EP2304160A1

EP2304160A1 - Multi-function geothermal and water well drilling machine

Info

Publication number: EP2304160A1
Application number: EP09794789A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Water Bochenek
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-06-30
Filing date: 2009-06-30
Publication date: 2011-04-06
Also published as: WO2010005522A1

Abstract

A multi-function portable well boring machine that contains the components for geothermal loop installations including drilling the geothermal well, installing the geothermal pipe and grouting the well after the geothermal pipe is installed in the well. The well boring machine is mounted on a rubber wheeled tractor type base. There is a drilling mast that pivots from a horizontal position to a vertical drilling position. A water recycling tank is mounted on the rear of the machine and pivots from its upright stored position to a horizontal position. Water is recycled for the drilling operation to minimize the amount of water discharged to the surrounding area. The geothermal pipe is installed into the well bore by means of a grouting tool that injects grout into the well bore to seal the well as the grouting tool is withdrawn from the well bore.

Description

PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF THE INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE

INVENTOR: : BOCHENEK, WALTER

I. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This patent application is a non-provisional application claiming priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial Number 61/133,558, entitled "Multi-Function Geo Thermal and Water Well Drilling Machine", filed on June 30, 2008, and is fully incorporated herein by reference. IL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to underground heat exchange systems and more particularly to a portable apparatus that contains the necessary components for geothermal loop installations including drilling the geothermal well, installing the geothermal pipe and grouting the well. III. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART The prior art discloses numerous in-ground heat exchange systems. Generally, in all of the systems, a well bore is drilled to the desired depth. Then a heat exchange pipe loop is installed and the hole is filled with a bentonite clay mixture. Additional well bores are drilled until the required number of heat exchange pipes is installed. The heat exchange pipes are connected together so that one continuous loop is formed. A circulating pump circulates a liquid, generally water, through the heat exchange pipes and the heat transfer devices generally placed in a nearby location. Variations of these PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 2 systems have been built and installed but they all operate in substantially the same manner. A major problem with prior installation systems is that they require several pieces of machinery to complete the installation. For example, there is a drilling machine that drills the well bore. A separate machine is required to install the geothermal pipe into the well bore and still another machine to prepare the grout mixture and to fill the well bore with the mixed grout. Thus, the installation of the geothermal in-ground heat exchange system often requires three separate machines. Another major problem with the prior art drilling or well boring machines is that they use large quantities of water and create a virtual mud bath in the surrounding area when drilling. The reason is that the water used in drilling is allowed to run out from the well bore all around the drilling area. This makes it difficult to clean and dry the well bore areas and landscape the areas due to the discharged water and sediment. IV. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention is a portable, self-contained unitary machine that performs all of the functions of the various machines of the prior art. In addition it provides the unique function of providing a water recycling apparatus that assists in keeping the well bore areas significantly drier than the prior art drilling apparatus. PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 3 Specifically the instant invention comprises a base machine that is built on a loader back-hoe combination, rubber wheeled machine. The machine is modified to include a well drill, water storage tanks used in the drilling, a separate water pressurized tank with hose for providing water for the system and for clean-up. There are storage holders for the drill extensions and grouting extensions. The loader has foldable working platforms for supporting the operators when grouting and drilling. The grouting system has a mixing tank, and discharge outlet for discharging the grout into the well bore. The grouting tank is connected to the pressurized water tank. There is a separate hydraulically powered hose storage reel used for installing the geothermal pipe and for pulling the grouting pipe out of the well bore. A specially designed weight pushing pipe with a unique tip is used to insert the geothermal pipe into the well bore and to introduce the grout into the well bore after the geothermal pipe is inserted. The drilling mast is mounted on the base machine so that it easily slides into position and pivots between the storage position and the drilling position. Another unique aspect of the invention is the water recycling system. A pivoting water recycling basin is mounted to the rear of the base machine so that is can be pivoted between a vertical position for storage to a horizontal position for drilling. There is a sealing collar around the well boring hole area of the basin to receive water discharged from the well drilling operation. The discharged PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 4 water is cleaned and recycled in the drilling operation so that the surrounding drilling area remains much drier than the prior art drilling machines. An operator's platform supports the operator so that the operator is