WO2014006204A2

WO2014006204A2 - Drilling device and method

Info

Publication number: WO2014006204A2
Application number: PCT/EP2013/064304
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fabien JOUANICOT
Original assignee: Astrium Sas
Priority date: 2012-07-05
Filing date: 2013-07-05
Publication date: 2014-01-09
Also published as: FR2993000B1; WO2014006204A3; FR2993000A1

Abstract

The subject matter of the invention is a device for drilling two galleries facing each other and extending on either side of a pipe (5), which comprises a thrust assembly (10) provided with two mobile thrust plates (11a, 11b) for axial thrust from a first and a second side of the thrust assembly, a support frame (15) for the thrust assembly and sliding tubes, two drilling heads (12a, 12b) and sliding support tubes (13a, 13b) positioned between the mobile thrust plates (11a, 11b) of the thrust assembly and the drilling heads (12a, 12b). The invention further concerns a method for drilling galleries from a pipe using a micro tunnel-boring machine which comprises a step of simultaneously digging two galleries along the same axis and in opposite directions while balancing the thrust forces of the micro tunnel-boring machine on each side so as to limit the stresses on the pipe to the difference between the thrust forces on each side.

Description

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DRILLING

The present invention relates to a device and a drilling method for drilling tunnels or galleries of medium size and long. It applies in particular to the digging of horizontal tunnels for the underground storage of packages of dangerous products.

Horizontal tunnel bores are made using drilling devices consisting of mini or micro-tunnel boring machines that use techniques derived from those of tunnel boring machines. The mini or micro-tunnel boring machines are small diameter tunnel boring machines, ie with an inside diameter of 1,800 mm.

An example of such a device is shown schematically in FIG.

Such a tunnel boring machine comprises a drilling head 1 provided with a shield which is pushed forward by a tube train 2 forming a sliding support whose progress is obtained by jacks 3 installed in a fixed station in a well. tunnel attack or gallery.

The drill head generally includes:

a cutting head or slaughter chamber;

an electric or hydraulic motor;

a crusher or a slaughtering machine;

one or more cylinders for orienting the front portion comprising the cutting head;

a laser sighting system or a simple theodolite;

a guide tube fixed behind the orientable front part;

hydraulic conduits for the marinage of the excavated material or a carpet with bucket and locotractor for a mechanical pickling. This equipment is located at the head of a sliding tube train, lengthened in successive sections as the tunnel progresses. This tube train is the definitive work to be done, as well as the rings of voussoirs used in large tunnel boring machines.

The tube train 2 is pushed by the rear using the jacks 3 installed in the well or working duct. The number of cylinders installed depends on the diameter of the TBM. The cylinders 3 rely on a reaction mass 4 built in the conduit 5 from which the gallery to drill. Each jack has for example a unit pushing force of the order of 300 tons.

A support frame 6 supports the tubes 2 and forms a guide system for the tubes and for a thrust plate 7.

The size of the well or work pipe depends on the size of the equipment, namely the dimensions of the tunnel boring machine, the dimensions of the thrust cylinder system and the reaction mass, the handling device and the length of the tubes constituting the train. pushing, the congestion of the guidance and measurement system, the congestion of the ancillary systems and the congestion of the access routes of the personnel.

The piercing distances can hardly reach more than 100 m for diameters of the order of 400 mm to 800 mm due in particular to the reaction efforts on the well or duct structure. They impose a reinforcement of the structure all the more consequent that the surrounding ground is furniture.

Moreover, such thrusting efforts cause the deterioration of the surrounding terrain in an area known as the damaged zone, which zone becomes porous and possibly susceptible to infiltration.

In view of this prior art, the main purpose of the present invention is to make it possible to increase the length of the penetrations by means of a reduction of the reaction forces at the level of the duct from which the galleries are pierced, while eliminating the major part of the damaged area.

