. For example, the derrick cylinders 716 may be extended. At the base of each of the derrick cylinders 716 may be a derrick cylinder position sensor. The mast 714 may be kept centered while it is being raised to avoid colliding with other equipment on the drill rig 700. Specifically, based on feedback from the derrick cylinder position sensors, the mast 714 may be kept centered by synchronizing the operation of the derrick cylinders. The derrick cylinders 716 may be kept within a predefined threshold difference of each other until the mast reaches a predefined height. In an example, the predefined difference is a quarter of an inch. Once the mast reaches the predefined height, the derrick cylinders 716 can be operated independently to move the mast 714 to a predefined mast position. Once the mast 714 has reached the predefined mast position, the derrick cylinders 716 may be locked in position. A mast inclinometer may be used to identify a current position of the mast 714. The mast inclinometer may be positioned proximal a base of the mast 714. The mast inclinometer may be configured determine an angle of the mast 714 with respect to the normal. In an implementation, at the predefined raised position the mast 714 may be at an angle between 0° and 7° with respect to the normal. In another implementation, at the predefined raised position the mast may be positioned at an angle of up to 40° with respect to the normal. Thus, the mast 714 can automatically be raised to the predefined raised position.
In an implementation, the mast 714 may further be configured with a high voltage detector. The high voltage detector may be positioned proximal a top end of the mast 714. In an implementation, the high voltage detector can sense as little as 110 volts alternating current (AC). Thus, the high voltage sensor can detect the present of a high-voltage power line. In an implementation, in response to the high voltage detector detecting the presence of the high-voltage power line, a warning signal may be generated for the operator. Additionally, raising of the mast 714 may be automatically halted. In an alternative implementation, in response to the high voltage detector detecting the presence of the high-voltage power line, a warning signal may be generated for the operator. However, raising of the mast 714 may only be halted if it is determined that the presence of the high-voltage power line will interfere with the operation of the drill rig 700.
At block 806, the mast 714 may be moved to be closer to a drilling position. Although the drilling rig 700 is parked proximal the drilling position, it may be necessary to further refine the alignment of the mast 714 with the drilling position. Accordingly, the body 710 may be provided with two degrees of freedom. In a first degree of freedom, body 710 may be configured to slide generally along a length of the slide base 708 in response to pressure from a slide cylinder (not shown). This movement causes the body 710 to further protrude from the rear of the drill rig 700. In a second degree of freedom, the slide base 708 may be rotatably coupled to the base frame 706. In an implementation, a swing lock may inhibit rotation of the slide base 708 when the body 710 is retracted. A slide cylinder position sensor in the slide cylinder may sense the position of the body 710 with respect to the swing lock. Once the body 710 has cleared the swing lock, rotation of the slide base 708 may be enabled.
At block 808, swing position counters may log the drilling position and a spin off position for the mast 714. The spin off position may require a predefined swing (rotation) of the body 710 from the drilling position. As will be described, logging these positions may allow the body 710 to automatically stop at each location when swinging back and forth.
Once the drill rig 700 has been set up then at block 410, the drilling task can be commenced. Once the drilling task has been commence, monitoring of the operation of the drill rig 700 is described with reference to FIG. 5 .
At block 502, electronic controller 200 monitors the ongoing drilling task. Specifically, the engine monitors the drilling task to collect updated drill condition information of the mobile drill equipment from the plurality of sensors. According to some implementations, such monitoring can be performed continuously or continually. In an implementation, the drilling task may initially position the auger 728 at the drilling position. The locking system of the kelly bar 722 may be coupled with the locking system of the drive gearbox 726 so that the drive gearbox 726 can transfer rotary and linear force to the kelly bar 722. The drive gearbox 726 may cause the auger 728 to drill one pass (i.e. drill until the auger 728 has drilled into the ground), thereby creating a hole. The winch 718 may remove the auger 728 from the hole. The locking system of the kelly bar 722 may be de-coupled from the locking system of the drive gearbox 726 so that the drive gearbox 726 does not resist removal of the kelly bar 722 from the hole. The auger 728 may contain debris from the drill pass. The body 710 may swing to the spin off position. At the spin off position, the drive gearbox 726 may cause the auger 728 to spin rapidly, dispersing the debris. The body 710 may swing back to the drilling position. The winch 718 may lower auger into the hole. The drive gearbox 726 may cause the auger 728 to drill further passes and continue to discard the debris, as described above, until a desired depth is reached.
