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EP-4735727-A1 - A METHOD OF CONTROLLING A DRILLING EQUIPMENT

EP4735727A1EP 4735727 A1EP4735727 A1EP 4735727A1EP-4735727-A1

Abstract

A method of controlling a drilling equipment, the drilling equipment comprises a drill head having at least two electrodes, a pulsed power generator for generating high voltage current pulses, and a fluid removal system comprising a first fluid removal device, and the method comprises controlling the drilling equipment in a first operating state during a drill operation, in which first operating state the drill head breaks a mineral substrate and forms a hole in the mineral substrate, and controlling the drilling equipment in a second operating state during a fluid evacuation operation subsequent to the drill operation, in which second operating state the first fluid removal device removes a liquid from the hole formed in the mineral substrate

Inventors

  • JAKOBSSON, Erik
  • Merkel, Harald Franz Arno
  • SKYTTEDAL, André

Assignees

  • Epiroc Rock Drills Aktiebolag

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230629

Claims (19)

  1. 1. A method of controlling a drilling equipment (4), said drilling equipment (4) comprising: a drill head (8) having at least two electrodes (30), a pulsed power generator (46) for generating high voltage current pulses, and a fluid removal system (11), comprising a first fluid removal device (20, 22, 24), the method comprising: controlling (S1) said drilling equipment (4) in a first operating state during a drill operation, in which first operating state said drill head (8) breaks a mineral substrate (6) and forms a hole (32) in said mineral substrate (6), by passing a high voltage current pulse generated by the pulsed power generator (46) between the at least two electrodes (30) via the mineral substrate (6), controlling (S2) said drilling equipment (4) in a second operating state during a fluid evacuation operation subsequent to said drill operation, in which second operating state said first fluid removal device (20, 22, 24) removes a liquid from the hole (32) formed in said mineral substrate (6).
  2. 2. The method of controlling the drilling equipment (4) according to claim 1 , wherein in the second operating state the drill head (8) does not break said mineral substrate (6).
  3. 3. The method of controlling the drilling equipment (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the drilling equipment (4) further comprises a fluid supply system (10), and wherein, in said first operating state, said fluid supply system (10) supplies said liquid to the hole (32) formed in said mineral substrate (6).
  4. 4. The method of controlling the drilling equipment (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said fluid removal system (11) comprises a second fluid removal device (14), wherein said second fluid removal device (14) removes said liquid from the hole (32) formed in said mineral substrate (6) in said first operating state and does not remove said liquid from the hole (32) formed in said mineral substrate (6) in said second operating state.
  5. 5. The method of controlling the drilling equipment (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises automatically activating said second operating state when said first operating state ends.
  6. 6. The method of controlling the drilling equipment (4) according to claim 4, wherein the drilling equipment (4) further comprises a fluid supply system (10) and the method comprises: controlling (S3) said drilling equipment (4) in a third operating state during a cleaning operation, in which third operating state said fluid supply system (10) supplies said liquid to the hole (32) formed in said mineral substrate (6), and said second fluid removal device (14) removes said liquid from the hole (32) formed in said mineral substrate (6), - when said first operating state ends, automatically activating said third operating state.
  7. 7. The method of controlling the drilling equipment (4) according to claim 6, wherein the method comprises automatically activating said second operating state after said third operating state has been active for a fixed period of time.
  8. 8. The method of controlling the drilling equipment (4) according to claim 6, wherein the method further comprises, in the third operating state, determining a concentration of rock fragments in the removed liquid, wherein the method comprises automatically activating said second operating state when said concentration of rock fragments in said removed liquid is below a threshold level.
  9. 9. The method of controlling the drilling equipment (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises automatically deactivating said second operating state after a fixed period of time.
  10. 10. The method of controlling the drilling equipment (4) according to any one of claims 1- 8, wherein the method further comprises: determining a liquid level within the hole (32) formed in (6) said mineral substrate (6) in said second operating state, - when said liquid level falls below a threshold liquid level (L0), deactivating said second operating state.
  11. 11. A drilling equipment (4) comprising: a pulsed power generator (46) configured to generate high voltage current pulses, a drill head (8) having at least two electrodes (30), configured to break a mineral substrate (6) and form a hole (32) in said mineral substrate (6) in a first operating state of the drilling equipment (4), by passing a high voltage current pulse generated by the pulsed power generator (46) between the at least two electrodes (30) via the mineral substrate (6), a fluid removal system (11), comprising a first fluid removal device (20, 22, 24) configured to remove a liquid from the hole (32) formed in said mineral substrate (6) in a second operating state of the drilling equipment (4), and an electronic control unit (16) configured to control said drilling equipment (4) to said first operating state during a drill operation, and to said second operating state during a fluid evacuation operation subsequent to the drill operation.
  12. 12. The drilling equipment (4) according to claim 11 , wherein the drilling equipment (4) is configured such that it does not break said mineral substrate (6) in said second operating state.
  13. 13. The drilling equipment according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising a fluid supply system (10) configured to supply a liquid towards the hole (32) formed in said mineral substrate (6) in said first operating state.
  14. 14. The drilling equipment (4) according to any one of claims 11-13, wherein said drilling equipment (4) comprises a sensor (26) configured to provide said electronic control unit (16) with a measurement indicative of a concentration of rock fragments in said removed liquid.
  15. 15. The drilling equipment (4) according to any one of claims 11-14, wherein said drilling equipment (4) comprises a liquid level sensor (28) configured to provide said control unit (16) with a measurement indicative of a liquid level within the hole (32) formed in said mineral substrate.
  16. 16. The drilling equipment (4) according to claim 15, wherein said liquid level sensor (28) comprises a pressure transducer (29).
  17. 17. The drilling equipment (4) according to any one of claims 11-16, wherein said liquid comprises water.
  18. 18. The drilling equipment (4) according to any one of claims 11-16, wherein said liquid comprises an oil.
  19. 19. A drill rig (2) comprising a drilling equipment (4) according to any one of claims 11-18.

