Horizontal directional drilling system with drill string breakout monitoring
A drilling machine and operating method wherein a control algorithm evaluates a drill string joint-break routine. The operating profile of torque applied to the up-hole drill rod is monitored during energization of the break-out drive mechanism in the joint-break routine. Rotation at the rotational driver is also monitored during the joint-break routine, which is then characterized as normal or abnormal on the basis of the monitored operating profile of torque and the monitored rotational position change at the rotational driver. A break-out process for removing the up-hole rod from the drill string is interrupted and/or a message is provided to a display notifying an operator of an abnormal break-out.
1 . A drilling machine comprising:
a rotational driver for attaching to an up-hole end of a drill string made-up of a plurality of drill rods that are each secured to the next with a threaded joint;
a first vise configured to secure the drill string extending beyond the drilling machine;
a second vise configured to secure an up-hole rod at the up-hole end of the drill string;
a break-out drive mechanism operable when energized to apply torque to the second vise in a joint-break routine configured to rotate the second vise relative to the first vise to break the threaded joint between the up-hole rod and the drill string; and
a control system with a control algorithm for evaluating the joint-break routine, the control algorithm comprising:
a process for monitoring an operating profile of torque applied to the up-hole drill rod by energization of the break-out drive mechanism during the joint-break routine while the drill string is being held by the first vise,
a process for monitoring rotational position change at the rotational driver during the joint-break routine,
a process for characterizing the joint-break routine as normal or abnormal based on the monitored operating profile of torque and the monitored rotational position change at the rotational driver, and
a process, responsive to the characterizing process characterizing the joint-break routine as abnormal, for interrupting a break-out process for removing the up-hole rod from the drill string and/or providing a notification to a display notifying an operator,
wherein the control system includes a further control algorithm for distinguishing among at least two different types of abnormal joint-break routines the further control algorithm comprising:
a process for determining whether the rotational driver was rotated during the joint-break routine, and
a process for evaluating torque during energization of the rotational driver with the second vise unclamped following the joint-break routine.
2 . The drilling machine of claim 1 , wherein the break-out drive mechanism includes at least one hydraulic cylinder, and the operating profile of torque is in the form of pressure within the at least one hydraulic cylinder vs time.
3 . The drilling machine of claim 1 where the notification indicates one of: loose joint at an up-hole end of the up-hole drill rod, loose joint at a down-hole end of the up-hole drill rod, slip at first vise, slip at second vise, partial slip at first vise prior to breaking the joint, or partial slip at second vise prior to breaking the joint.
4 . The drilling machine of claim 1 , wherein the process for characterizing the joint-break routine as normal or abnormal is configured to characterize the joint-break routine as normal when the monitored operating profile of torque includes a continuous rising torque to a spike that coincides with a start of rotational position change at the rotational driver as indicated by the monitored rotational position change.
5 . The drilling machine of claim 1 , wherein the process for characterizing the joint-break routine as normal or abnormal is configured to correlate the leading and/or trailing sides of a spike in the monitored operating profile of torque with time and/or the monitored rotational position change, and is configured to characterize the joint-break routine as normal on the basis of one or both of: A) unchanging rotational position change as torque increases to a maximum, and B) the slope of the torque spike with respect to time being within a prescribed range stored in a memory of the control system.
6 . The drilling machine of claim 1 , wherein the process for characterizing the joint-break routine as normal or abnormal is configured to correlate the leading and/or trailing sides of a spike in the monitored operating profile of torque with time and/or the monitored rotational position change, and is configured to characterize the joint-break routine as abnormal on the basis of one or both of: A) changing rotational position change as torque increases to a maximum, and B) the slope of the torque spike with respect to time being outside a prescribed range stored in a memory of the control system.
7 . The drilling machine of claim 1 , wherein the control algorithm comprises a process, responsive to the characterizing process characterizing the joint-break routine as normal, to continue an automated rod break-out process for removing the up-hole rod from the drill string.
8 . The drilling machine of claim 1 , wherein the process, responsive to the characterizing process characterizing the joint-break routine as abnormal, is configured to abort an automated rod break-out process and provide notification to the display.
