CN116318194A

CN116318194A - Wideband underground transmitter

Info

Publication number: CN116318194A
Application number: CN202211095252.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 张志余; 方兴; 金宇鹏
Original assignee: HUANGSHAN GOLDEN LAND ELECTRONICS Inc
Current assignee: HUANGSHAN GOLDEN LAND ELECTRONICS Inc
Priority date: 2022-09-05
Filing date: 2022-09-05
Publication date: 2023-06-23

Abstract

A horizontal directional drilling system and a subterranean transmitter for a horizontal directional drilling system that may be configured for use with a drill bit and configured for wireless communication. The subsurface transmitter may include a control circuit and a multi-coil antenna assembly. The control circuitry is configured to transmit data associated with operation of the drill bit. The multi-core antenna may include an antenna core and a plurality of different coils. A plurality of different coils may be positioned proximate to (e.g., around) the antenna core, the different coils each having a different inductance associated therewith so as to be capable of transmitting in separate frequency ranges. The control circuit may be selectively coupled with the different coils to control which of the different coils are activated to generate the data signal at a given time.

Description

Wideband underground transmitter

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of drilling machines, in particular to a broadband underground transmitter.

Background

In the Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) industry, HDD machines may include systems for tracking/locating their bit positions and for transmitting data transmissions from the bit to the HDD machine and/or to another location (e.g., an operator or owner). The positioning system may include a subsurface transmitter and a walk (e.g., above ground) locator with Radio Frequency (RF) telemetry within the drill bit to track the drill bit. In the case of a walk locator, the locator on the surface may receive information from a subsurface transmitter associated with the drill bit. Information may then be transferred from the walking positioner to the HDD machine via the radio frequency channel.

A positioning system for an underground transmitter of an HDD positioning system may transmit data and positioning dipole signals at a particular frequency for reception by, for example, a walking positioner and/or the HDD-rig itself. In one embodiment, the locator receives data and locates dipole signals using a set of three (3) orthogonal antennas. Depending on the ambient noise level and the positioning environment, it may be desirable to use different frequencies to achieve optimal results for positioning accuracy and/or maximum operating depth.

Modern transmitters may support multiple frequencies, but the frequency range may be limited (e.g., typically about 10-20 different frequencies). For high passive disturbance locations (e.g. under reinforced concrete) very low frequencies (below 1 kHz) are required. For deep operation, higher frequencies (up to 50 kHz) are required. The current emitters may cover the range of 0.30-45 kHz, but not in the same device. Thus, the previously available technology requires two separate transmitters to cover the entire frequency range for different situations. Depending on these technical limitations, it may even be necessary in some cases to replace the transmitter during drilling.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention may provide an underground transmitter that may employ two or more coils, each coil optimized for a respective set of transmit frequencies, and configured to switch use between the coils to facilitate a larger frequency range. The transmission efficiency of a given coil is directly related to its inductance and transmission frequency. Inductance may be defined as the tendency of an electrical conductor to resist changes in the current flowing through it.

In one embodiment, the transmitting antenna may have two or more coils wound on the same ferrite core, e.g., with an inductance difference between a given pair of coils of about 8-12 times (e.g., 100 μh and 1000 μh inductance coils). The low inductance coil may be optimized for transmitting high frequencies, e.g. 4-45 kHz or 4-50 kHz. The high inductance coil may be optimized for transmitting low frequencies, for example in the frequency range of 0.3-4-50 kHz, to efficiently transmit the positioning signal.

For example, the desired inductance may be achieved by selecting the number of coil turns, coil diameter, coil length, core material type, and/or number of coil winding layers. Solid state optical relays (SSRs) can be used to select the transmit coil to be used in a given situation. Modern solid state relays have a sufficiently low resistance in the on state for practical use (in the 0.1 ohm range), may require low control power (in the 10mW range), and may provide high impact/vibration resistance.

In one embodiment, the subsurface transmitter is configured for use with a drill bit and is configured for wireless communication. The subsurface transmitter may include a control circuit and a multi-coil antenna assembly. The control circuitry is configured to transmit data associated with operation of the drill bit. The multi-core antenna may include an antenna core and a plurality of different coils. A plurality of different coils may be positioned proximate to (e.g., around) the antenna core, the different coils each having a different inductance associated therewith so as to be capable of transmitting in separate frequency ranges. The control circuit may be selectively coupled to the different coils to control which of the different coils are activated to generate the data signal at a given time.

