EP3842730A1

EP3842730A1 - Method for programming a plurality of electronic detonators according to a blasting pattern

Info

Publication number: EP3842730A1
Application number: EP19383200.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luis Diego Montaño Rueda
Original assignee: MaxamCorp Holding SL
Current assignee: MaxamCorp Holding SL
Priority date: 2019-12-26
Filing date: 2019-12-26
Publication date: 2021-06-30
Also published as: CL2022001745A1; WO2021130296A1; EP4081754A1

Abstract

The present invention is a method for programming a plurality of electronic detonators according to a blasting pattern and the system thereof.

The system comprises electronic detonators that comprise wireless electronic communication means adapted to transmit at least the identification number stored in storing means of the same electronic detonator to the programming unit allowing the user to assign the identification number/code of each electronic detonator to the blasting pattern information highly reducing the implementation process.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a method for programming a plurality of electronic detonators according to a blasting pattern and the system thereof.
The system comprises a modified electronic detonators comprising wireless electronic communication means adapted to transmit at least the identification number stored in storing means of the same electronic detonator to the programming unit allowing the user to assign the identification number/code of each electronic detonator to the blasting pattern information highly reducing the implementation process.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In works where it is necessary to use explosives, said explosives comprising a charge and a detonator, the detonation of the charges is provoked following a very precise temporal sequence according to a previous blasting planning.
The blasting planning generates a specific pattern over the region to be affected by the explosives. This region is discretized in a plurality of locations distributed with a separation depending on the power of the explosive and the rock/soil properties.
The basting pattern comprises the pattern formed by the locations of the explosives over the region and also the sequence of firing the plurality of detonators.
The plurality of detonators is connected to a common communication bus that is also connected to a blasting unit configured to initiate the detonators according to the blasting pattern.
If detonators are electronic detonators, said detonators may be programmed with a delay value. The delay value sets the delay time the detonator is activated causing the fire of the charge after receiving the blasting signal.
This delay value may be transmitted from a programming unit using the common communication bus that connects said programming unit with each of the detonators that are sequentially distributed along the communication bus.
The programing unit identifies each detonator, independently of the position along the communication bus, by using a unique identification number that is set when manufacturing the detonator. Therefore, the programing unit needs to have the correspondence between the detonator of the blasting pattern being stored in the programing unit and the identification number of said detonator for transmitting and setting the correct delay.
Along the description, the identification number may be interpreted as an identification code that may comprise numbers, letters or other data.
According to the prior art, the identification of the detonators according to the blasting pattern is done by visiting each location of the detonators in order to capture the identification data pertaining to the corresponding detonators.
The identification number capture of the detonators becomes hard to carry out in the middle of a work or an exploitation area. In most of cases, the identification number capture requires to connect the programming unit using the communication port to the corresponding communication port of the detonator in an environment that may be covered of mud, wet or at least dirty. This process is high time consuming process because each detonator requires manual connection over a device that is already installed in the perforation.
In practice, an operator covers the length and width of the work site to successively capture, one at a time, the identification number of each of the detonators connected to the firing line expending a lot of time on each detonator in hard conditions.
The present invention overcomes the previous drawback by providing a modified blasting system that allows a faster identification of each detonator.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In a first inventive aspect, the invention provides a method for programming a plurality of electronic detonators according to a blasting pattern. The method requires a blasting system comprising a plurality of electronic detonators according to a second aspect of the invention and a programing unit according to a third aspect of the invention being the electronic detonators and the programing unit connected through a communication bus, said blasting system comprising:

a plurality of electronic detonators distributed in a region according to the blasting pattern, each of the electronic detonator comprising:
- a first processing unit;
- first storing means storing at least an identification number;
- a first communication port connected to the first processing unit;
- first wireless electronic communication means adapted to transmit at least the identification number stored in the first storing means;
a programming unit comprising:
- a second processing unit;
- a second storing means adapted to store a blasting pattern the blasting pattern comprising a list of elements, each element comprising the detonator number, the identification number associated to the detonator number, and the delay associated to the detonator number;
- a second communication port connected to the second processing unit;
- second wireless electronic communication means connected to the second processing unit and adapted to read an identification number;
- providing a communication bus with a plurality of first connectors, each first connector adapted to be connected to the first communication port of one electronic detonator and, a second connector adapted to be connected to the second communication port of the programming unit;