At block 504, electronic controller 200 can collect via the sensors, updated drill condition information of the drill rig and/or drilling environment. According to some implementations, electronic controller 200 can instruct respective sensors to detect the operating conditions of the drill as well as the change in soil conditions of the soil being drilled. For example, a crowd cylinder position sensor monitors the position of the drive gearbox 726. As another example, a rotary speed sensor monitors the rotary speed of the drive gearbox 726. As another example, an electronic load detection sensor monitors the load on the winch. As another example, a first rotary pump pressure sensor (A port) monitors the rotary pressure on the drive gearbox 726. As another example, a second rotary pump pressure sensor (B port) monitors the charge pressure on the return side of the rotary circuit for the drive gearbox 726. As another example, a hydraulic oil level switch monitors a level of hydraulic oil in the pumps 712. As another example, a hydraulic oil temperature sensor monitors the temperature of the hydraulic oil in the pumps 712. As another example, a hydraulic pressure sensor measures the hydraulic pressure of any hydraulic function in use. As another example, a winch depth counter may be used to monitor a depth of the hole being drilled. As yet another example, a chassis inclinometer may be used to monitor the inclination of the chassis 702.
As previously described, in one implementation, electronic controller 200 may be configured to store a plurality of possible soil conditions. Each of the possible soil conditions are associated with a corresponding combination of the drill rig conditions. For example, sand is a soft soil that is easy to drill. Thus, there will be a low rotary pressure on the auger 728. Further, the speed of the auger 728 will not slow, at least not significantly, when the auger 728 is crowded. Yet further, the depth of the auger 728 will increase with requiring a similar increase in pressure. Accordingly, one or all of these characteristics can be used to identify that the soil is soft and easy to drill. As another example, granite is a very hard soil that is difficult to drill. Because of the hardness of the granite, when the auger 728 is crowded down, some of the crowding force will be distributed to the vehicle 701 and cause the chassis 702 to tilt. The tilt of the chassis 702 will be sensed by the chassis inclinometer. Thus, the chassis inclinometer can be used to identify that the soil is hard and difficult to drill.
Further, for each of the possible soil conditions, electronic controller 200 may be configured define a plurality of drill rig configuration parameters. Accordingly, when electronic controller 200 detects a change in drill rig conditions that correspond to a change in soil conditions, the drill rig configuration parameters can be adjusted accordingly. For example, when electronic controller 200 detects drill rig conditions that indicate that the soil is sand, the rotary speed of the auger 728 may be increased to improve efficiency. As another example, when electronic controller 200 detects drill conditions that indicate that the soil is granite, the rotary speed of the auger 728 may be decreased to reduce the risk of damaging the drill rig 700.
At block 506, based on the collected sensor data, electronic controller 200 may determine whether adjustments to the configuration parameters of the drill rig are required. That is, based on how the drill is operating, and/or the conditions within which it is operating, should electronic controller 200 determine new configuration parameters to ensure/maintain optimal operation and safety. Further, electronic controller 200 may also determine if subsequent steps are necessary to facilitate the automation of the drill rig 700.
The parameters for automation of the drill rig 700 may be established at block 310. For example, the winch depth counter may be used for a plurality of conditions. When starting to dig the hole, the winch depth counter may record the ground location of the auger 728 in response to user input. Once the auger 728 has completed a pass, the winch depth counter may record a winch depth for that pass. As the auger 728 is withdrawn from the hole, the winch may automatically slow as it approaches the winch depth for the ground location. Slowing the winch as the auger 728 approaches the exit of the hole may allow for a soft stop of the auger 728 once it has exited the hole. Conversely, the next time the auger 728 is placed into the hole, the winch may automatically slow prior to reaching the winch depth of the previous pass. Slowing the winch when the auger 728 reaches the winch depth of the previous pass may provide a soft stop for the auger 728 once it reaches a bottom of the hole. Further, the winch depth counter may be used to inhibit certain motion of the drill rig 700. For example, if the winch depth is below the ground location of the auger 728, then the auger 728 is most likely within the hole. Accordingly, swing or spin off may be inhibited to limit damage to the drill rig 700.
As another example, the electronic load detection sensor may also be used for a plurality of conditions. As previously noted, the electronic load detection sensor reads the load on the winch. When “crowding down”, the crowd cylinder 724 may displace the drive gearbox 726 and the kelly bar 722 downward. As the kelly bar 722 moves downward, it may apply a force on the cable 720, which in turn may apply a force on the winch 718. When the force on the winch 718 exceeds a predefined maximum winch force, the winch 718 pays out the cable 720. The electronic load detection sensor may also be used to determine when to stop paying out the cable 720 when lowering the auger 728 into the hole. The weight of the kelly bar 722 and the auger 728 are known. Accordingly, when the load on the winch 718 is less than the load from the weight of the kelly bar 722 and the auger 728, the winch 718 may stop paying out the cable 720. The electronic load detection sensor may be used in conjunction with the winch depth counter when determining whether the auger 728 is at a bottom of the hole or just caught on the way down. The electronic load detection sensor may further be used for overload correction in case the auger 728 is overloaded after drilling. That is, after drilling, a total load detected by the electronic load detection sensor may include the weight of debris in the auger 728, the weight of the auger 728, and the weight of the kelly bar 722. If the total load is greater than the load capacity of the winch 718, the drive gearbox 726 may automatically be instructed to reverse rotation of the kelly bar 722 and unload at least a portion of the debris in the auger 728. In an implementation, the once sufficient debris has been offloaded so that the total load detected by the electronic load detection sensor may be less that the load capacity of the winch, rotation of the drive gearbox 726 may be halted.