Drawings

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an HDD machine according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an underground transmitter that may be used with the HDD machine shown in FIG. 1, according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of an underground transmitter that may be used in fig. 1.

Detailed Description

Aspects of the invention are described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, example features. These features may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the combinations described herein; rather, these combinations are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope.

Fig. 1 shows an HDD (horizontal directional drilling) system 100 according to the present invention. In one embodiment, the HDD system 100 may include an HDD rig 102, a drill bit 104, a plurality of drill pipes 106 (e.g., together forming a drill string), and a walk locator 108. The drill bit 104 may be operably coupled to and carried by an end of the drill string opposite the HDD rig 102. The end of the drill string opposite the drill bit is in turn operatively coupled to the HDD rig 102. The drill bit 104 may thus be driven and/or rotated by the HDD rig 102 through the drill string. The drill bit 104 may include a subsurface transmitter 110 and a directional and/or inclined drilling surface 112. The subsurface transmitters 110 may record and wirelessly transmit various data related to the operation of the drill bit 104 (e.g., yaw, pitch, roll, acceleration, global positioning (e.g., via GPS), surface temperature, surface saturation, etc., depending on the sensor capabilities associated with the drill bit 104), and the directional and/or inclined drill face 112 may facilitate steering of the drill bit 104. The operation of the HDD system 100 defines an entry point 120, a pilot hole 122, a planned drilling path 124 (e.g., prior to an existing pilot hole), and an exit point 126. The walk receiver or locator 108 and/or the drilling rig 102 may receive wireless signals generated by the subsurface transmitters 110 to facilitate tracking and/or monitoring the subsurface drilling process.

As shown in fig. 2, the subsurface transmitter 110 associated with the drill bit 104 may include a central processing unit 150 (e.g., a transmitter controller), a first H-bridge 152, a second H-bridge 154, a first switch 156, a second switch 158, and a multi-coil antenna structure 160, operably coupled (e.g., electronically) to one another to form the functional subsurface transmitter 110. The central processor unit 150 may include a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) controller portion 162 and a general purpose input/output (GPIO) controller portion 164. The PWM controller portion 162 may define an "a" circuit 166 and a "B" circuit 168. The "a" circuit 166 may be communicatively coupled to the first H-bridge 152 and the "B" circuit 168 may be communicatively coupled to the second H-bridge 154. The "A" circuit 166 may, for example, communicate PWM A-P signals and PWM A-N signals to the first H bridge 152, and the "B" circuit 168 may communicate PWM B-P signals and PWM B-N signals to the second bridge 154. The GPIO controller portion 164 may be coupled to the first switch 156 and the second switch 158, respectively, to operate the two

switches

156, 158 independently.

The multi-coil antenna structure 160 may include an antenna core 170 (e.g., ferrite or other magnetic core) and at least one of a first antenna coil 172 and a second antenna coil 174. In one embodiment, the first antenna coil 172, the second antenna coil 174, or a combination thereof may be used for transmission. In one embodiment, the first antenna coil 172 may have a different inductance than the second antenna coil 174 to facilitate signal transmission in a different frequency range than its corresponding antenna coil. In one embodiment, the multi-coil antenna structure 160 may be defined as a multi-band or broadband antenna structure. The inductance difference may be achieved by varying one or more of, for example, the number of turns of the coil, the diameter of the coil, the type of conductor material used for the coil, the length of the coil, the type of material used for the coil, and/or the number of winding layers in the coil.

It should be appreciated that other antenna coils may be used to accommodate other transmission frequencies or frequency ranges. It should also be appreciated that the multi-coil antenna structure 160 may be implemented as part of a subsurface transmitter that employs different control circuitry than that shown in fig. 1 and 2 and still be within the scope of the present invention. For simplicity of illustration, the first and

second antenna coils

172, 174 have been shown as being positioned proximate the antenna core 170, but it should be understood that

such coils

172, 174 may surround the antenna core 170 (e.g., around the circumference thereof) to maximize their transmission capability. It should be appreciated that the multi-coil antenna structure 160 of the present invention may be used in other communication structures that may require access to a wide range of frequencies (e.g., deep drills) within a single system.

