INDUSTRIAL DRILLING HOLE SUPPORT TUBE
A hole support tube for use in an industrial drilling operation has an elongated body sized, shaped, and adapted to fit within a geological hole. The body has a wall extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, the wall having an outer surface and an inner surface with the inner surface defining a hollow interior of the body. The wall is made of a biodegradable material, such as cardboard. In one version, the hole support tube is an electronic hole support tube having a fiber optic cable spirally wound around or within the wall.
The present application claims the benefit of domestic priority based on United States Provisional Patent Application 63/137,069 filed on Jan. 13, 2021, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUNDThe industrial drilling industry, which includes exploration drilling, production drilling, horizontal drilling, uphole drilling, and the like, has used heavy duty steel rods for decades. It is time for a paradigm shift that will lead to new innovations in the industry.
The heavy duty steel rods and non-biodegradable polymer tubes are used across the industry as drill rods and as hole liners or supports. The steel and polymer units are expensive. In addition to material expenses, the steel rods and polymer tubes and their use add handling and logistical expenses to a drilling project. Furthermore, the use of the steel rods and polymer tubes add significant capital cost in the form of the need for powerful drill rigs that have enough energy for pullback. Pullback is the retraction of an entire drill string of steel drill rods from a hole at the end of the drilling cycle.
There are also costs incurred from the time, power, and energy involved in breakout efforts which increase over time from the repeated handling and reuse of these drill rods time and again, with accumulative wear increasing over the operational life of the drill rods, normally until catastrophic failure renders the part unusable. On top of these costs are the limitations created by the components and materials themselves which stifle all but marginal gains in innovation and efficiency in both material extraction and in data extraction.
There is therefore a need for improved hole support tubes in the geological drilling industry. There is a further need for an improved hole support tube that can be used as a hole liner. There is a further need for a hole support tube that can be used as a hole support for a blasthole. There is a further need for a hole support tube that can be used as a hole support for a drilling process. There is further a need for hole liners that are disposable, single-use, biodegradable, and/or less expensive than steel drill rods and polymer tubes. There is a further need for a hole support tube that can be integrated with technology. There is a further need for an improved manufacturing process for a hole support tube.
SUMMARYThe present invention satisfies these needs. In one aspect of the invention, improved hole liners rods for the industrial drilling industry are provided.
In another aspect of the invention, hole liners are provided that are disposable, single-use, biodegradable, and/or less expensive than steel drill rods.
In another aspect of the invention, hole liners for the industrial drilling industry are provided that comprise a biodegradable material.
In another aspect of the invention, hole liners for the industrial drilling industry are provided that comprise a cardboard.
In another aspect of the invention, hole liners for the industrial drilling industry are provided that are comprise a water-proof treated cardboard.
In another aspect of the invention, hole liners for the industrial drilling industry are provided that comprise a fibrous material.
In another aspect of the invention, hole liners for the industrial drilling industry are provided that comprise a cellulose material.
In another aspect of the invention, hole liners for the industrial drilling industry are provided that comprise a polymer cellulose composite material.
In another aspect of the invention, a hole support tube a plurality of hole support tubes can be connected to one another longitudinally.
In another aspect of the invention, one or more hole support tubes are used in a blasting system to support a hole during a blasting operation.
In another aspect of the invention, the thickness of the wall of a hole support tube can be adjusted to alter its physical and structural properties and/or to adjust the properties of the procedure in which the hole support tube 100 is being used.
In another aspect of the invention, a hole support tube is an electronic hole support tube.
In another aspect of the invention, an electronic hole support tube is equipped with or is adapted to be equipped with an electronic component, such as a wire, cable, fiber optics, circuitry, detector, or emitter.
In another aspect of the invention, an electronic hole support tube comprises a detector that detects a condition.
In another aspect of the invention, an electronic hole support tube comprises a camera capable of detecting a video image of the hole.
In another aspect of the invention, an electronic hole support tube comprises a temperature sensor capable of detecting the temperature in the hole and/or of the surrounding earth.
In another aspect of the invention, an electronic hole support tube comprises an acoustic or vibration detector.