As another example, the rotary pressure on the drive gearbox 726 is monitored by the first rotary pump pressure sensor (A port). For example, a particularly hard rock formation or other drilling target may resist drilling by the auger 728. This resistance may increase pressure on the drive gearbox 726 as it attempts to rotate the auger 728. As pressure rises to maximum predefined pressure, displacement in the motors of the drive gearbox 726 may be increased to increase torque and reduce rotary speed. As pressure falls from the maximum predefined pressure, displacement in the motors of the drive gearbox 726 may be decreased to decrease torque and increase rotary speed. The rotary speed of the drive gearbox 726 may be monitored using the rotary speed sensor monitor. If the rotary speed of the drive gearbox 726 slows to a predefined stall condition, the crowd cylinder 724 is configured to “crowd up” the drive gearbox 724.
The charge pressure of the drive gearbox 726 may be monitored by the second rotary pump pressure sensor (B Port). The charge pressure keeps pressure on the return side of the rotary circuit of the drive gearbox 726. If the drive gearbox 726 is operating in reverse, the return side of the rotary circuit of the drive gearbox 726 will be the A Port. Accordingly, a lower one of the second rotary pump pressure sensor (B Port) or the second rotary pump pressure sensor (A Port) may be chosen as the charge pressure to ensure that the charge pump is working. If not, the rotary circuit is not allowed.
As another example, the crowd cylinder position sensor may also be used for a plurality of conditions. As previously mentioned, the position of the crowd cylinder may be determined using the crowd cylinder position sensor. The position of the crowd cylinder may be used to auto-crowd the kelly bar 722. In an implementation, the kelly bar 722 may only be crowded down a predefined distance. After the predefined distance has passed, the drive gearbox 726 may only apply rotary force to the kelly bar 722, allowing the auger 728 to dig. The position of the crowd cylinder may also be used to synchronize the winch with the crowd to reduce an excess about of the cable 720 between the winch 718 and the kelly bar 722. For example, if the kelly bar 722 is crowded up, then the winch 718 may retract the cable 720 a corresponding amount. Further, the crowd cylinder position sensor may be used in concert with the electronic load detection sensor and/or the winch depth counter to help minimize any excess cable.
The chassis inclinometer may be used in concert with the crowd cylinder position sensor and the first rotary pump pressure sensor (Port A) when auto-crowding the kelly bar 722. For example, if the auger 728 is not progressing because of hard rock conditions and the drive gearbox 726 continues to crowd down, the force may cause the chassis 702 to begin to lift. Accordingly, the chassis inclinometer measures an angle of the chassis 702. If the angle of the chassis changes more than a predefined maximum chassis angle, the auto-crowd is stopped. For example, the auto-crowd may be stopped when the chassis inclinometer indicates that the angle of the chassis 702 increases by more than 1.5 degrees.
The level of hydraulic oil in the pumps 712 may be monitored by the hydraulic oil level switch. If the hydraulic oil falls below a predefined minimum oil level, the hydraulic function of the drill rig 700 may be stopped until the hydraulic oil is replenished. Similarly, the temperature of the hydraulic oil may be monitored by the hydraulic oil temperature sensor. As the oil temperature increases, the speed of cooling fan may increase. If the oil temperature reached a predefined critical oil temperature, the hydraulic function of the drill rig 700 may be stopped until the hydraulic oil temperature cools enough to resume.
According to some implementations, method 500 can recursively proceed from block 506 back to block 502 when electronic controller 200 determines that the currently applied configurations of the drill are still operable. That is, the drill is still operating as a threshold satisfying capacity given current operating conditions.
In some implementations, method 500 proceeds from block 506 to block 508 when electronic controller 200 determines that adjustments to the currently applied configurations are required for the drill to operate at a threshold satisfying capacity given the current operating conditions. According to some implementations, block 508 involves electronic controller 200 re-executing block 404 (and blocks 406, 408, and 410 of method 400) so as to dynamically, in real-time re-configure the drill rig according to the currently detected conditions. Method 500 can then proceed back to block 502 for recursive monitoring of the drill’s modified operations.
FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of an example of a method 900 for operating mobile drill equipment according to some implementations of the present disclosure. Mobile drill equipment may include all or any portion of the drilling rig 700 described above in relation to FIG. 7 . For example, mobile drill equipment may include the body 710, the pumps 712, the mast 714, one or more derrick cylinders 716, the winch 718, the cable 720, the kelly bar 722, the crowd cylinder 724, the drive gearbox 726, the auger 728, or a combination thereof. The method 900 is performed by processing logic that may include hardware (circuitry, dedicated logic, etc.), software (such as is run on a general-purpose computer system or a dedicated machine), or a combination of both. The method 900 and/or each of its individual functions, routines, subroutines, or operations may be performed by one or more processors of a computing device (e.g., any component of FIG. 1 , such as client device 102, cloud system 106, or electronic controller 200). In certain implementations, the method 900 may be performed by a single processing thread. Alternatively, the method 900 may be performed by two or more processing threads, each thread implementing one or more individual functions, routines, subroutines, or operations of the methods.
For simplicity of explanation, the method 900 is depicted in FIG. 9 and described as a series of operations. However, operations in accordance with the present disclosure can occur in various orders and/or concurrently, and/or with other operations not presented and described herein. For example, the operations depicted in the method 900 in FIG. 9 may occur in combination with any other operation of any other method disclosed herein. Furthermore, not all illustrated operations may be required to implement the method 900 in accordance with the disclosed subject matter. In addition, those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate that the method 900 could alternatively be represented as a series of interrelated states via a state diagram or event diagram.
At block 902, the electronic controller 200 receives sensor data while the mobile drill equipment performs a drill task. In some implementations, the electronic controller 200 may receive any one or combination of sensor data previously described herein. Alternatively, or in addition, the electronic controller 200 may receive sensor data indicating a tilt angle of the chassis 702, a rotary pressure on the auger 728, a rotary speed of the auger 728, or a combination thereof.
At block 904, a condition of the soil proximate to the mobile drill equipment is determined based on the sensor data. In some implementations, the electronic controller 200 may determine the condition of the soil based on the sensor data using any one or combination of the methods previously described herein. Alternatively, or in addition, the electronic controller 200 may determine the condition of the soil based on tilting motions of the chassis 702. For example, the electronic controller 200 may determine the condition of the soil is hard when the sensor data indicates that a tilt angle of the chassis 702 changes by at least a predetermined amount during a crowding down of the auger 728. As a specific example, the electronic controller 200 may determine the condition of the soil is hard when the sensor data indicates that a tilt angle of the chassis 702 increases by at least 1.5 degrees during a crowding down of the auger 728. Alternatively, or in addition, the electronic controller 200 may determine the condition of the soil based on the rotary pressure on the auger 728. For example, the electronic controller 200 may determine that the condition of the soil is soft when the sensor data indicates that a rotary pressure on the auger 728 is less than a predetermined range during the drilling task. Further, the electronic controller 200 may determine that the condition of the soil is hard when the sensor data indicates that a rotary pressure on the auger 728 is greater than a predetermined range during the drilling task.
At block 906, a rotary speed of the auger 728 is adjusted based on the condition of the soil. In some implementations, the electronic controller 200 may adjust the rotary speed of the auger 728 based on the condition of the soil using any one or combination of methods previously described herein. Alternatively, or in addition, the electronic controller 200 may increase or decrease the rotary speed of the auger 728 based on the toughness of the soil. For example, the electronic controller 200 may decrease the rotary speed of the auger 728 when the condition of the soil is hard. Further, the electronic controller 200 may increase the rotary speed of the auger 728 when the condition of the soil is soft. In some implementations, the electronic controller 200 may adjust the rotary speed of the auger 728 to maintain a predetermined range of rotary pressure on the auger 728. For example, when the condition of the soil is soft, a low amount of rotary pressure on the auger 728 is needed to turn the auger 728 at low rotary speeds. In this example, the electronic controller 200 may increase the rotary speed of the auger 728 which causes the mobile drill equipment to work harder and the rotary pressure on the auger 728 to increase. As the rotary pressure on the auger 728 approaches an upper limit of the predetermined range, the electronic controller 200 may decrease the rotary speed of the auger 728 to keep the rotary pressure on the auger 728 within the predetermined range. Alternatively, or in addition, the electronic controller 200 may set the rotary speed of the auger 728 to one of several predetermined speeds based on the soil type. For example, the electronic controller 200 may set the rotary speed of the auger 728 to a first predetermined speed when the soil is sand (an example of a “first soil type”). Further, the electronic controller 200 may set the rotary speed of the auger 728 to a second predetermined speed when the soil is granite (an example of a “second soil type”).