The electronic detonator is a device with a communication port, the first communication port, allowing to connect the programming unit through the second communication port with a plurality of detonators by means of the communication bus. The programming unit may perform reading and writing operations on a determined detonator by using the identification number which is unique among the plurality of detonators connected through the same communication bus.
In one embodiment, the information transmitted by the programming unit and/or the detonator is accessible to all the devices connected to the communication bus by using data packages, each package having identification numbers. In a communication between the programing unit and a specific detonator having an identification number, only those packages having the identification number of said detonator will be read or processed by the processing unit of the detonator. The rest of the detonators will discard those data packages as they have a different identification number.
According to a preferred embodiment. The identification number is set in each detonator when manufacturing it ensuring that all the manufactured detonators have a unique identification number.
According to the invention, the first wireless electronic communication means are adapted to transmit at least the identification number stored in the first storing means. In a preferred embodiment, the wireless electronic communication means are an RFID tag with the identification number suitable for being read by the second wireless electronic communication means connected to the second processing unit of the programming unit.
That is, according to the invention the same identification number may be identified during the communication between the programing unit and the detonator by using the communication bus and also by using the second wireless electronic communication means connected to the second processing unit of the programing unit.
According to the first aspect of the invention, the method further comprises:

storing a blasting pattern into the second storing means of the programming unit, the blasting pattern at least comprising the detonator numbers and the delay associated to the detonator number;
for each detonator number of the blasting pattern, reading in situ through the wireless electronic communication means the identification number of the electronic detonator associated to said detonator number and storing it into the element having the detonator number in the list stored in the second storing means;
connecting the second connector of the communication bus to the second communication port of the programming unit and connecting each of the first connectors of the communication bus to the first communication port of one electronic detonator;
by means of the second processing unit, for each detonator number of the list of the blasting pattern:
- identifying the identification number associated to the detonator numbers in the list of the blasting pattern;
- connecting with the electronic detonator having the associated identification number through the connecting bus;
- sending from the programming unit the delay associated to the detonator numbers in the list of the blasting pattern and storing it into the first storing means of the electronic detonator.

