EP0725864A1 - Improved pile driver - Google Patents
Improved pile driverInfo
- Publication number
- EP0725864A1 EP0725864A1 EP94927001A EP94927001A EP0725864A1 EP 0725864 A1 EP0725864 A1 EP 0725864A1 EP 94927001 A EP94927001 A EP 94927001A EP 94927001 A EP94927001 A EP 94927001A EP 0725864 A1 EP0725864 A1 EP 0725864A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- hammer
- pile driver
- pile
- gas
- impact chamber
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02D—FOUNDATIONS; EXCAVATIONS; EMBANKMENTS; UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATER STRUCTURES
- E02D13/00—Accessories for placing or removing piles or bulkheads, e.g. noise attenuating chambers
- E02D13/06—Accessories for placing or removing piles or bulkheads, e.g. noise attenuating chambers for observation while placing
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an improved pile driver primarily for use around oil or gas wells and in other hazardous gas environments.
- Pile driving is applied widely throughout the oil and gas industries for anchoring rig structures in the ground both on and offshore and for forming and lining the wells. As with other aspects of the oil and gas industry, the safety of operational procedures and equipment used for pile driving in the vicinity of the oil or gas well is of paramount importance.
- Pile driving in the vicinity of an oil or gas well is a particularly hazardous operation.
- sparks and frictional heat are generated by the hammer as it strikes the pile or pile chaser with a high energy impact and rapidly compressing gases in the impact chamber.
- the common place provision of a shroud extending from the housing of the pile driver to centralise the hammer of the pile driver over the pile exacerbates the problem by providing a partially enclosed chamber into which surrounding environmental gases are alternately sucked as the hammer reciprocates.
- a particularly problematic consequence of the hazardous nature of pile driving in this environment is that, although frequently necessary or strategically desirable, a fresh well cannot be driven in the immediate vicinity of an operating well, eg within 2.5m of the well, without temporarily shutting down the existing well with resultant productivity loss from that well.
- a pile driver which comprises: a housing having a hammer mounted therein for reciprocating movement, the housing having a shroud extending over the hammer's head and to mount over a pile or pile chaser, thereby forming an impact chamber around the point of impact of the hammer head upon the pile or pile chaser,
- gas sampling and analysis means are provided operatively linked to the housing to sample and analyse the gas within the impact chamber during operation to detect any changes in the gas composition which may indicate influx of hazardous gases and to generate a signal indicative thereof.
- the gas sampling and analysis means are operatively linked to the housing by a pipe mounted to the housing and opening into the impact chamber. This enables the relatively delicate gas analysing means to be located remote from the hammer during its operation.
- the gas sampling and analysis means are, furthermore, operatively linked to an automatic shut-off control to inactivate the hammer in response to the signal.
- the gas sampling and analysis means are operatively linked to an alarm system to provide a visible or audible alarm response to the signal.
- the apparatus may be further refined by providing that the shroud has an inlet for supply of a substantially inert gas into the impact chamber and an outlet to allow efflux of the gas from the impact chamber, and valve means within the outlet for substantially preventing influx of external gases during operation of the pile - ⁇ r enabling maintenance of a substantially inert gas atmosphere within the impact chamber during operation of the tool, while not significantly impeding movement of the hammer.
- the outlet comprises the opening of the shroud which fits over the pile or pile chaser.
- the pile driver further comprises a supply of substantially inert gas and gas supply control means to supply the substantially inert gas to the impact chamber continuously, intermittently or in response to the signal.
- the pile driver has an operation control means having feedback control means to provide closed loop negative feedback control of the power input to the hammer and which comprises velocity sensors associated with the hammer to sense the velocity of the hammer in operation from which the actual kinetic energy imparted to the hammer is computed and compared with a desired target level, the operation control means responding to the difference between the actual kinetic energy and the target kinetic energy level to adjust the power supply to the hammer to compensate for the difference.
- the pile driver suitably has a jiggling control means whereby the power to the hammer may be restricted to a low level whereby the hammer does not impart sufficient energy to an anvil upon which it acts, in use, to significantly dislodge the hammer from the anvil upon recoil.
- the power supplied to that hammer is suitably restricted to below the level whereby the hammer would be raised far enough to enable the velocity sensors to sense the velocity of the hammer.
- said pile driver suitably has a pneumatic actuator which switches the direction of movement of the hammer for its reciprocation and is, furthermore, suitably controlled by an intrinsically safe solenoid operated pneumatic valve which is driven through Intrinsic Safety barriers, preferably of spool valve type.