not standing in mud while performing the well drilling or grouting operations. Once the well boring is completed, the sediment from the drilling operation can be disposed of either off site or at other suitable locations. The entire machine is completely portable and can be driven from one site to another. It easily moves between locations where the geothermal wells are located at one installation and then can be driven to another site as the machine has all necessary operating and flashing lights as required by the local and state laws. IV. OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide a well boring machine that provides in a single apparatus a drilling machine with drilling extensions, a water recycling system, and a grouting system all on one portable machine. A related object is to provide such a well boring machine that can be driven on public roads so that it can be transported from one site to another. It is a related object to provide a well boring machine that recycles water in the drilling operation to minimize the discharge of water and sediment about the well drilling area so that the area does not become so saturated with water and sediment that it becomes difficult to operate in the well drilling area and to landscape the area once the well drilling is completed. PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 5 Yet another object is to provide a well boring machine that has a grouting pipe to push the geothermal pipe into the geothermal well, inject the grout, and easily be pulled from the well. Related to this is the object of providing a grouting pipe with a unique tip that aids in pushing the geothermal pipe into the well yet easily disengages from the geothermal pipe for withdrawal from the well. Still another object is to provide a well boring machine that has its own pressurized water supply and hose for cleaning the machine after use. An advantage of such a machine is that it provides the functions of several prior art devices all in one single portable machine. Another advantage of the inventive machine is that it minimizes the discharge of water and sediment during the drilling operation so that the surrounding area does not become saturated with water and mud making it difficult to work in the area or landscape the area. Another advantage of the present invention over the prior art is that the machine is driven to the work site and contains all the apparatus to perform the entire well drilling, geothermal pipe installation and grouting operations. Other installers require several pieces of equipment to perform all of the above mentioned operations and installations. All of this equipment must be delivered to the job site by trailers. These and other objects and advantages will be apparent upon reading the Description of the Drawings in conjunction with the Description of the Preferred Embodiment. PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 6 V. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of the inventive well boring machine ready for being moved to the drilling site. Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view with portions removed of the water recycling basin with the geothermal loop pipe wheel attached while the water recycling basin is in the upright position on the well boring machine. Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view with portions removed of the water recycling basin in its upright position and the lowered position illustrated in phantom. The geothermal loop pipe wheel has been removed so that the water recycling basin can be lowered to a horizontal position. Fig. 4 is a front perspective view with portions removed of the operator's cab showing the position of the drilling mast in the stored position above the cab. Fig. 5 is a rear perspective view with portions removed of the drilling mast in its stored position and the extended position illustrated in phantom. Fig. 6 is a rear perspective view with some components removed for clarity, illustrating the drilling mast in its initial stored position in phantom, and in solid lines in position to begin drilling, with the water recycling basin in its horizontal position on top of the ground. PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 7 Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of locking mechanism used to lock the drilling extensions in place in their storage compartment until they are to be used. Fig. 8 is a rear perspective view with portions removed showing the hoses, pumps and connections to provide water to the drilling and grouting systems. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the water recycling basin, partially in cross section and with portions removed, showing the drill bit in the ground and the flow of water into the recycling basin. Fig. 9A is a cross sectional view of the geothermal pipe in the well bore after the drill bit has been removed. Fig. 9B is a front perspective view with portions removed of the grouting pipe installation tool attached to the tip of the geothermal loop pipe. Fig. 9C is a front perspective view with portions removed of the grouting pipe installation tool separated from the tip of the geothermal loop pipe. Fig. 10 is a perspective view with portions removed of the grouting hose and geothermal loop pipe wheel without any geothermal pipe wound on the wheel, and the water recycling basin in its upright position. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a reel of geothermal loop pipe and the grout installation tool separated from the tip of the geothermal loop pipe. PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 8 Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a reel of geothermal loop pipe and the grout installation tool attached to the tip of the geothermal loop pipe. Fig. 13 is perspective view with portions removed of the inventive well boring machine showing the grout mixing tank and platform on the side of the machine. Fig. 14 is a schematic flow chart of the flow of water through the well boring machine.

PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 9 VI. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning to Fig. 1, there is illustrated an integrated well boring and grouting machine 10 of the present invention. The machine 10 is built on a modified tractor base of standard design that has the back-hoe removed. As such, the tractor has the conventional power take off s, hydraulics, engine and transmission as are common in conventional tractors. A front bucket or loader 12 does not have to be removed and should be retained for stability of the machine 10 when in operation. Some of the modifications are seen in Fig. 1. The machine 10 has a conventional cab 14 from where the operator can drive the machine and turn on and off the hydraulic systems. On top of the cab 14 are a pair of water tanks 16, 18 for storage of water used in the drilling and grouting operations. A grouting hose 20 is mounted on one side of the machine 10 behind the cab 14. There are rear stabilizers 22 which are conventional and used to maintain the stability of the machine 10 during drilling and grouting. A drilling mast 24 is mounted horizontally above the cab 14 during transport. As will be more fully described below, the drilling mast 24 is pivoted to a vertical position for drilling. Drill extensions 26 that are used in the drilling operation are stacked for storage in a storage compartment 28 on one side of the machine 10. The drill extensions 26 are securely held in place by drill extension locking bars 30 which are more clearly illustrated in Fig. 7. PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE; 10 Fig. 2 is a rear view of the machine 10 showing a water recycling basin 32 mounted to the rear of the machine 10. The water recycling basin 32 is equipped with tail lights and brake lights 33 and back up lights 34 as required by the Department of Transportation in order to have a vehicle that can operate on the public roads. There is an operator's platform 35 along one side and at the bottom of the recycling tank 32. This provides a platform on which the operator stands during drilling so that the operator is not standing in mud produced from the drilling operation. As seen in Fig. 3, a front end 36 of the basin 32 is mounted by means of a pivotal mount or hinge connection 38 to the back of the machine 10. A chain or rope 40 is attached to and holds the top of the basin 32 to the rear of the machine 10 during transport. The pivotal mount 38 at the front end 36 of the basin 32 not only allows the basin 32 to pivot up and down, but its design also allows some vertical movement when the basin 32 is placed horizontal to the ground which allows the basin to compensate for differing ground elevations and conditions. A geothermal pipe wheel 42 is mounted for transport on a bottom portion 44 of the water recycling basin 32. When the machine 10 reaches the job site, and the water recycling basin 32 is to be lowered for operation, the geothermal pipe wheel 42 is first removed from the bottom portion 44 and placed out of the way of the basin 32. PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 11 In Fig. 3 we can see the water recycling basin 32 in both the vertical position and, in phantom, in the horizontal position. In use, the basin 32 is positioned above the location where the well bore is going to be drilled. A collar 46 is attached to the bottom of the water recycling basin 32 (as more clearly seen in Fig. 9) and is positioned above the location of a well bore 52 that is to be drilled. In preparation of drilling the well bore 52, the well boring machine 10 is driven to the site where the geothermal wells are to be drilled. The location of the first well bore is located and the machine is positioned such that the water recycling basin 32 is above the well bore location. The machine 10 is then more precisely positioned so that the collar 46 is positioned above precisely above where the well bore is located and the water recycling basin 32 is lowered to the horizontal position on the ground. At this point the drilling mast 24 is in the horizontal stored position. The rear stabilizers 22 are extended and the bucket 12 is lowered so that the entire machine 10 is raised above the ground and supported by the bucket 12 and the basin 32. The drilling mast 24 is unlocked from its stored position as illustrated in Fig. 4. This is accomplished by removing a locking pin 48 which from a frame member 50 which is attached to the drilling mast 24. This releases the mast 24 from the frame member 50. The mast 24 is moved rearward as seen in phantom in Fig. 5. It is then pivoted from a horizontal position above the cab 14 as PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE; 12 seen in phantom in Fig. 6, to a vertical position. The mast 24 is securely locked in place against a plate 51 by several locking bars and pins. The locking plate 51 is moveable by hydraulic means to move it up and down approximately twelve inches so that the mast can be properly placed for drilling. This adjustment means is known in the art and available on conventional drilling machines. With the machine 10 properly positioned above the location where the well bore 52 is to be drilled, the rear stabilizers 22 are lowered against the ground to stabilize the machine 10. The drilling mast 24 is hydraulically lowered and the water recycling basin 32 is pushed down against the ground with the bottom of the recycling basin substantially flush against the ground and the collar 46 pushed into the ground. The location of the collar 46 determines where the well bore 52 will be drilled. A drilling head 54 of