JPH04113087U - Package cage used in underground holes - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To provide a device suitable for use in holes with relatively small radius bends. [Configuration] In the package used in underground holes,
an axially elongated case made of a flexible fabric with high tensile strength, a load disposed within the case for generating or receiving an electrical signal, and surrounding the load; an elongated mass of flexible cushioning material which is filled into said case to form a flexible body, said flexible body being propelled through said hole like a piston by pressurized fluid. a relatively small radius bend in said hole extending axially from one end of said body and secured to said flexible material casing and electrically connected to said load; It is characterized by comprising a flexible cable for transmitting signals between the cargo and the ground.

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea]

0001

[Industrial application field]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to hole digging and exploration, and more particularly, to a hole exploration device, its manufacturing method, and its method. It concerns how to use.

0002

[Conventional technology]

When drilling oil wells or other holes underground, it is important to It is often necessary to measure the discrete positions of holes at considerable distances. For this purpose, an exploration probe is inserted into the hole and the data from this probe is analyzed on the ground. is analyzed to determine the position of the probe. In addition, the direction in which excavation will proceed has been decided. It is also desirable to control the direction of this movement.

0003

[Problem that the idea aims to solve]

In the hole exploration equipment provided so far, the above-mentioned probe is generally inflexible. It has an elongated, solid body with a metallic shell. This type of probe is relatively Short diameter (for example, 15 to 30 cm in a hole with a diameter of about 1.9 to 2.5 cm) radius) and therefore these probes cannot be passed through some holes. I can not use it. Instruments are also provided for cutting tubes, drill pipes and casings in the hole. There is. These instruments are generally remote-powered devices housed within an elongated, rigid housing. Contains one or more explosive explosives. This type of instrument is also suitable for relatively small radius bends. In that it cannot be passed through some holes and is not suitable for use in some holes, It has the same limitations and drawbacks as previously provided exploration and measurement devices.

0004 The general object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved hole finding device, method of making the same, and and how to use it. Another object of the present invention is to provide the above-mentioned features that can be used as a guide for drilling holes. An object of the present invention is to provide a device and a method for. Another purpose of this invention is that it can be used to cut pipes, drill pipes, and cases. An object of the present invention is to provide a device and a method having the above characteristics.

[0005] A further object of the present invention is that it is suitable for use in holes with relatively small radius bends. An object of the present invention is to provide a device and a method having the above characteristics. A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above characteristics that can be manufactured economically. It is.

[0006]

[Means to solve the problem]

These and other purposes are achieved according to the invention by inserting into a hole and having a relatively small radius of the hole. By providing an elongated flexible probe that can be passed freely through the bends of the achieved. The probe includes one or more sensors spaced apart in a flexible body that includes a cushioning material. Explosives buried in the ground or similar materials, and made of fabric with high tensile strength. It has a flexible outer case. The above probe is suitable for pressurized water such as water or air. The flexible body is driven into the hole in a piston-like form by the fluid, and the flexible body has a relatively radius. Allow the probe to pass freely through small bends. Process signals from probes A device is placed on the ground, and this device is interconnected to the probe by a flexible cable. Connected.

[0007]

【Example】

As shown in FIG. 1, the probing device is an elongated hole inserted into the hole 12 to be probed. A flexible probe 11 is provided. The hole may be a hole in the ground as shown. or an elongated opening with a limited diameter, such as an opening in a pipe or tube. good. The cross section of the probe is generally circular, and the outer diameter of the probe is smaller than the inner diameter of the hole. If the diameter of the hole is small, for example, 1.9 to 2.5 cm, the diameter of the probe is about 1.8 to 2.4 cm. The length of the probe is substantially greater than its diameter For example, if the diameter of the probe is 1.8 cm, its length is about 120 cm. .

[0008] A flexible measurement cable 16 extends axially from one end of the probe and connects the probe to ground. transmits power and signals to and from the device above. This cable is of general design. and covered with multiple reinforcing strands of a suitable material such as stainless steel. It has a plurality of flexible electrical conductors. This cable is a cable leash on the ground. The length of the cable that is wound on the reel 18 and fed into the hole is connected to this reel. is monitored by a cable length indicator 19 connected thereto.