Description

A METHOD OF CONTROLLING A DRILLING EQUIPMENT TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure concerns a method for controlling a drilling equipment. The invention also concerns a drilling equipment and a drill rig. The disclosed method and drilling equipment may for example be applied in rock drilling and surface drilling operations. BACKGROUND During rock drilling it is often necessary to supply a fluid towards the mineral substrate to be drilled; supply of fluid may be necessary to flush a drilled hole. In surface drilling operations, when such a fluid comprises a liquid, the liquid will remain in the drilled hole if no further action is taken. In drilling applications such as blast hole drilling, where a number of drill operations are to be performed, this amount of remaining liquid can be significant and leaving such an amount of liquid down hole can be costly. Remaining liquid can also be problematic in cases where blasting is to be performed subsequent to the drill operation. Blasting comprises the use of explosive agents to fracture the mineral substrate. Explosive agents exist which can be used in wet conditions; however, dry explosive agents are cheaper and so their use is preferable. It is possible to use external pumping equipment for fluid evacuation, e.g., from a drilled hole of a mineral substrate. However, installation and operation of the external pumping equipment will take additional time and require additional manual work to be performed. Where an external pumping equipment is to be used, after a drill operation is complete, the drilling equipment must first be removed and then the pumping equipment inserted before fluid evacuation may begin. SUMMARY A primary objective of the present disclosure is to achieve an in at least some aspect improved method for controlling a drilling equipment. In particular, it is an objective to achieve a method for controlling a drilling equipment which alleviates the drawbacks associated with prior art methods, such as leaving liquid remaining within the hole formed in the mineral substrate after a drill operation, or the necessity to use an external pumping equipment. According to a first aspect of the disclosure, at least the primary object is achieved by a method of controlling a drilling equipment according to claim 1. The drilling equipment comprises a drill head having at least two electrodes, a pulsed power generator for generating high voltage current pulses, and a fluid removal system comprising a first fluid removal device, and the method comprises controlling the drilling equipment in a first operating state during a drill operation, in which first operating state the drill head breaks a mineral substrate and forms a hole in the mineral substrate, by passing a high voltage current pulse generated by the pulsed power generator between the at least two electrodes via the mineral substrate, and controlling the drilling equipment in a second operating state during a fluid evacuation operation subsequent to the drill operation, in which second operating state the first fluid removal device removes a liquid from the hole formed in the mineral substrate. The method may be a computer-implemented method performed by an electronic control unit. By providing a drilling equipment having a fluid removal system and performing a method in which the drilling equipment is operated in the second operating state after a drill operation, it is possible to remove at least some of the liquid necessary for the drill operation after the completion thereof. By removing the liquid from the hole in the mineral substrate, it may be possible to reuse the liquid, for example for a subsequent drill operation. Additionally, by removing the liquid from the hole it may then be possible to use dry explosives, or to perform other operations which are not possible in a liquid rich environment. The liquid may typically be a liquid used as a flushing fluid during the drill operation. Alternatively, the liquid may be used for electrically insulating or cooling. Optionally, in the second operating state the drill head does not break the mineral substrate. Hence, in the second operating state, the drilling equipment may be controlled not to pass any high voltage current pulses between the at least two electrodes. Optionally, the drilling equipment further comprises a fluid supply system, wherein, in the first operating state, the fluid supply system supplies the liquid to the hole formed in the mineral substrate. By supplying a liquid to the hole formed in the mineral substrate during the drill operation, it is possible to replace a liquid that has been removed from the mineral substrate, either intentionally, by way of a fluid removal device whereby a flushing function may be achieved, or unintentionally, in the case of seepage or the like. Optionally, the fluid removal system comprises a second fluid removal device, wherein the second fluid removal device removes the liquid from the hole fo