- Figure 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a pile driver embodying the present invention
- Figure 2 is view similar to that of Figure 1, with the piston in its lowered position;
- Figure 3 is a view of the piston in the raised position
- FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the control system
- FIG. 5 is a more detailed block diagram of the control system
- Figure 6 is a line diagram of the control system safety components
- FIG. 7 shows the air sampling system for gas detection
- Figure 8 shows the operational configuration of the pile driver in position on the rig floor.
- the pile driver comprises a hydraulically powered piston 1 and an associated hammer 2 which are longitudinally slidably mounted within an elongate housing 3 having at one end nitrogen-charged accumulators 4 and at the other end an opening through which the head 5 of the hammer 2 projects to impact upon an impact plate, or anvil, 6.
- the end of the pile driver housing 3 nearest to the hammer head 5 extends to form a shroud 7 which encloses the impact plate, or anvil, 6 and fits over one end of a pile 10 to be driven, forming a substantially enclosed impact chamber 8.
- the pile 10 is held substantially centrally within the shroud 7 by shims 9.
- IS Intrinsically Safe
- the high powered solenoid coil conventionally used to initiate the switch in direction during hydraulically powered reciprocating motion of the piston 1 is replaced by a pneumatic actuator 12 controlled by an Intrinsically Safe solenoid-operated pneumatic spool valve.
- the spool valve is supplied with compressed air from the rigs air supply (not shown) the supply of which is controlled at the tool by the IS solenoids 26.
- the pneumatic actuator 12 is suitably external of the hammer 2 to overcome, the problem of space limitation within the tool.
- the conventional sensors used to determine the operational displacement of the piston are suitably replaced with sensors 13 which are certified Intrinsically Safe and also driven through intrinsic safety barriers.
- the control box 14 containing the main switch controls and CPU for the pile driver is suitably mounted in an explosion-proof housing. In use, the control box 14 is placed remote from the hammer 2 due to the extreme vibration in the vicinity of the working hammer.
- a gas sampling and analysis probe 15 comprising a flexible pipeline mounted at one end to the shroud 7 is provided opening into the chamber 8 directing gas samples from within the chamber to a detector and analyser 25 built in or added onto the control box 14.
- the detector and analyser 25 receives air samples supplied by the pipeline 15 which is drawn into the detector by use of a
- Venturi vacuum ejector pump 28 which exhausts mixed air and gas to atmosphere.
- This pump 28 has no working parts and is therefore not prone to frictional heat or spark generation.
- the pump is operated through supply of air from the rig air supply via a filter/regulator 29 which has its own associated control circuit 30.
- a pneumatic conditioning box 18 having an IS solenoid valve 35 and an air flow switch 36.
- An overview of the control system is shown in Figure 4. It consists of four main sections (further details shown in Figure 6):
- Pneumatic conditioning box 18 (shown in figures 5 and 6) with EExi solenoid valve 35 and air flow switch 36 to control operation of the vacuum pump 28;.
- Remote control pod 19 containing the emergency stop switch 37, energy supply increase switch 38 and energy supply decrease switch 39.
- the hammer is suitably programmed so that it will not operate until the two set up procedures described have been followed.
- Computer software allows the operator to check that all elements of the control and safety system are operating correctly.
- the front panel controls on the EExd control box 14 it is possible to verify the operation of: hammer hydraulic pressure line control valve; hammer hydraulic return line control valve; gas sniffer vacuum pump control valve; remote emergency stop; energy increase; energy decrease; and local emergency stop.
- the gas detector (sniffer) set-up has two stages:
- the solenoid valve 35 controlling the air sampling vacuum pump is operated and air flow must be detected and remain stable during the set-up cycle.
- the gas detector must indicate a safe condition for a continuous period of 30 seconds.
- the internal time is reset to 30 seconds and begins the countdown to zero again.
- the system is set up to operate on a negative feedback control basis whereby the sensors 13 transmit information back to the control system in the control box 14 which is responded to by increasing or decreasing the power supplied to the piston 1 to bring its action closer into line with the desired target level for energy imparted to the anvil and pile.
- an additional mode of operation is provided, whereby the piston 1 is powered at such a low level that it does not rise past sensors 13 and does not impart sufficient energy to the piston upon recoil that it separates from the anvil.
- This produces a jiggling motion which is useful for displacing the pile through relatively small distances, minimising air compression and spark generation and any risk of dislodgement of the tool during use. This is a particular benefit when initiating the pile driving or when sudden changes in the resistance of the ground into which the pile is being driven are experienced.