[0009] On the ground, the probe is micro-coupled by a suitable interface unit 22. Connected to computer 21. This microcomputer is used for probes and cables. The signal from the bull length indicator is processed to determine the position of the hole in the area where the probe is placed. and/or orientation. As shown in FIG. 2, the probe 11 includes three direction sensors 21 to 23. These sensors have a similar payload and their orientation relative to the orthogonal reference axis. generates an electrical signal corresponding to In this embodiment, the reference axis of the sensor 21 is the axes of the sensors 22, 23 are aligned in a radial direction perpendicular thereto. . These sensors 21 to 23 are suitable sensors of known design and are flux gated. including a compass and a magnetometer. The term magnetometer as used here refers to natural magnetic flux lines or means any device capable of detecting man-made lines of magnetic flux, and includes two common types of magnetometers and These include Hall effect devices and flux gate transformer systems. other suitable Sensors include gyroscopes and inertial devices. Sensor 21 or 2 3 is connected to the cable 16 via the power/signal conditioning module 26 in the probe. It will be done. A probe inclinometer 27 is also provided, which measures the orientation of the probe relative to the longitudinal axis. generate a corresponding signal. If desired, provide additional information such as the declination of the instrument. A further inclinometer may be included to indicate the inclinometer. A suitable inclinometer is an accelerometer This includes electrolytic level meters and pendulum devices. Cables and power/signal conditioning modules and other elements within the probe, using connectors 2 of suitable known design. 8.

0010 Sensors 21 to 23, module 26, inclinometer 27 and connector 28 are spaced apart along the axis of the tubes 11 and interconnected by flexible electrical conductors 31. has been done. Alternatively, these electrical components may be fabricated on flexible circuit boards. or a plurality of relatively short rigid sections interconnected by one or more flexible sections. may be fabricated on a circuit board having a These elements are long and thin with high tensile strength. It is enclosed in a flexible case 32. This case is covered and the distal end of the probe Then it is fixed to the stainless steel protruding piece 33 by the clamp 34, and then At the proximal end of the probe it is secured to the connector 28 by a clamp 35, and is fixed to the measurement cable 16.

In the preferred embodiment shown, the case 32 is comprised of a woven fabric of fibers having a high tensile strength, ie, greater than stainless steel, preferably greater than 17,500 kg/cm ² . One preferred fabric featured herein is an aromatic polyamide fiber manufactured by DuPont under the trademark Kevlar. The tensile strength of this fiber is about 28,000 kg/cm ² . Other suitable high tensile strength fibers may also be used, including graphite fibers, glass fibers, nylon fibers, and boron fibers.

0012 Inside the case 32, these cushions surround sensors and other electrical components. It is filled with a flexible electrically insulating material 36 that acts as a conductor. This material and external case This creates a flexible body that can be passed freely through relatively small radius bends in the hole. It is formed. Suitable materials include silicone and other synthetic rubber materials such as Devc. on (trademark) polyurethane or silicone rubber sold under the trademark Silastic. Includes Flexible materials may be in a solid or fluid state. stomach. Suitable fluid materials include silicone and fluorine, which have a high dielectric constant and low vapor pressure. Contains carbon. This fluid is in a gel state and has a relatively high viscosity. preferable. One particularly suitable fluid material is known as Dow Corning 200 fluid. It is a silane polymer. Alternatively, in the case of solid cushioning, a textile casing may be used. This allows the axially extending fibers to be removed to provide the desired tensile strength. can be embedded in materials. In this case, when the body is bent, the It is desirable that the fibers be able to move axially within the material to prevent them from collapsing.

[0013] The outer surface of the case 32 is made of polytetrafluor which allows the probe to pass freely through the hole. A lubricant such as oleoethylene (Teflon) can be applied. I'll explain later To make it easier to pass the probe through the hole, it is attached to the outer wall of the body near the near end of the body. A flexible seal ring 41 is fixed. The outer diameter of this seal is A variety of diameters are selected to provide a sliding sealing engagement with the inner wall of the opening to be Install seals of various sizes and shapes so that they can be exchanged for different cases. be able to. A vacuum is created behind the probe head when the probe is pulled out of the hole. A flow path (not shown) can be bypassed to the seal to prevent Wear.