The principle of the invention consists in balancing the thrust forces of a micro-tunneling machine by simultaneously digging two tunnels in the same direction and in opposite directions. Thus the efforts at the level of the duct or main gallery are limited to the difference of the thrust forces on each side. To do this, the present invention proposes a device for drilling two galleries facing each other and extending on either side of a conduit, the drilling device comprising a thrust unit provided with two movable push plates. axial from a first and a second side of the thrust group, a support frame of the thrust unit and sliding tubes, two drill heads and sliding support tubes positioned between the movable thrust plates of the group thrust and drill heads.

The increase in the piercing length, in the case of placing pipes, for example, makes it possible to space the thrust wells so the cost, and in particular the cost of production and the cost of moving the installations, has a strong impact on the total cost of the work.

In the case of tunnel penetrations, for example for the storage of hazardous materials, the quantity of stored product is directly related to the length of the galleries. By increasing the length of the penetrations the number of galleries for a given quantity of packages to be stored is reduced and thus the cost of the project is reduced.

In addition, by reducing the reaction forces during piercing is reduced deformations on the surrounding terrain, it reduces the damaged area and the level of reinforcement structures to cash the thrust forces.

Advantageously, the thrust unit comprises one or more jacks configured to push on the movable plates and spread them.

According to a particular embodiment, the support frame is provided with a device for guiding the movable plates.

The device may in particular comprise means for locking the frame in the central duct between the two galleries to be drilled.

In this context, the locking means comprise either retractable locks taking the residual thrust forces at a level of the channel of the channel by means of the support pieces taking the residual forces at the walls of the conduit.

The invention further relates to a method of drilling galleries using a drilling device according to the invention, the method comprising the steps of:

setting up of the drilling device at the level of the galleries to be dug in the conduit; locking the frame in the conduit;

positioning and positioning of the drill heads at the ends of first tubes secured on the moving plates;

rotating the drill heads and thrusting the drill heads through the tubes and movable plates of the thrust unit;

retraction of the thrust group once the tubes are pushed into the galleries.

The method is advantageously such that the drilling continues until reaching the desired length of galleries by repeating the steps of:

- Rotation of the cutting heads of the drill heads and thrust of the drill heads through the tubes and moving plates by the thrust group and

- retraction of the thrust group once the tubes are pushed into the galleries,

with, between these steps, an addition of new tubes between the thrust plates and the tubes previously driven into the galleries.

Once the drilling is complete, the operation ends with the unlocking of the frame which is released from its fixings in the conduit and the displacement of the device towards the next drilling site.

Advantageously, differences in drilling forces between the sides of the device are compensated in real time by reference to said differences in forces on the civil engineering of the central duct and / or a differential adaptation of the rotation speeds of the cutting heads at the level of drilling heads.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a non-limiting example of the invention with reference to the drawings which show:

in FIG. 1: a schematic view of a drilling device of the prior art;

in Figure 2: a schematic view of a drilling device according to the invention in the standby position;

in FIG. 3: a schematic view of the device of FIG. 2 in the ready-to-drill position;

in FIG. 4: a schematic view of the device of FIG. 2 at the end of drilling a length of tube; in FIG. 5: the drilling device of FIG. 2, retracted thrust group, and; in Figure 6: a schematic view of the drilling device as in Figure 5 reloaded with new tubes.

The device of the invention shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 2 to 6 mainly consists of a double tunneling machine comprising a support frame for two drilling trains consisting of tubes 13a, 13b, two drilling heads 12a, 12b, and a group of thrust 10 central.

The thrust unit comprises, according to the example, hydraulic cylinders 14. The principle of the invention is to balance the thrust forces of a micromachining machine by simultaneously digging two opposite tunnels, which reduces the forces at the level of the pipe or main gallery unlike pushing efforts on each side.

The thrust unit 10 is provided with two movable plates 11a, 11b of axial thrust from a first and a second side of the thrust group.

The frame 15 supports the thrust unit and the sliding tubes 13a, 13b of the drill string, these sliding retaining tubes being intended to form the walls of the galleries in progress.