At block 908, a crowd force applied by the mobile drill equipment is adjusted based on the condition of the soil. In some implementations, the electronic controller 200 may adjust the crowd force applied by the mobile drill equipment based on the condition of the soil using any one or combination of methods previously described herein. Alternatively, or in addition, the electronic controller 200 may stop the mobile drill equipment from applying a crowd force when the condition of the soil is hard. For example, the condition of the soil may be hard when the sensor data indicates that the tilt angle of the chassis 702 changes by at least a predetermined amount during a crowding down of the auger 728. Thus, in some implementations, the electronic controller 200 may stop the mobile drill equipment from applying a crowd force when the sensor data indicates that the tilt angle of the chassis 702 changes by at least a predetermined amount during a crowding down of the auger 728. Alternatively, or in addition, the electronic controller 200 may increase or decrease the crowd force applied by the mobile drill equipment based on the toughness of the soil. For example, the electronic controller 200 may increase the crowd force applied by the mobile drill equipment when the condition of the soil is hard. Further, the electronic controller 200 may decrease the crowd force applied by the mobile drill equipment when the condition of the soil is soft.
Unlike conventional drill equipment that includes hydraulic over hydraulic components, the drill rig 700 includes electronic over hydraulic components. The electronic over hydraulic components provide electronic control of the drill rig 700 and perform faster adjustments to address long-experienced real-world issues (such as cable and winch issues). Further, the electronic over hydraulic components included in the systems and methods described herein can monitor pressures and make adjustments automatically, without direct input from an operator. While the systems and methods described herein may provide operators with more responsive components, allowing the operators to have direct manual control of these more responsive components may lead to inefficient and unsafe operation. For example, inexperienced or unskilled operators may not be able manually control the electronic over hydraulic components described herein to improve efficiency and safety. Given the abundance of inexperienced and unskilled operators, the systems and methods described herein provide automatic features using electronic over hydraulic components. The automatic features described herein leverage the electronic over hydraulic components to improve efficiency and safety regardless of the experience or skill of the operator. As described herein, the automatic features may include a safe set-up feature in which the electronic controller 200 executes a set up sequence that prevents the operator from incorrect or unsafe set-up. Also, as described herein, the automatic features may include a winch/crowd sync feature that automatically crowds up while the winch 718 is hoisted up. This automatic feature may allow the drill rig 700 to restore the crowd stroke automatically. Further, as described herein, the automatic features may include an auger overload correction feature in which the drill rig 700 rotates in reverse while the winch 718 is hoisted up until the winch 718 can free the auger 728. For example, this automatic feature may be used in the event that the operator has corkscrewed the auger 728 in the ground. In addition, as described herein, the automatic features may include an auto-crowd feature in which several sensors and/or gauges are monitored to determine an estimated soil type and the progress of the drill rig 700 in that soil type. As the operator drills, the electronic controller 200 may determine and set the optimal rates at which the auger 728 can rotate and crowd. Also, as described herein, the automatic features may include an auto unlock feature in which the bars are automatically rotated counter clockwise to unlock the bars prior to the winch 718 being hoisting up.
For the purposes of this disclosure a module is a software, hardware, or firmware (or combinations thereof) system, process or functionality, or component thereof, that performs or facilitates the processes, features, and/or functions described herein (with or without human interaction or augmentation). A module can include sub-modules. Software components of a module may be stored on a computer readable medium for execution by a processor. Modules may be integral to one or more servers, or be loaded and executed by one or more servers. One or more modules may be grouped into an engine or an application.
For the purposes of this disclosure the term “user”, “data owner”, “subscriber” “consumer” or “customer” should be understood to refer to a user of an application or applications as described herein and/or a consumer of data supplied by a data provider. By way of example, and not limitation, the term “user” or “subscriber” can refer to a person who receives data provided by the data or service provider over the Internet in a browser session, or can refer to an automated software application which receives the data and stores or processes the data.
No part of the description in this application should be read as implying that any particular element, step, or function is an essential element that must be included in the claim scope. The scope of patented subject matter is defined only by the claims. Moreover, none of the claims is intended to invoke 25 U.S.C. § 104(f) unless the exact words “means for” are followed by a participle.
The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, use specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it should be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the described embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It should be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings.
The above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the principles and various embodiments of the present disclosure. Once the above disclosure is fully appreciated, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A system for operating mobile drill equipment including an auger, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to monitor the mobile drill equipment while the mobile drill equipment performs a drill task; and