The blasting pattern at least comprises the detonator numbers and the delay associated to the detonator number which is the minimum information required by the programming unit for the correct blasting process. This minimum information is stored into the second storing means of the programming unit as the detonator number will be used for further identifying the correct identifying number of each electronic detonator and its delay.
The full blasting pattern may further comprise additional information such as the location or coordinates of each detonator, specific information about the status of the detonator, etc.
A user, in situ, collects the identification number of each electronic detonator using the programming unit. This programing unit does not need to be connected using the communication bus with any of the detonators.
According to a preferred embodiment, the programing unit is a handheld device that is approached to the detonator. The order of the detonators distributed in the region is known by the user as it is sequentially distributed along the communication bus.
The programming unit sequentially reads an identification number of a detonator identifying the detonator number being read. According an embodiment, the user selects the detonator number in the programming unit being shown in a display of the handheld device and reads the identification number in a wireless manner. The user increments the detonator number in the programming unit and moves to the next detonator until completing all the detonators being installed in the region.
At the end of this process, all the elements of the list of the blasting pattern has associated the detonator number and the identification number of the same detonator. As the elements of the list of the blasting pattern already have the correspondence between the detonator number and the delay value, the programming unit can associate said delay value to the detonator having the correct identification number.
Once completed the basic information of the blasting pattern, the user connects the second connector of the communication bus to the second communication port of the programming unit and connecting each of the first connectors of the communication bus to the first communication port of one electronic detonator.
Now, the communication between the programming unit and each detonator can be done by the communication bus and the programming unit transmit the delay, that is, the delay value, associated to each detonator using the correspondence determined by the list stored in the second storing means of the programming unit.
After this final step, the blasting system is ready for the blasting process.
The blasting unit may be embodied in the same device embodying the programming unit. According to said example, the blasting unit uses the same communication bus increasing the voltage of the signals transmitted. The blasting unit sends the ignition signal activating all the detonators which are fired with a delay determined by the delay value being previously transmitted by the programming unit and stored in the first storing means of each detonator.
Specific features of examples of the invention will be described below with the help of figures.
All the features described in this specification (including the claims, description and drawings) and/or all the steps of the described method can be combined in any combination, with the exception of combinations of such mutually exclusive features and/or steps.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearly understood in view of the detailed description of the invention which becomes apparent from a preferred embodiment of the invention, given just as an example and not being limited thereto, with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1: This figure shows schematically a blasting system comprising a plurality of detonators connected to a programming unit by means of communication bus.
Figure 2: This figure shows schematically the second storing means of a programming unit storing a list with information of the blasting pattern.
Figure 3: This figure shows schematically a region having a plurality of detonators arranged according to a blasting pattern, connected to a programming unit. The same figure shows with a dashed line those detonators with the same delay value according to the blasting pattern.
Figure 4: This figure shows the same scheme shown in figure 2 where the identification number is being completed by the user in situ.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows schematically an embodiment of a system according to the second aspect of the invention.
The system comprises a plurality of electronic detonators (1) connected to a common communication bus (3) and said communication bus (3) being connected to a programming unit (2).
Each electronic detonator (1) comprises a first processing unit (1.1) and first storing means (1.2) storing at least an identification number (ID#) connected to the first processing unit (1.1).
The electronic detonator (1) further comprises a first communication port (1.3) connected to the first processing unit (1.1) and first wireless electronic communication means (1.4) adapted to transmit at least the identification number (ID#) stored in the first storing means (1.2).
The first processing unit (1.1) is adapted to carry out writing and reading operations on the first storing means (1.2) and, to carry out writing and reading operations over the first communication port (1.3).
The electronic detonator (1) also comprises first wireless electronic communication means (1.4) adapted to transmit at least the identification number (ID#) stored in the first storing means (1.2). In this embodiment, the first wireless electronic communication means (1.4) is embodied as a RFID tag with the identification number (ID#) stored in the first storing means (1.2) also stored in said tag (1.4).
The communication bus (3) has a plurality of first connectors (3.1), each first connector (3.1) connected to the first communication port (1.3) of one electronic detonator (1) and, a second connector (3.2) connected to the second communication port (2.3) of the programming unit (2).
Each line of the communication bus (3) is graphically represented by two parallel lines but may be embodied using more complex communication buses.