9 . The drilling machine of claim 1 , wherein the control system incorporates a machine learning algorithm configured to track a plurality of joint-break routines and further update the control algorithm of the control system for evaluating future joint-break routines.
10 . The drilling machine of claim 1 , wherein the control system includes an algorithm to log joint-break routines characterized as abnormal, and log therewith an identification of a potential root cause based on the monitored operating profile of torque and the monitored rotational position change at the rotational driver during the joint-break routine.
11 . A method of operating a drilling machine, the method comprising:
providing a drill string on the drilling machine, the drill string including a threaded joint between an up-hole drill rod at an up-hole end of the drill string and a remainder of the drill string, the up-hole drill rod attached to a rotational driver of the drilling machine;
clamping the remainder of the drill string with a first vise;
clamping the up-hole drill rod with a second vise;
energizing a break-out drive mechanism to apply torque to the second vise in a joint-break routine configured to rotate the second vise relative to the first vise to break the joint between the up-hole rod and the drill string;
operating a control system to execute a control algorithm that evaluates the joint-break routine, the execution of the control algorithm comprising:
monitoring an operating profile of torque applied to the up-hole drill rod by energization of the break-out drive mechanism during the joint-break routine while the drill string is being held by the first vise,
monitoring rotational position change at the rotational driver during the joint-break routine,
characterizing the joint-break routine as normal or abnormal based on the monitored operating profile of torque and the monitored rotational position change at the rotational driver, and
responsive to the characterizing process characterizing the joint-break routine as abnormal, interrupting a break-out process for removing the up-hole rod from the drill string and/or providing a notification to a display notifying an operator; and
operating the control system to execute a further control algorithm for distinguishing among at least two different types of abnormal joint-break routines, including the steps of:
determining whether the rotational driver was rotated during the joint-break routine, and
evaluating torque during energization of the rotational driver with the second vise unclamped following the joint-break routine.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the operating profile of torque is monitored in the form of hydraulic cylinder pressure of the break-out drive mechanism vs time.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the notification is provided, the notification indicating one of: loose joint at an up-hole end of the up-hole drill rod, loose joint at a down-hole end of the up-hole drill rod, slip at first vise, slip at second vise, partial slip at first vise prior to breaking the joint, or partial slip at second vise prior to breaking the joint.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein characterizing the joint-break routine as normal or abnormal includes characterizing the joint-break routine as normal when the monitored operating profile of torque includes a continuous rising torque to a spike that coincides with a start of rotational position change at the rotational driver as indicated by the monitored rotational position change.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein characterizing the joint-break routine as normal or abnormal includes correlating the leading and/or trailing sides of a spike in the monitored operating profile of torque with time and/or the monitored rotational position change, the joint-break routine being characterized as normal on the basis of one or both of: A) unchanging rotational position change as torque increases to a maximum, and B) the slope of the torque spike with respect to time being within a prescribed range stored in a memory of the control system.
16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein characterizing the joint-break routine as normal or abnormal includes correlating the leading and/or trailing sides of a spike in the monitored operating profile of torque with time and/or the monitored rotational position change, the joint-break routine being characterized as abnormal on the basis of one or both of: A) changing rotational position change as torque increases to a maximum, and B) the slope of the torque spike with respect to time being outside a prescribed range stored in a memory of the control system.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the execution of the control algorithm further comprises, responsive to characterizing the joint-break routine as normal, continuing an automated rod break-out process for removing the up-hole rod from the drill string.
18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the execution of the control algorithm further comprises, responsive to the characterizing process characterizing the joint-break routine as abnormal, is configured to abort an automated rod break-out process and provide notification to the display.
19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the execution of the control algorithm further comprises executing a machine learning algorithm that tracks a plurality of joint-break routines and further updates the control algorithm of the control system for evaluating future joint-break routines.
20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the execution of the control algorithm further comprises logging joint-break routines characterized as abnormal, and logging therewith an identification of a potential root cause based on the monitored operating profile of torque and the monitored rotational position change at the rotational driver during the joint-break routine.