conventional design is mounted on the drilling mast 24. The drilling head 54 is vertically aligned with the collar 46 which is located where the well bore 52 is to be drilled. A water hose 56 connects the drilling head 54 to the water tank 16. A pump 59 pumps the water from the tank 16 to the drilling head 54. The pump 59 is generally located beneath the cab 14. A recycling water hose 74 runs from the water recycling basin 32 to the pump 59 which now acts as a suction pump to withdraw water from the recycling basin 32. PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 13 The drill extensions 26 are unlocked from the drill extension locking bars 30 by raising the locking handle 60 which releases locking pin 62 from locking tube 64. The locking handle 60 is rotated out of the way of the drill extensions 26 so that the locking bars 30 are pivoted to an open position allowing the drill extensions 26 to be removed. The first of the drill extensions 26 is connected to a drill bit 66. A valve 65 (Fig. 14) from the water tank 16 is opened which supplies water to the pump 59 which supplies water through valve V₁ to the drilling head 54. The drill extension 26 and drill bit 66 are rotated by the drilling head 54 as in a conventional drilling operation. As the drill bit 66 continues drilling the well bore 52, additional lengths of drill extensions 26 are added. In previous well boring operations the water used in drilling comes back through the top opening of the well bore. The water, soil and sediment all flow out the well bore 52 and over the surrounding area. Depending on the depth of the well bore, the amount of discharged fluid can be substantial. This floods the surrounding area, creating a large muddy area that is difficult to work in and difficult to landscape once the well bores are drilled. As seen in Fig. 9, the underside of the collar 46 forms a partially sealed area between the collar 46 and well bore 52. The discharged water coming back up the well bore from the drilling operation flows into a first chamber 68 formed in the water recycling basin 32. The discharged water fills the first chamber 68. A wall 70 within the PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE; 14 recycling basin 32 separates the first chamber 68 from a second chamber 69. Once the discharged water fills the first chamber 68, it flows over the wall 70 into the second chamber 69. Mud, rocks and other sediment settle to the bottom of the first chamber 68 and cleaned water flows over the wall 70 into the second chamber 69. Additional settling of sediment occurs in the second chamber 69 and the further cleaned water flows over a second wall 71 into a third chamber 72. A recycling hose or pipe 74 extends into the third chamber 72 and when the water level in the third chamber 72 reaches a predetermined level, the water for the drilling operation is switched from the initial supply from the water tank 16 to the recycled water from the basin 32. This is seen in the flow diagram of Fig. 14 wherein the water from the basin 32 goes through the recycling hose 74, through a valve 75, and then back into the pump 59. The other valves feeding the pump 59 must be closed during this operation. The use of recycled water continues until the recycled water becomes too dirty to continue using it or until the sediment in the first chamber becomes too high. At this point, the dirty water is discharged to a proper containment vessel for disposal away from the well bore. If the sediment is too high to continue drilling, it may also be disposed of at this time. If there is not too much sediment, then additional water from the water tank 16 is used to continue the drilling operation. The valves are opened as previously described to allow the flow of water from the water tank 16 and valve 75 is closed. PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 15 After the well bore 52 is drilled to the desired depth, the drill extensions 26 are raised from the well bore 52, disconnected from each other, and placed back in the storage compartment 28. The drilling head 54 is lowered and a grouting pipe pilot wheel is installed. As illustrated in Fig. 6. a grouting pipe wheel 55 is mounted to the drilling head 54 which is aligned above the well bore 52. The grouting pipe wheel is hydraulically or electrically driven. The grouting pipe hose 20 and geothermal pipe 76 are drawn between the grouting pipe wheel 55 and an idler wheel (not illustrated) so that a length of geothermal pipe 76 can be installed all the way to the bottom of the well bore 52. The geothermal pipe is illustrated in Fig. 11. The geothermal pipe 76 is preferably manufactured from a semi rigid plastic material that is resistant to cracking and corrosion, yet will bend slightly so that it can be stored on reels and unwound as it is inserted into the well bore. The geothermal pipe 76 is made up of two parallel pipes, a feed or inlet portion 78 and a return portion 80. The two portions, 78 and 80 are connected at a junction or tip 82 that is tapered to assist the geothermal pipe when it is inserted into the well bore 52. The portions 78 and 80 are in fluid communication with each other through the tip 82 to allow the fluid within the geothermal pipe 76 to flow through the inlet portion 78 to the return portion 80. A specially designed tool 84 is used to install the geothermal pipe 76 into the well bore 52. The tool 84 is made up a steel grout pipe 86 of approximately ten feet in length. PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 16 At a distal end 88 is an outward flared steel fin 90 with two separated tines 92, 94. There is a channel 