The programming unit (2) is shown at the right side of figure 1 and it comprises a second processing unit (2.1), a second storing means (2.2) adapted to store a blasting pattern (P). The programming unit (2) further comprises a second communication port (2.3) connected to the second processing unit (2.1), the communication port (2.3) being also connected to the second connector (3.2) of the communication bus (3) and, second wireless electronic communication means (2.4) connected to the second processing unit (2.1) and adapted to read an identification number (ID#).
The minimum information that may be stored in the second storing means (2.2) representing the blasting pattern (P) is a list of elements, each element comprising the detonator number (DET#), the identification number (ID#) associated to the detonator number (DET#), and the delay (DELAY) associated to the detonator number (DET#).
When a blasting pattern (P) is defined over a specific region (R) as shown in figure 3, the full information comprises the field values of the list already identified and further comprising the location of each detonators (1) and specific information of the blasting planning.
When the plurality of detonators (1) is installed in the region (R), the identification number (ID#) of each detonator (1) is not known and can be read through the first communication port (1.3) as in the prior art, and also through the first wireless electronic communication means (1.4) embodied in this example as a RFID tag.
In a first step, the plurality of the detonators (1) is installed in the region (R) and they are connected through the first communication port (1.3) to the first connector (3.1) of the communication bus (3).
As the identification number (ID#) has not been read during the installation of the plurality of detonators (1), the blasting pattern (P) stored in the second storing means (2.2) lacks of the data field of the list configured to store said identification number (ID#) as shown in figure 2.
In the prior art, this information is completed by the user connecting each installed electronic detonator (1) in situ using the first communication port (1.1) requiring a long process of connection under hard conditions. These conditions may be the existence of mud, dust, etc.
In figure 3 the plurality of electronic detonators (1) is sequentially connected using the communication bus (3) which is schematically identified using a thick dashed line. One end of the communication bus (3) is connected to the programming unit (2) and the other end ends with the last electronic detonator (1) connected to said communication bus (3). The pattern used in this embodiment for connecting the plurality of electronic detonators (1) shows a zig-zag shape.
The same scheme shows the blasting plan represented by thin dotted lines. A single electronic detonator (1) has a zero delay, identified with the "0" number, three electronic detonators (1) has a first delay value, identified with the "1" number, five electronic detonators 1) has a second delay value greater than the first delay value, identified with the "2" number, and so on.
The increasing delay value assigned to electronic detonators (1) that are located increasingly away from the single electronic detonator (1) with a zero delay results in a propagating ignition starting from the location of the single electronic detonator (1) and progressing towards the rest of the domain in an approximately radial propagation.
According to this embodiment of the invention, the user is located in the location of the electronic detonator (1) that will be closely connected to the programming unit (2), electronic detonator (1) identified with the detonator number (DET#) equal to 1. The numbering of the electronic detonators (1) is according to the sequence defined by the direction of the line representing the communication bus (3).
Once the user is located in the location of each electronic detonator (1), the user reads its identification number (ID#) in a wireless manner. In this embodiment the programming unit (2) is a handheld device and is set to the first detonator number (DET#) and therefore it is waiting to read the identification number (ID#) that will be assigned to said detonator number (DET#).
The user brings near the handheld device and reads the RFID tag which provides the same identification number (ID#). The programming unit (2) stores the identification number (ID#) read by means of the second wireless electronic communication means (2.4) storing it into the identification number (ID#) field of the list stored into the second storing means (2.2).
At the end of this in situ reading process the programming unit (2) has completed the list as shown in figure 4.
Once the list has been completed, the user connects the second communication port (2.3) of the programming unit (2) to the free end of the communication bus (3) by means of the second connector (3.2).
Now, the programming unit (2) is in communication with all the electronic detonators (1) by means of the communication bus (3). For each electronic detonator (1) of the list of the blasting pattern (P), the programming unit (2) connects to the electronic detonator (1) having the detonator number (DET#) and already identified with the identification number (ID#) allowing to send the information to the electronic detonator (1) having the same identification number (ID#) stored in the first storing means (1.2).
The relevant information is the delay (DELAY) value representing the delay time, usually expressed in miliseconds.
Once all the electronic detonators (1) has the delay (DELAY) value previously assigned in the blasting pattern (P) stored into the first storing means (1.2), the electronic detonator (1) is armed.
In a further step, the user turn on the blasting system causing the blasting process. According to a further embodiment, the method further comprises the step of initiating the blast through a blasting unit (2) connected to the second connector (3.2) of the communication bus (3).
The delay value may be used for determining the status of the electronic detontator (1) as the first processing unit (1) is adapted to interpret such a value.
The value of the delay time (DELAY) may be determined according to one or more of the following: user generated delay time (DELAY), no delay (DELAY = 0 ms), incremental delay time, and a delay time (DELAY) values generated according to a computer generated blasting pattern (P).
According to a further embodiment the logging unit and the blasting unit is embodied in the same unit (2).
During the communication between the programming unit (2) and the plurality of electronic detonators (1), the programing unit (2) is further may check one or more of the following errors:

short circuit,
open circuit,
current leakage,
one electronic detonator (1) fails to respond,
more than one electronic detonator (1) responds to the same identification number (ID#),
communication error,
identification number (ID#) of a electronic detonator (1) not present in the plurality of electronic detonators (1);
any combination of them.

Claims

Method for programming a plurality of electronic detonators (1) according to a blasting pattern (P), comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of electronic detonators (1) distributed in a region (R) according to the blasting pattern (P), each of the electronic detonator (1) comprising:
- a first processing unit (1.1);

- first storing means (1.2) storing at least an identification number (ID#);

- a first communication port (1.3) connected to the first processing unit (1.1);

- first wireless electronic communication means (1.4) adapted to transmit at least the identification number (ID#) stored in the first storing means (1.2);

- providing a programming unit (2) comprising:
- a second processing unit (2.1);

- a second storing means (2.2) adapted to store a blasting pattern (P) the blasting pattern (P) comprising a list of elements, each element comprising the detonator number (DET#), the identification number (ID#) associated to the detonator number (DET#), and the delay (DELAY) associated to the detonator number (DET#);

- a second communication port (2.3) connected to the second processing unit;

- second wireless electronic communication means (2.4) connected to the second processing unit (2.1) and adapted to read an identification number (ID#);

- providing a communication bus (3) with a plurality of first connectors (3.1), each first connector (3.1) adapted to be connected to the first communication port (1.3) of one electronic detonator (1) and, a second connector (3.2) adapted to be connected to the second communication port (2.3) of the programming unit (2);
being steps a) to c) executed in any order and the method further comprising steps:
- storing a blasting pattern (P) into the second storing means (2.2) of the programming unit (2), the blasting pattern (P) at least comprising the detonator numbers (DET#) and the delay (DELAY) associated to the detonator number (DET#);

- for each detonator number (DET#) of the blasting pattern (P), reading in situ through the wireless electronic communication means (2.4) the identification number (ID#) of the electronic detonator (1) associated to said detonator number (DET#) and storing it (ID#) into the element having the detonator number (DET#) in the list stored in the second storing means (2.2);

- connecting the second connector (3.2) of the communication bus (3) to the second communication port (2.3) of the programming unit (2) and connecting each of the first connectors (3.1) of the communication bus(3) to the first communication port (1.3) of one electronic detonator (1);

- by means of the second processing unit (2), for each detonator number (DET#) of the list of the blasting pattern (P):
- identifying the identification number (ID#) associated to the detonator numbers (DET#) in the list of the blasting pattern (P);

- connecting with the electronic detonator (1) having the associated identification number (ID#) through the connecting bus (3);

- sending from the programming unit (2) the delay (DELAY) associated to the detonator numbers (DET#) in the list of the blasting pattern (P) and storing it (DELAY) into the first storing means (1.2) of the electronic detonator (1).
Method according to claim 1, wherein the value of the delay time (DELAY) is determined according to one or more of the following: user generated delay time (DELAY), no delay (DELAY = 0 ms), incremental delay time, and a delay time (DELAY) values generated according to a computer generated blasting pattern (P).
Method according to any of the previous claims, wherein the programming unit (2) is a logging unit.
Method according to claim 3, wherein the method further comprises the step of initiating the blast through a blasting unit (2) connected to the second connector (3.2) of the communication bus (3).
Method according to claim 4 wherein the logging unit and the blasting unit is embodied in the same unit (2).
Method according to any of the previous claims, wherein the programing unit (2) is further adapted to check one or more of the following errors:
- short circuit,

- open circuit,

- current leakage,

- one electronic detonator (1) fails to respond,

- more than one electronic detonator (1) responds to the same identification number (ID#),

- communication error,

- identification number (ID#) of a electronic detonator (1) not present in the plurality of electronic detonators (1);

- any combination of them.
Method according to any of previous claims, wherein first wireless electronic communication means (1.4) of at least one of the electronic detonators (1) is a RFID tag.
Electronic detonator (1) suitable for its use according to the method of any of claims 1 to 7, comprising:
- a first processing unit (1);

- first storing means (1.2) storing at least an identification number (ID#);

- a first communication port (1.3) connected to the first processing unit (1);

- first wireless electronic communication means (1.4) adapted to transmit at least the identification number (ID#) stored in the first storing means (1.2);
Electronic detonator (1) according to claim 8, wherein the wireless electronic communication means (1.4) is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, preferably a near field communication (NFC) device, wherein in the RFID tag is written the detonator identification number (ID#) stored in the first storing means (1.2).
Programming unit (2) comprising:
- a second processing unit (2.1);

- a second storing means (2.2) adapted to store a blasting pattern (P) the blasting pattern (P) comprising a list of elements, each element comprising the detonator number (DET#), the identification number (ID#) associated to the detonator number (DET#), and the delay (DELAY) associated to the detonator number (DET#);

- second wireless electronic communication means (2.4) connected to the second processing unit (2.1) and adapted to read an identification number (ID#);

- a second communication port (2.3) connected to the second processing unit (2);
Programming unit (2) according to the previous claim, further comprising a geolocation device (2.5) connected to the second processing unit (2.1) for providing position data of each electronic detonator (1) when in use is located in the position of the electronic detonator (1) in situ.