The operation of the first H-bridge 152, the second H-bridge 154, the first switch 156, and the second switch 158 may be combined with the central processing unit 150, and ultimately may control the operation of the multi-coil antenna structure 160. In one embodiment, their operation in conjunction with the central processing unit 150 may indicate which of the first antenna coil 172 and the second antenna coil 174 is activated (e.g., transmitting a signal) at a given time. Because of the different inductances of the first antenna coil 172 and the second antenna coil 174, selecting a given one of the activation coils 172, 174 may determine the frequency and/or frequency range at which the multi-coil antenna structure 160 may effectively transmit wireless signals. For example, the first antenna coil 172 may be a low inductance coil optimized for transmitting high frequencies, such as 4-45 kHz or 4-50 kHz, and the second antenna coil 174 may be a high inductance coil optimized for transmitting low frequencies, such as 0.3-4 kHz. For example, the second antenna coil 174 may have an inductance (e.g., 1000 μH) that is 8-12 times greater than the first antenna coil 172 (e.g., 100 μH). In one embodiment, the second antenna coil 174 may have an inductance that is approximately 9 times greater than the first antenna coil 172. Such a multiple coil antenna structure 160 may allow for efficient transmission of positioning signals throughout the 0.3-50 kHz frequency range using the same transmitter and transmission circuitry. In one embodiment, the first switch 156 and the second switch 158 may be selectively operable to activate a given one of the first antenna/coil 172 or the second antenna/coil 174.

Fig. 3 shows a circuit diagram that may be used with the subsurface transmitter 110 shown in fig. 1 and 2. In general, fig. 3 details circuit elements (e.g., connections, resistors, switching elements, capacitors, drivers, relays, field Effect Transistors (FETs), etc.), which may be used in conjunction with and/or further define those components discussed above in fig. 2, as desired to form an operational variant of subsurface transmitter 110. Although identified in fig. 3, not all of these circuit elements are further discussed herein and/or provided with a particular part number for the sake of brevity.

With further reference to fig. 3, respective solid state optical relays (SSRs) (e.g., first and second SSRs) may be used (i.e., operatively coupled) to the first and

second switches

156A, 158A to select a given transmit coil (e.g., first or second antenna coils 172, 174). That is, the first switch 156 may be in the form of a first SSR156A, and the second switch 158 may be in the form of a second SSR 158A. Modern solid state relays have a sufficiently low resistance in their on state for practical use (in the 0.1 ohm range), may require low control power (in the 10mW (milliwatt) range), and may have high impact/vibration resistance. Thus, such SSRs are generally well suited for use as part of a subsurface transmitter 110, which may rely on battery power (e.g., lower power consumption may extend battery life), and may be subject to significant shock and/or vibration in the event that it is in close proximity to the drill bit 104.

withfurtherreferencetoFIG.3,thecentralprocessingunit150(i.e.,themaintransmitterprocessor)maygeneratePWMsignalsPWM-A-P,PWM-A-N,PWM-B-PandPWM-B-N. The drivers U7, U8, U12, U13 may control the power FETs Q4, Q5, Q7, and Q8 in the H-bridge configuration (152, 154) to generate a powerful PWM signal to the main transmit antenna (e.g., multi-coil antenna structure 160A). The central processing unit 150 may generate antenna selection signals ANT1-ON, ANT2-ON to control FETs Q13, Q14 to control the input LEDs of the solid state opto-electronic relays U15 and U16 (i.e., switches 156A, 158A) to connect either the low inductance coil 172A (from A1-1 to A1-2) or the high inductance coil 174A (from A1-1 to A1-3) to the H-bridge output (e.g., from one of 152, 154).

The central processing unit 150 may generate antenna selection signals ANT1-ON, ANT2-ON to control FETs Q13, Q14 to control the input LEDs of the solid state optical relays U15 and U16 (i.e., switches 156A, 158A) to connect the low inductance coil 172A (from A1-1 to A1-2) or the high inductance coil 174A (from A1-1 to A1-3) to the H-bridge output (e.g., from one of 152, 154).

HDD system 100 may be controlled by one or more computing systems having a processor configured to execute computer readable program instructions (i.e., control logic) from a non-transitory carrier medium (e.g., a storage medium of a flash drive, hard drive, solid state disk drive, SD card, optical disk, etc.). The computing system may be connected to the various components of the HDD system 100 by a direct connection or by one or more network connections, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), a wireless local area network (WAN or WLAN), one or more hub (e.g., USB hub) connections, etc. For example, the computing system may be communicatively coupled (e.g., hardwired or wireless) to a controllable element (e.g., HDD system 100). The program instructions, when executed by the processor, may cause the computing system to control the HDD system 100. In one embodiment, the program instructions are formed as at least a portion of a software program that is executed by the processor.