96 formed between the two tines 92, 94. The tip 82 has tine receiving means that is defined by a slot 98 defined by the feed and return portions 78 and 80 on one side and a plate 100 on the other sided. As seen in Fig. 12, when the tines 92, 94 slip into the slot 98 formed in the tip 82 of the geothermal pipe 76, the special tool 84 can push the geothermal pipe 76 in the direction shown by arrow "A" in Fig. 12. In this manner the tool 84 pushes the geothermal pipe 76 into the well bore by virtue of the substantial weight of the steel grout pipe 86. As seen in Fig. 10, the geothermal loop wheel 42 is mounted at the rear of the machine 10. However, for clarity in Fig. 10 the geothermal pipe 76 has been removed. In a normal installation, the geothermal loop wheel 42 has a sufficient length of geothermal pipe 76 wound around the wheel 42 so that the geothermal pipe 76 will extend to the bottom of the well bore 52. The tine 92 on the tool 84 is inserted into the slot 98 as seen in Figs. 9B and 9C. As seen in Fig. 9C, the tip 82 is secured into the channel 96. The tip 82 is then positioned over the well bore 52. The tool 84 is lowered into the well bore 52 until the tip 82 contacts the bottom of the well bore 52 as the geothermal pipe 76 is unwound from the wheel 42. The grouting pipe wheel 55 and idler wheel are aligned above the well bore 52 so that as the grouting hose 20 and the geothermal pipe 76 are drawn off their respective PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 17 reels, they are fed together into the well bore 52. The tool 84 uses the weight of the steel grout tube 86 to push the grouting hose 20 and geothermal pipe 76 into the well bore 52. The tool 84 also provides the means for filling the well bore 52 with a grout or clay bentonite mixture. Throughout this application the term grout is used to encompass any type of grout, clay bentonite mixture, or other suitable material used to fill the well bore and promote heat transfer from the ground to the geothermal pipe. The proximal end of the steel grout tube 86 is connected to an end 104 of the grouting hose 20. Grout is mixed in a grout tank 106 that is mounted above a platform 108 on the machine 10 as seen in Fig. 6. The grout mixture is that which is conventionally used in this type of application to seal the well bore 52. The grout tank 106 is connected to the pump 59 by means of a line 107 that goes through valve 109. This controls the flow of grout from the tank 106. The pump 59 then pumps the grout through valve V₂ to the grouting hose 20 to the steel grout pipe 86. As there is a hollow channel centrally disposed in the steel grout pipe 86 that terminates at the distal end 88, grout is forced through the tool 84 toward the tip 82. The tool 84 is slowly pulled up by the hydraulically or electrically driven grouting pipe wheel 55 and the tines 92, 94 disengage from the slot 98 and plate 100 in the tip 82 as the tool 84 is withdrawn. While the tool 84 is raised, grout is continuously pumped through the tool 84. hi this manner the well bore 52 is filled with grout from the bottom up to the top of the well bore 52 without any air gaps or voids. PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 18 After the grout fills the well bore, the installation of the geothermal pipe is completed. The tool 84 is raised out of the well bore 52 and clean water is pumped through the grouting hose 20 and tool 84 to remove any grout in the hose and tool before it hardens. The tool 84 is released from the grout hose 20 and placed back in its storage rack. The grouting hose is wound back on its reel. The grouting pipe wheel 55 and idler wheel are removed from the drilling head 54. The dirty water used in the drilling operation is disposed of and the dirt and sediment at the bottom of the water recycling basin 32 is removed. The sediment can be disposed of at the site or off-site as an adequate disposal site permits. The mast is raised and is moved to its locking position above the cab. The drilling mast 24 is slid to the front of the machine and locked by locking pin 48 passing through the frame 50. The water recycling basin 32 is raised to its upright position and the rear stabilizers 22 are also raised. The machine 10 is then ready to be moved to the next location for drilling the next well bore or to another area where the entire machine can be cleaned with water from an external source or from the onboard water tanks that is dispensed through a supplemental hose 110 mounted on the side of the machine 10. The hose 110 is fed from a pump 112 that is connected to the water tank 16. Valves 114, 116 control the feed to and discharge from the pump 112. PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 19 In an alternate embodiment the water recycling basin 32 is replaced by a truck or other moveable vehicle that houses a water recycling system to the one previously disclosed. The difference is that this water recycling system is large enough to store a large amount of sediment and can then be driven off to another location to dispose of the sediment. It also provides a readily available water source so that the water tanks 16 and 18 are no longer needed. When the vehicle is removed for sediment disposal, another vehicle can be driven up and connected so that the drilling process does not have to stop, except for the time required to connect the new vehicles water recycling system. The balance of the equipment including the drilling pump, suction pump for the return of the water from drilling, mast head, grouting hose and related equipment are all located and mounted on a separate moveable vehicle.