The drill heads are of traditional type comprising a cutting head and all the elements necessary for drilling.

The sliding tubes are positioned between the movable thrust group push plates and the drill heads on each side of the drill group and are simultaneously pushed by the thrust unit.

Figure 2 shows the device of the invention positioned in a main conduit in front of the walls of the duct in which the galleries will be dug.

A first pair of tubes 13a, 13b sliding retaining is mounted between the drill heads 12a, 12b and the movable plates 1 1a, 1 1b thrust of the thrust group 10.

To maintain the device in position, holes are dug in the raft under the frame 15 to allow planting means 17 for locking the frame in a base of the central duct between the two galleries to be drilled. These lockable means are according to the example retractable locks 17 for forming anchors of the device in the raft. In Figure 3, the retractable locks 17 are driven into the raft and the device is ready for operation.

In Figure 4 the cylinders are fully deployed and pushed, by means of the movable plates 1 1 a, 1 1 b, the tubes 13a, 13b and the two drill heads 12a, 12b at the bottom of the cavity dug by the drill heads. .

The thrust unit comprises one or more cylinders 14 configured to push on the movable plates and spread them. According to Figure 4 two cylinders are visible but it is possible to use four cylinders to balance the forces on the rear of the tubes 13a, 13b.

According to FIG. 5, the thrust unit is retracted, the jacks 14 bringing back the thrust plates 11a, 11b to the center of the device while the tubes 13a, 13b and the drilling heads 12a, 12b remain in the galleries during drilling.

This figure makes it possible to see a device 16 for guiding the movable plates on the support frame, the guiding device being for example made in the form of a cradle between the walls of which the thrust plates slide or in the form of a central rail received. in a notch or groove plates that slide on the central rail.

Thus the steps of implementation of the device begin with an installation of the drilling device at the galleries to dig in the conduit and positioning and positioning of the drilling heads 12a, 12b at the end of the first tubes 13a, 13b subjected on the movable plates 1 1 a, 1 1 b according to Figure 2.

Once the device is in place, the frame 15 is locked in the conduit according to FIG.

Then, the cutting heads part of the drill heads are rotated and the thrust of the drill heads 12a, 12b through the tubes 13a, 13b and the movable plates 1 1a, 1 1b of the thrust unit is carried out as represented in FIG. 4;

Once the tubes are pressed into the galleries, the thrust unit 10 is retracted as shown in FIG.

When the thrust unit is retracted, new tubes 13'a, 13'b are added between the thrust plates and the tubes 13a, 13b previously sunk into the galleries as shown in FIG. The drilling then continues until reaching the desired length of galleries by reiteration of the steps of rotation of the cutting heads of the drilling heads 12a, 12b, thrust of the drilling heads 12a, 1 2b through the tubes 13a, 13b. and movable plates 1 1 a, 1 1 b by the thrust group, retraction of the thrust group once the tubes driven into the galleries and adding new tubes.

Differences in drilling forces between the sides of the device are compensated in real time by reference to said differences in efforts on the civil engineering of the central duct and / or a differential adjustment of the rotational speeds of the cutting heads at the heads of the ducts. drilling.

The residual thrust forces are for example taken up at the level of the raft of the gallery by means of the retractable latches 17 which form anchors in the raft forming the floor of the duct.

The centering device can also be supported on the walls of the duct, efforts are then taken up at the walls with large support pieces.

In this way, by referring to the civil engineering differences in efforts of the two drilling parts of the drilling device, a centering device of the thrust unit is produced.

To compensate for different drilling forces at the two cutting heads, which leads to different penetration rates in the walls to be drilled, another solution is to provide a servo adapted to maintain the centering of the thrust group between the two galleries.

The slaving can in particular control the cutting heads to equalize the penetration speeds on both sides of the drilling device.

It is especially possible to slow the cutting head progressing faster.

