EP-4739876-A1 - DCT-EXHAUST DRIVEN COOLING

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and a rock drilling apparatus (10) arranged for cooling devices of the rock drilling apparatus (10). The method comprises, flushing a drill hole (52) with compressed air by flushing means, sucking at an opening (54) of the drill hole (52) by collecting means (16), for collecting an outgoing airstream (20) including drill cuttings (53) from the drill hole (52), leading the airstream (20) including drill cuttings (53) into a separating means (17), separating the drill cuttings (53) from the airstream (20) by leading the airstream (20) including drill cuttings (53) through the separating means (17), directing the airstream (20) into a first defined volume (14) by directing means (18), thereby entraining air (21) positioned at heat-generating devices (15) in the first defined volume (14), leading the directed airstream (20) and the entrained air (21) through an outlet means (19) out from the first defined volume (14).

Inventors

• AHLSTRÖM, Erik

Assignees

• Epiroc Rock Drills Aktiebolag

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20230707

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS 1 . Method for cooling devices of a rock drilling apparatus (10), the method comprising, during drilling of a drill hole (52) in ground (50), from a ground surface (52) in a drill direction (d), - flushing the drill hole (52) with compressed air by flushing means, thereby creating an outgoing airstream (20) from the drill hole (52), which airstream (20) is substantially opposite the drill direction (d), for evacuating/removing drill cuttings (53) out of the drill hole (52), - sucking at an opening (54) of the drill hole (52) by collecting means (16), for collecting the outgoing airstream (20) including drill cuttings (53) from the drill hole (52), - leading the airstream (20) including drill cuttings (53) into a separating means (17), - separating the drill cuttings (53) from the airstream (20) by leading the airstream (20) including drill cuttings (53) through the separating means (17), characterized in that the method further comprises - directing the airstream (20) that has been separated from the drill cuttings (53) into a first defined volume (14) of the rock drilling apparatus (10) by directing means (18), thereby entraining air (21 ) which is positioned at heat-generating devices (15) arranged in the first defined volume (14), - leading the directed airstream (20) and the entrained air (21 ) through an outlet means (19) leading out from the first defined volume (14). 2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises: - before the step of directing the airstream (20) into the first defined volume (14), directing the airstream (20) that has been separated from the drill cuttings (53) through a first contraction means (18b) arranged downstream the separating means (17), which first contraction means (18b) has a smaller cross-section compared to a cross-section of the separating means (17), in a flow direction of the airstream (20). 3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises: - after the step of directing the airstream (20) through the first contraction means (18b) and before the step of directing the airstream (20) into the first defined volume (14), directing the airstream (20) through a second contraction means arranged downstream the first contraction means (18b) and upstream the first defined volume (14) in a flow direction of the airstream (20), wherein the second contraction means has a smaller cross-section compared to a cross-section of the first contraction means (18b). 4. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the method further comprising: - before the step of leading the directed airstream (20) out from the first defined volume (14), directing the airstream (20) through a third contraction means (19a) arranged at the outlet means (19) of the first defined volume (14). 5. A rock drilling apparatus (10) comprising: - a drill rig (11 ), which comprises a drill (12) for drilling a drill hole (52) in ground (50), from a ground surface (51 ) in a drill direction (d), - a chassis (13), which comprises at least a first defined volume (14) in which heatgenerating components (15) of the rock drilling apparatus (10) are arranged, - flushing means for flushing the drill hole (52) by a compressed air stream, thereby creating an outgoing airstream (20), which is substantially opposite the drill direction (d), for evacuating/removing drill cuttings (53) out of the drill hole (52), - collecting means (16) arranged for sucking at an opening (54) of the drill hole (52), for collecting the outgoing airstream (20) including drill cuttings (53) from the drill hole (52), - separating means (17) arranged for separating drill cuttings (53) from the airstream (20), - directing means (18), arranged for directing the airstream (20) from the separating means (17) into the first defined volume (14) of the rock drilling apparatus (10), wherein the directing means (18) comprises an outlet opening (18a) arranged to let the airstream (20) out from the directing means (18), - outlet means (19) arranged for letting out the airstream (20) from the first defined volume (14). 6. Rock drilling apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the directing means (18) comprises a first contraction means (18b) arranged downstream the separating means (17), which first contraction means (18b) has a smaller crosssection compared to a cross-section of the separating means (17), in a flow direction of the airstream. 7. Rock drilling apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the directing means (18, 18b) comprises a second contraction means, arranged downstream the first contraction means (18b) and upstream the first defined volume (14) in a flow direction of the airstream (20), wherein the second contraction means has a smaller cross-section compared to the cross-section of the first contraction means (18b). 8. Rock drilling apparatus according to any of claims 5 - 7, wherein the outlet means (19) of the first defined volume (14) comprises a third contraction means (19a). 9. Rock drilling apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the third contraction means (19a) has an extension from an outlet (19b) of the outlet means (19) and inwards into the first volume (14), such that a cross-section of the third contraction means (19a) decreases in direction towards the outlet (19b) of the outlet means (19) of the first defined volume (14). 10. Rock drilling apparatus according to any of claims 8 - 9, wherein the outlet opening (18a) of the directing means (18) is arranged in the third contraction means (19a). 11. Rock drilling apparatus according to any of claims 5 - 10, further comprising a heat exchanger arranged in the first defined volume (14).