- the forward most end of the shroud 7 is provided with a partial gas seal, or valve, 20 occluding the annular space between the internal bore of the shroud 7 and tne circumferential surface of the pile 10.
- the valve 20 is suitably an elastomeric/neoprene diaphragm arranged to permit efflux of gas from the impact chamber 8 while preventing influx of gases from the environment surrounding the shroud 7 into the chamber 8, even during the retraction of the hammer 2.
- the valve 20 closes when the pressure within the chamber 8 falls below 50 millibars.
- An inlet pipe 21 is provided opening into the shroud 7 to supply substantially inert gas such as compressed air or nitrogen from a gas canister or other source 22 to purge the atmosphere within the chamber 8 of any combustible gases that might be present.
- substantially inert gas such as compressed air or nitrogen
- Supply of the inert gas through the valve 23 to the impact chamber is suitably controlled by the control system.
- the gas sampling and analysis probe 15 hence also transmits input signals to the purge control valves 23.
- the purge control unit 21 will increase, or initiate, further supply of the inert gas or comj- essed air to the impact chamber 8. If a sudden and sharp rise in potentially combustible gas content is detected, an automatic shut down system will prevent further operation of the hammer until the combustible gases have been fully purged.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
- Paleontology (AREA)
- Civil Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
- Placing Or Removing Of Piles Or Sheet Piles, Or Accessories Thereof (AREA)
- Control Of Throttle Valves Provided In The Intake System Or In The Exhaust System (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB939319467A GB9319467D0 (en) | 1993-09-21 | 1993-09-21 | Improved pile driver |
GB9319467 | 1993-09-21 | ||
PCT/GB1994/002052 WO1995008675A1 (en) | 1993-09-21 | 1994-09-21 | Improved pile driver |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0725864A1 true EP0725864A1 (en) | 1996-08-14 |
EP0725864B1 EP0725864B1 (en) | 1998-04-08 |
Family
ID=10742289
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP94927001A Expired - Lifetime EP0725864B1 (en) | 1993-09-21 | 1994-09-21 | Improved pile driver |
Country Status (6)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0725864B1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU676942B2 (en) |
DE (1) | DE69409541T2 (en) |
GB (2) | GB9319467D0 (en) |
NO (1) | NO305568B1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO1995008675A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR3124809A1 (en) | 2021-07-05 | 2023-01-06 | Eric Dutitre | Foundation pile driving control system |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN102261071B (en) * | 2011-04-26 | 2013-07-24 | 中交四航工程研究院有限公司 | Design, production and use of novel free fall hammer |
CN109162272B (en) * | 2018-11-02 | 2024-04-26 | 交通运输部天津水运工程科学研究所 | Pressure-variable vacuumizing reinforcement device for weak soil |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3547207A (en) * | 1968-11-07 | 1970-12-15 | Vulcan Iron Works | Percussion hammer |
US3721095A (en) * | 1971-08-23 | 1973-03-20 | Bolt Associates Inc | Controllable force method and system of driving piles |
JPS57209128A (en) * | 1981-06-13 | 1982-12-22 | Shimizu Constr Co Ltd | Storage method of coal |
US4807706A (en) * | 1987-07-31 | 1989-02-28 | Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. | Breathable fire extinguishing gas mixtures |
-
1993
- 1993-09-21 GB GB939319467A patent/GB9319467D0/en active Pending
-
1994
- 1994-09-21 DE DE69409541T patent/DE69409541T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1994-09-21 AU AU76616/94A patent/AU676942B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1994-09-21 EP EP94927001A patent/EP0725864B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1994-09-21 WO PCT/GB1994/002052 patent/WO1995008675A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 1994-09-21 GB GB9419030A patent/GB2282624B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
1996
- 1996-03-21 NO NO961157A patent/NO305568B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See references of WO9508675A1 * |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR3124809A1 (en) | 2021-07-05 | 2023-01-06 | Eric Dutitre | Foundation pile driving control system |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP0725864B1 (en) | 1998-04-08 |
AU7661694A (en) | 1995-04-10 |
DE69409541D1 (en) | 1998-05-14 |
NO961157D0 (en) | 1996-03-21 |
DE69409541T2 (en) | 1998-12-10 |
NO305568B1 (en) | 1999-06-21 |
GB9419030D0 (en) | 1994-11-09 |
WO1995008675A1 (en) | 1995-03-30 |
GB2282624A (en) | 1995-04-12 |
NO961157L (en) | 1996-05-20 |
AU676942B2 (en) | 1997-03-27 |
GB2282624B (en) | 1996-11-06 |
GB9319467D0 (en) | 1993-11-03 |
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