an electronic controller configured to:

receive, from at least one of the one or more sensors, sensor data while the mobile drill equipment performs the drill task,

determine, based on the sensor data, a condition of soil proximate to the mobile drill equipment, and

adjust a rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, to adjust the rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil, the electronic controller is further configured to:

decrease the rotary speed of the auger when the condition of the soil is hard, and

increase the rotary speed of the auger when the condition of the soil is soft.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor data indicates a rotary pressure on the auger, and wherein, to determine, based on the sensor data, the condition of the soil, the electronic controller is further configured to:

determine the condition of the soil is soft when the sensor data indicates that the rotary pressure on the auger is less than a predetermined range during the drilling task, and

determine the condition of the soil is hard when the sensor data indicates that the rotary pressure on the auger is greater than the predetermined range during the drilling task.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to adjust a crowd force applied by the mobile drill equipment based on the condition of the soil.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein, to adjust the crowd force applied by the mobile drill equipment based on the condition of the soil, the electronic controller is further configured to stop the mobile drill equipment from applying the crowd force when the condition of the soil is hard.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor data indicates a tilt angle of a vehicle chassis upon which the mobile drill equipment is mounted, and wherein, to determine, based on the sensor data, the condition of the soil, the electronic controller is further configured to determine the condition of the soil is hard when the sensor data indicates that the tilt angle of the vehicle chassis changes by at least a predetermined amount during a crowding down of the auger.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein, to adjust the rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil, the electronic controller is further configured to:

set the rotary speed of the auger to a first predetermined speed when the condition of the soil is a first soil type, and

set the rotary speed of the auger to a second predetermined speed when the condition of the soil is a second soil type.