[0014] In one preferred manufacturing method shown herein, the electrical components of the probe are connected together. and vertically suspended from cable 16 in the desired spacing. case 32 A case 32 is disposed coaxially with these parts so that the open end of the case 32 faces upward. Next A fluid silicone rubber material is poured into the case to form a flexible body. connections Install the conductor 28 and electrically connect it to the leads inside the probe and the conductor of the cable 16. Then, pull the open end of the case against the connector and install the clamp 33.

[0015] In the case of solid cushioning, this material is placed around the electrical components in one or more successive layers. Shape in layers, allowing adjacent layers to move slightly relative to each other. Then electrical parts and inserting the cushioning material as a unit into the fabric case. In use, the probe 11 is inserted into the top of the hole to be explored or drilled, and a pressurized flow is applied. A body (e.g., water or air) is forced into the hole over the probe and and advance the probe downward through the hole. In this case, the seal 41 Forms a seal between the body of the probe and the wall of the hole or other aperture into which the probe is inserted. do. If fluid accumulates in the hole before the probe, remove the fluid with a pump, for example. Either drain the probe out of the hole, pull the probe out of the hole with a cable, or by any suitable means, such as by suctioning the fluid into the surrounding formation. can be removed. When the probe reaches the bend in the hole, the body flexes and the probe The tube passes freely through the bend. As mentioned above, the probe has a relatively large radius. A small bend, for example a 15 cm radius bend in a 1.9 to 2.5 cm diameter hole. You can pass. The probe is pulled out of the hole by pulling on the measurement cable. It will be destroyed.

[0016] Since the probe 11 has a relatively small diameter, it can be used as a guide in a hole drilling system. Also suitable for staying there. In this case, the probe is attached to the drill motor housing itself. installed in the fluid flow path near the drill head and connected to the cable. The tube 16 may extend to the ground through a fluid flow path or another suitable flow path within the well case. be made into On the ground, the signal from the probe is processed and used to guide the drill. direction is controlled.

[0017] In addition to the directional sensor, the load or measuring instruments in the probe include, for example, a temperature sensor. or other sensors that perform functions such as measuring pressure, nuclear radiation, or hydrogen ion concentration. It can include sensors and equipment that measure properties of the formation being excavated. The invention is also useful for tools that cut drill pipes, tubes and/or casings in holes. It is. This type of device formed according to the invention is similar to the devices of FIGS. 1 and 3. However, in place of the sensors 21-23, an electrically detonated gunpowder is provided. Gunpowder is known a suitable gunpowder of the composition, e.g. pellets or plastic C3 or RDX. be. The electrical detonation signal is transmitted to the gunpowder by cable 16 and the electrical leads in the probe. Sent. Gunpowder can be used to perform the required type of cutting action, for example cutting a drill head from the end of a tube. Concentrated explosive action to separate the parts, or a temporary explosion when drilling a hole in the tube and passing the probe through it. arranged to provide a series of explosive effects.

[0018] From the above explanation, a new and improved hole exploration probe, its manufacturing method, and its It should be clear that the usage was provided. Only preferred embodiments are described in detail. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. It will be clear.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of a hole exploration device according to the present invention, showing a flexible probe being inserted into a hole and passed through a bend;

[Figure 2] A block diagram of the exploration device in Figure 1, and

3 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view of the flexible probe of the embodiment of FIG. 1; FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 Probe 12 holes 16 Cable 18 Cable reel 19 Cable length indicator 21 Microcomputer 22 Interface unit 21, 22, 23 direction sensor 26 Power/signal conditioning module 27 Inclinometer 28 Connector 31 Conductor 32 cases 33 Projection piece 34 Clamp 41 Seal ring

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A package for use in underground holes, comprising an axially elongated case made of a flexible fabric with high tensile strength, and an axially elongated case disposed within the case to generate an electrical signal or a charge for receiving a signal; and an elongated mass of flexible cushioning material surrounding the charge and filling the case to form a flexible body; The body can be propelled through the hole like a piston by pressurized fluid through a relatively small radius bend in the hole;
characterized by a flexible cable extending axially from the end and fixed to the casing of flexible material and electrically connected to the load to transmit signals between the load and the ground. package.