Similarly, when the efforts to introduce the tubes are different on both sides, a slowing of the cutting head on the side where the tubes sink more easily keeps the centering of the thrust unit.

Thus differences in drilling forces between the sides of the device are compensated in real time by reference of said differences in efforts on civil engineering central duct and / or a differential adaptation of the rotation speeds of the cutting heads.

Once the drilling is completed, the frame is unlocked from the conduit and the device is moved to the next drilling site, the drill heads being abandoned against the bottom of the galleries.

To facilitate its movement, the tunnel boring machine frame is for example provided with wheels 19 for rolling it to another drilling site.

The device of the invention is particularly suitable for producing tunnels of diameter up to at least 700 mm in diameter depending on the forces required to push the tubes into the galleries.

The invention is particularly applicable in the fields of micro or mini tunnel penetrations, for laying pipes and is particularly suitable for underground storage applications in galleries horizontally from a central conduit, the device being moved from place to place along the duct.

Claims

R E V E N D I C A T IO N S

1 - Device for drilling two galleries facing each other and extending on either side of a duct (5), characterized in that it comprises a thrust unit (10) provided with two movable plates ( 1 1 a, 1 1 b) axial thrust from a first and a second side of the thrust group, a frame (15) support of the thrust group, two drill heads (12a, 12b) and retaining sliding tubes (13a, 13b) positioned between the moving plates (1 1a, 1 1b) of thrust of the thrust group and the drill heads (12a, 12b).

2 - Apparatus for drilling two galleries facing according to claim 1 wherein the thrust unit comprises one or more cylinders (14) configured to push on the movable plates and spread them.

3 - Apparatus for drilling two galleries facing according to claim 1 or 2 for which the support frame is provided with a device (16) for guiding the movable plates.

4 - Apparatus for drilling two galleries facing according to claim 3 characterized in that it comprises means (17) for locking the frame in the central duct between the two galleries to be drilled.

5 - Apparatus for drilling two galleries facing each other according to claim 4 for which the locking means (17) comprise either retractable locks taking the residual thrust forces at a level (18) of the conduit by the intermediate or support pieces taking the residual efforts at the walls of the duct.

6 - Method of drilling galleries from a pipe using a tunnel boring machine and by means of a drilling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that it comprises a step simultaneous digging two galleries of the same direction and opposite direction while balancing the thrust forces of the micromachiner on each side so as to limit the forces at the conduit to the difference of the thrust forces on each side. 7 - method of drilling galleries according to claim 6 characterized in that it comprises the steps of:

setting up of the drilling device at the level of the galleries to be dug in the conduit;

locking the frame (15) in the conduit;

- Placement and positioning of the drill heads (12a, 12b) at the end of the first tubes (13a, 13b) secured on the movable plates (1 1 a, 1 1 b);

rotating the cutting heads of the drill heads and thrusting the drill heads (12a, 12b) through the tubes (13a, 13b) and the moving plates (11a, 11b) of the thrust unit ( 10);

- Retraction of the thrust group (10) once the tubes driven into the galleries.

8 - method of drilling galleries according to claim 7 for which the drilling continues until reaching the desired length of galleries by reiteration of the steps

- Turning the cutting heads of the drill heads (12a, 12b) and pushing the drill heads (12a, 12b) through the tubes (13a, 13b) and the moving plates (11a, 11b). ) by the push group and

retraction of the thrust unit once the tubes have been inserted into the galleries,

with, between these steps, an addition of new tubes (13'a, 13'b) between the thrust plates and the tubes (13a, 13b) previously driven into the galleries.

9 - tunnel drilling method according to claim 7 or 8 for which differences in drilling forces between the sides of the device are compensated in real time by reference of said differences in efforts on the civil engineering of the central duct and / or a differential adaptation of the rotational speeds of the cutting heads at the level of the drill heads. 10 - method of drilling galleries according to claim 7, 8 or 9 for which the operation ends in unlocking the frame in the conduit and moving the device to the next drilling site.