The processor provides processing functionality for the computing system, and may include any number of processors, microcontrollers, or other processing systems, as well as resident or external memory for storing data and other information accessed or generated by the computing system. The processor is not limited by the materials from which it is formed or the processing mechanisms employed therein, and thus may be implemented by semiconductors and/or transistors, such as electronic Integrated Circuits (ICs), and the like.

A non-transitory carrier medium is an example of a device-readable storage medium that provides storage functionality to store various data associated with the operation of a computing system, such as software programs, code segments, or program instructions or other data instructing a processor and other elements of a computing system to perform the techniques described herein. The carrier medium may be integral to the processor, separate memory, or a combination of both. The carrier medium may include, for example, removable and non-removable storage elements such as RAM, ROM, flash memory (e.g., SD card, mini SD card, micro SD card), magnetic, optical, USB storage devices, etc. In an embodiment of the computing system, the carrier medium may comprise removable ICC (integrated circuit card) memory, e.g. provided by a SIM (subscriber identity module) card, a USIM (universal subscriber identity module) card, a UICC (universal integrated circuit card), etc.

The computing system may include one or more displays to display information to a user of the computing system. In one embodiment, the display may comprise an LED (light emitting diode) display, an OLED (organic LED) display, an LCD (liquid crystal diode) display, a TFT (thin film transistor) LCD display, a LEP (light emitting polymer) or PLED (polymer light emitting diode) display, or the like, configured to display textual and/or graphical information, such as a graphical user interface. The display may be backlit by a backlight so that it can be viewed in a dark or other low light environment. The display may be equipped with a touch screen to receive input (e.g., data, commands, etc.) from a user. For example, a user may operate a computing system by touching a touch screen and/or by performing gestures on the touch screen. In some embodiments, the touch screen may be a capacitive touch screen, a resistive touch screen, an infrared touch screen, combinations thereof, or the like. The computing system may also include one or more input/output (I/O) devices (e.g., a keypad, buttons, a wireless input device, a thumbwheel input device, a track bar input device, etc.). The I/O devices may include one or more audio I/O devices, such as microphones, speakers, etc.

The computing system may also include communication modules that represent communication functionality to allow the computing device to send/receive data between different devices (e.g., components/peripherals) and/or over one or more networks. The communication module may represent a variety of communication components and functions including, but not limited to: a browser; a transmitter and/or a receiver; a data port; a software interface and a driver; a network interface; a data processing component; etc.

One or more networks represent a variety of different communication paths and network connections that may be used, alone or in combination, for communication between components of a given HDD system 100. Thus, one or more networks may represent communication paths implemented using a single network or multiple networks. Further, one or more networks represent various different types of networks and intended connections, including, but not limited to: the Internet; an intranet; personal Area Networks (PANs); local Area Networks (LANs) (e.g., ethernet); a Wide Area Network (WAN); a satellite network; a cellular network; a mobile data network; wired and/or wireless connections; etc. Examples of wireless networks include, but are not limited to: a network configured for communication according to: one or more standards of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), such as the 802.11 or 802.16 (Wi-Max) standards; wi-Fi standards promulgated by the Wi-Fi alliance; bluetooth standards promulgated by the Bluetooth technology alliance; etc. Wired communication is also contemplated, such as via a Universal Serial Bus (USB), ethernet, serial connection, or the like.

The computing system is described as including a user interface that may be stored in a memory (e.g., carrier medium) and executable by a processor. The user interface represents functionality to control the display of information and data to a user of the computing system via the display. In some implementations, the display may not be integrated into the computing system, but may be externally connected using Universal Serial Bus (USB), ethernet, serial connection, or the like. The user interface may provide functionality that allows a user to interact with one or more applications of the computing system by providing input (e.g., sample identity, desired dilution factor, standard identity, eluent identity/location, fluid addition flow rate, etc.) via a touch screen and/or I/O device. For example, the user interface may cause an Application Programming Interface (API) to be generated to configure an application for display by a display or for display in combination with another display. In one embodiment, the API may further disclose configuring the functionality of HDD system 100 to allow a user to interact with an application by providing input via a touch screen and/or I/O device.

In some embodiments, the user interface may include a browser (e.g., for implementing the functionality of the online dilution control module). The browser enables the computing device to display and interact with content such as web pages within the world wide web, web pages provided by web servers in a private network, and the like. The browser may be configured in a variety of ways. For example, the browser may be configured to be accessed by a user interface. The browser may be a web browser suitable for use by a full resource device (e.g., a smart phone, personal Digital Assistant (PDA), etc.) having a significant amount of memory and processor resources.