8. A method for operating mobile drill equipment including an auger, comprising:

receiving, from one or more sensors, sensor data while the mobile drill equipment performs a drill task;

determining, by an electronic controller and based on the sensor data, a condition of soil proximate to the mobile drill equipment; and

adjusting, by the electronic controller, a rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting, by the electric controller, the rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil further includes:

decreasing, by the electric controller, the rotary speed of the auger when the condition of the soil is hard, and

increasing, by the electric controller, the rotary speed of the auger when the condition of the soil is soft.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sensor data indicates a rotary pressure on the auger, and wherein determining, by the electronic controller and based on the sensor data, the condition of the soil further includes:

determining, by the electronic controller, the condition of the soil is soft when the sensor data indicates that the rotary pressure on the auger is less than a predetermined range during the drilling task, and

determining, by the electronic controller, the condition of the soil is hard when the sensor data indicates that the rotary pressure on the auger is greater than the predetermined range during the drilling task.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising adjusting, by the electronic controller, a crowd force applied by the mobile drill equipment based on the condition of the soil.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting, by the electronic controller, the crowd force applied by the mobile drill equipment based on the condition of the soil further includes stopping, by the electronic controller, the mobile drill equipment from applying the crowd force when the condition of the soil is hard.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the sensor data indicates a tilt angle of a vehicle chassis upon which the mobile drilling equipment is mounted, and wherein determining, by the electronic controller and based on the sensor data, the condition of the soil further includes determining, by the electronic controller, the condition of the soil is hard when the sensor data indicates that the tilt angle of the vehicle chassis is greater than a predetermined threshold during a crowding down of the auger.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting, by the electric controller, the rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil further includes:

setting, by the electronic controller, the rotary speed of the auger to a first predetermined speed when the condition of the soil is a first soil type, and

setting, by the electronic controller, the rotary speed of the auger to a second predetermined speed when the condition of the soil is a second soil type.

15. A vehicle-mounted drill rig, comprising:

a vehicle chassis;

drill equipment mounted to the vehicle chassis and including an auger;

one or more sensors configured to monitor the drill equipment while the drill equipment performs a drill task; and

an electronic controller configured to:

receive, from at least one of the one or more sensors, sensor data while the drill equipment performs the drill task,

determine, based on the sensor data, a condition of soil proximate to the drill equipment, and

adjust a rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil.

16. The vehicle-mounted drill rig of claim 15, wherein, to adjust the rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil, the electronic controller is further configured to:

increase the rotary speed of the auger when the condition of the soil is soft.

17. The vehicle-mounted drill rig of claim 16, wherein the sensor data indicates a rotary pressure on the auger, and wherein, to determine, based on the sensor data, the condition of the soil, the electronic controller is further configured to:

18. The vehicle-mounted drill rig of claim 15, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to stop the drill equipment from applying a crowd force when the condition of the soil is hard.

19. The vehicle-mounted drill rig of claim 18, wherein the sensor data indicates a tilt angle of the vehicle chassis, and wherein, to determine, based on the sensor data, the condition of the soil, the electronic controller is further configured to determine the condition of the soil is hard when the sensor data indicates that the tilt angle of the vehicle chassis is greater than a predetermined threshold during a crowding down of the auger.

20. The vehicle-mounted drill rig of claim 15, wherein the drill equipment further includes: a mast mounted to the vehicle chassis,

a winch,

a drive gearbox, and

a kelly bar operatively coupled with the mast between the drive gearbox and the winch, wherein the auger is coupled to the kelly bar.