Claims

PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE; 20

VIL CLAIMS 1. A portable, self propelled drilling machine for drilling a well bore in the ground comprising:

drilling means for drilling a well bore,

means for providing water to the drilling means for assisting in the drilling of the well bore,

means for receiving and containing the water as it is returned from the well bore,

means for cleaning the water received from the well bore, and

means for recycling the cleaned water to the drilling means.

2. The drilling machine of claim 1 wherein the means for receiving and containing the water and the means for cleaning the water received from the well bore comprise a water recycling basin having side walls and a bottom, an opening in the bottom that is aligned with the well bore being drilled, the drilling means forcing water from the well bore through the opening into the water recycling basin. PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 21

3. The drilling machine of claim 2 wherein the water recycling basin is mounted on the drilling machine in a transport position and lowered to the ground in a drilling position with the opening aligned with the well bore being drilled.

4. The drilling machine of claim 2 wherein the means for cleaning the water comprises a settling reservoir in the water recycling basin for allowing particulates in the water to settle to the bottom of the recycling basin leaving the water above the particulates in a cleaner state than when the water entered the recycling basin.

5. The drilling machine of claim 4 wherein the means for recycling the cleaned water comprises a pump to draw the cleaned water from the recycling basin and pump it to the drilling means.

6. The drilling machine of claim 5 and further comprising a second settling reservoir that receives water from the settling basin and allows additional particulates to settle out from the water. PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 22

7. The drilling machine of claim 2 and further comprising a collar around the opening in the bottom, the collar extending out from the bottom and into the well bore being drilled.

8. The drilling machine of claim 1 and further comprising a geothermal pipe reel mounted on the drilling machine, the geothermal pipe reel retaining a length of geothermal pipe, and means for installing the geothermal pipe into the well bore.

9. The drilling machine of claim 1 and further comprising a grout hose, a geothermal pipe installing tool for installing the geothermal pipe into the well bore, the geothermal pipe having a substantially elongated hollow body, a proximal end connected to the grout supply hose, and a distal end having means for engaging the geothermal pipe to apply a force to the geothermal pipe to push the geothermal pipe into the well bore.

PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE; 23

10. The drilling machine of claim 9 wherein the geothermal pipe has a tip and the distal end of the geothermal pipe installing tool has a tine received by the tip so that the weight of the installing tool pushes the geothermal pipe into the well bore, and the tine is released from the tip when the geothermal pipe reaches the predetermined depth in the well bore and the installing tool is withdrawn from the well bore while grout is discharged through the installing tool.

11. The drilling machine of claim 1 wherein the drilling means comprises a drilling mast that is stored in a substantially horizontal position during transport of the drilling machine and pivoted to a vertical position for drilling.

PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 24

12. A grouting tool for installing a geothermal pipe in a well bore wherein the geothermal pipe has an inlet pipe and a return pipe with a tip joining the inlet and return pipes, the tool comprising:

an elongated hollow body portion,

a proximal end for connecting to a grout supply hose, and

a distal end having means for releasably engaging the tip when the geothermal pipe reaches a predetermined depth in the well bore.

13. The grouting tool of claim 12 wherein the weight of the grouting tool applies a force to the tip to push the geothermal pipe into the well bore.

14. The grouting tool of claim 13 wherein the means for releasably engaging the tip is a tine that is received in a slot in the tip.

15. The grouting tool of claim 14 and further comprising means for forcing grout through the hollow body to the tine as the grouting tool is withdrawn from the well bore. PCT PATENT APPLICATION

TITLE OF INVENTION : MULTI-FUNCTION GEOTHERMAL AND

WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE INVENTOR : BOCHENEK, WALTER PAGE: 25

16. A method of drilling a well bore comprising the steps of:

drilling a well bore,

providing water to the drilling means for assisting in the drilling of the well bore,

receiving and containing the water as it is returned from the well bore,

cleaning the water received from the well bore, and

recycling the cleaned water to the drilling means.

17. The method of claim 16 and the further step of forcing a geothermal pipe into the well bore with an installation tool.

18. The method of claim 17 and the further step of removing the installation tool and injecting grout into the well bore through the installation tool as it is removed from the well bore.