In general, any of the functions described herein may be implemented using software, firmware, hardware (e.g., fixed logic circuitry), manual processing, or a combination of these implementations. The terms "module" and "functionality" as used herein generally represent software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof. For example, the communication between modules in a given HDD system 100 may be wired, wireless, or some combination thereof. For example, in the case of a software implementation, a module may represent executable instructions that, when executed on a processor (e.g., the processor described herein), perform specified tasks. The program code can be stored in one or more device-readable storage media, examples of which are non-transitory carrier media associated with a computing system.

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A horizontal directional drilling system comprising:

HDD drilling machine;

a drill string formed from a plurality of drill rods coupled together, the drill string being operably coupled to the HDD machine; and

a drill bit carried by an end of the drill string opposite the HDD rig, the drill bit including a subsurface transmitter configured for wireless communication, characterized by: the subsurface transmitter includes:

control circuitry for transmitting data related to bit operation; and

a multi-coil antenna assembly comprising:

an antenna core; and

a plurality of different coils positioned adjacent the antenna core, each different coil having a different inductance associated therewith so as to be capable of transmitting in a separate frequency range, the control circuit being selectively coupled with the different coils to control which of the different coils is activated so as to generate a data signal at a given time.

2. The horizontal directional drilling system of claim 1, wherein: the subsurface transmitter is configured to record and wirelessly transmit one or more forms of data associated with the operation of the drill bit.

3. The horizontal directional drilling system of claim 1, wherein: the multi-coil antenna is defined as a broadband antenna structure.

4. The horizontal directional drilling system of claim 1, wherein: the plurality of different coils includes a first coil having a first inductance associated therewith and a second coil having a second inductance associated therewith, the second inductance being greater than the first inductance.

5. The horizontal directional drilling system of claim 4, wherein: the first coil is configured to transmit frequencies in the range of 4-50 kHz and the second coil is configured to transmit frequencies in the range of 0.3-4 kHz.

6. The horizontal directional drilling system of claim 1, wherein: the control circuit includes a first switch coupled to the first coil and a second switch coupled to the second coil, the first switch and the second switch selectively operable to activate a given one of the first coil or the second coil.

7. The horizontal directional drilling system of claim 6, wherein: at least one of the first switch and the second switch is in the form of a solid state optical relay.

8. The horizontal directional drilling system of claim 6, wherein: the control circuit further includes a central processing unit, a first H-bridge and a second H-bridge, the central processing unit being operably coupled to the first H-bridge and the second H-bridge, the first H-bridge being operably coupled to the antenna, the second H-bridge being operably coupled to the first switch and the second switch.

9. An underground transmitter configured for use with a drill bit, the underground transmitter configured for wireless communication, characterized by: the subsurface transmitter includes:

control circuitry for transmitting data related to bit operation; and a multi-coil antenna assembly comprising:

an antenna core; and

10. The underground transmitter of claim 9, wherein: the multi-coil antenna is defined as a broadband antenna structure.

11. The underground transmitter of claim 9, wherein: the plurality of different coils includes a first coil having a first inductance associated therewith and a second coil having a second inductance associated therewith, the second inductance being greater than the first inductance.

12. The underground transmitter of claim 11, wherein: the second inductance is at least 8 times greater than the first inductance.

13. The underground transmitter of claim 11, wherein: the first coil with the first inductance is optimized for transmitting at high frequencies and the second coil with the second inductance is optimized for transmitting at low frequencies.

14. The underground transmitter of claim 13, wherein: the first coil is configured to transmit frequencies in the range of 4-50 kHz and the second coil is configured to transmit frequencies in the range of 0.3-4 kHz.

15. The underground transmitter of claim 9, wherein: the control circuit includes a first switch coupled to the first coil and a second switch coupled to the second coil, the first switch and the second switch being selectively operable to activate a given one of the first coil or the second coil.

16. The underground transmitter of claim 15, wherein: at least one of the first switch and the second switch is in the form of a solid state optical relay.

17. The underground transmitter of claim 15, wherein: the control circuit further includes a central processing unit operatively coupled to the first H-bridge and the second H-bridge, the first H-bridge operatively coupled to the antenna, and the second H-bridge operatively coupled to the first switch and the second switch.

18. The underground transmitter of claim 9, wherein: the subsurface transmitter is configured for use as part of a horizontal directional drilling system.