Description

DCT-EXHAUST DRIVEN COOLING Technical field [0001 ] The present disclosure relates generally to use exhaust air from a DCT- system (DCT=Dust Collecting Technique) to cool components/devices of a rock drilling apparatus, by directing an exhaust airstream from the DCT-system into a defined volume, in which heat-generating components/devices are arranged. By directing the exhaust airstream from the DCT-system into the defined volume, the DCT-airstream works as a propulsion force such that air from the defined volume is entrained, and by evacuating the DCT-airstream and the entrained airstream out from the defined volume, the components within the defined volume are cooled in a more efficient way and the DCT-system is used in a more efficient way. Background [0002] Rock drilling machines used for example within the mining industry generate heat from different actuators and power sources and this heat needs to be removed. The heat-generating components/devices are typically arranged in one or several defined volumes, such as a volume limited by a chassis and an “engine casing” (hood) or the like. Typically, this heat is removed by pushing air over a radiator by a designated fan. Excessive heat may also be vented using an ejector propulsion, where a high velocity air stream is generated by a dedicated fan and which airstream will pull along surrounding air which is close to the high velocity airstream. Example of known solutions for ejector driven heat removal directs air so that it will pull along ambient air from the engine area and expel the warm air on the outside of the machine and replacing same air by cooler air. This is as mentioned handled by dedicated fans or the like, which task is to remove heat and cool heat-generating components of the machine. [0003] Rock drilling machines within the mining industry may be equipped with dust collecting technique for collecting dust from the drill hole, which technique often is called DCT (Dust Collector Technique). Within the field of DCT, a combination of flushing air in combination with supplying liquid into a drilling hole is used for dust or drill cuttings removal from a drill hole. One example is presented in WO 2010/034889 A1. [0004] Known solutions using DOT, flushes the drill hole with air or as mentioned above, a combination of flushing air and supplying liquid. The flushing of the drill hole with air may use compressed air, which causes an outgoing airstream from the drill hole, which airstream is substantially opposite the drill direction. The outgoing airstream is used for evacuating/removing drill cuttings out of the drill hole. The DCT-system includes collecting means which sucks close to the surface of the drill hole opening, to collect the outgoing airstream including drill cuttings. The airstream is led to a separating means of some kind, which may include a filter or the like, wherein the drill cuttings is removed from the airstream. The filtered DCT airstream is then let out into the ambient air outside the drill rig/the drilling machine. [0005] Especially during the actual drilling operation by the drill rig, a lot of heat is generated in the components and for drill rigs using DCT for evacuating drill cuttings, a compressor is used for causing the flushing of the drill hole, wherein the compressor is one of the most intensive heat generators. Since the DCT- equipment is predominantly used in conjunction with drilling, the “vacuum ejection” of the outgoing airstream including drill cuttings is active during the highest need for heat removal of the drill rig components. A problem with the DCT is that the energy consumption is high during operation. [0006] One problem within the field is that the removal of drill cuttings and heat costs installed power and energy, when using the DCT-equipment for removing drill cuttings and further that a dedicated fan for removing the heat caused by the drilling and the DCT-equipment must be used. [0007] Thus, there is a need for a method and an improved rock drilling apparatus which method and apparatus take care of the above problems. Summary [0008] It is an object of the disclosure to address at least some of the problems and issues outlined above. An object of aspects of the present disclosure is to provide a method for cooling parts/devices of a rock drilling apparatus. Another object of aspects of the present disclosure is to provide a rock drilling apparatus which is arranged to enable the method. [0009] According to one aspect, a method for cooling heat-generating devices of a rock drilling apparatus is disclosed. The method comprises a number of activities which are performed during drilling of a drill hole in ground, from a ground surface in a drill direction. The method comprises flushing the drill hole with compressed air by flushing means, wherein an outgoing airstream from the drill hole is created by the flushing of the drill hole. The outgoing airstream is substantially opposite the drill direc