In another aspect of the invention, an electronic hole support tube comprises an electronic connector.
In another aspect of the invention, an electronic hole support tube comprises a wire or fiber optic cable.
In another aspect of the invention, an electronic hole support tube comprises a wire or fiber optic cable in the form of a spiral wire around the electronic hole support tube.
In another aspect of the invention, an electronic hole support tube comprises a wire or fiber optic cable in the form of a spiral wire around the electronic hole support tube.
In another aspect of the invention, a drilling system makes use of one or more hole support tubes mentioned above.
In another aspect of the invention, a drilling system makes use of one or more hole support tubes mentioned above, the drilling system comprising a drill that can pass through the interior of a hole support tube, the drill including a motor and a drill bit, the drill bit having a retractable head so that its diameter can reduced so it can be sized to fit within the interior of the hole support tube.
In another aspect of the invention, a manufacturing process produces versions of a hole support tube.
In another aspect of the invention, a hole support tube for use in an industrial drilling operation comprises an elongated body sized, shaped, and adapted to fit within a geological hole, the body having a wall extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, the wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a hollow interior of the body, wherein the wall is made of a biodegradable material.
In another aspect of the invention, a hole support tube for use in an industrial drilling operation comprises an elongated body sized, shaped, and adapted to fit within a geological hole, the body having a wall extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, the wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a hollow interior of the body, wherein the wall is made of a biodegradable material comprising cardboard.
In another aspect of the invention, a hole support tube for use in an industrial drilling operation comprises an elongated body sized, shaped, and adapted to fit within a geological hole, the body having a wall extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, the wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a hollow interior of the body; and an electronic component comprising an electronic cable, wherein the electronic cable is spirally wound around or within the wall.
In another aspect of the invention, a hole support tube for use in an industrial drilling operation comprises an elongated body sized, shaped, and adapted to fit within a geological hole, the body having a wall extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, the wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a hollow interior of the body; and an electronic component comprising an electronic cable, wherein the electronic cable is spirally wound around or within the wall, wherein the electronic cable comprises a fiber optic cable.
In another aspect of the invention, a hole support tube for use in an industrial drilling operation comprises an elongated body sized, shaped, and adapted to fit within a geological hole, the body having a wall extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, the wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a hollow interior of the body; and an electronic component comprising an electronic cable, wherein the electronic cable is spirally wound around or within the wall, wherein the wall is made of a biodegradable material.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of performing an industrial drilling operation comprises drilling a geological hole; inserting a hole support tube into the geological hole, the hole support tube comprising an elongated body, the body having a wall extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, the wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a hollow interior of the body, wherein the wall is made of a biodegradable material; performing a drilling operation; and not removing the hole support tube from the geological hole to biodegrade.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of performing an industrial drilling operation comprises drilling a geological hole; inserting a hole support tube into the geological hole, the hole support tube comprising an elongated body, the body having a wall extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, the wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a hollow interior of the body, wherein the wall is made of a biodegradable material; performing a drilling operation; and not removing the hole support tube from the geological hole to biodegrade, wherein the drilling operation comprises one or more of further drilling, filling the hole support tube with explosive, blasting the geological hole with explosive, and electronically monitoring or detecting a condition in the geological hole.
These features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings which illustrate exemplary features of the invention. However, it is to be understood that each of the features can be used in the invention in general, not merely in the context of the particular drawings, and the invention includes any combination of these features, where:
The present invention relates to hole support tubes. In particular, the invention relates to hole support tubes that are biodegradable, have embedded technology, and/or are otherwise improved hole support tubes. Although the hole support tubes are illustrated and described in the context of being useful for the geological drilling industry, the present invention can be useful in other instances. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the examples and embodiments described herein.
In accordance with one version of the invention, the hole support tube 100 can be designed to be single-use. In this version, the hole support tube 100 is at least partially made of a material that is sufficiently inexpensive, disposable, and/or biodegradable to allow the hole support tube 100 to be used a single time. In one version, the hole support tube 100 comprises, comprises predominantly, or consists essentially of a non-metal material. In another version, the hole support tube 100 comprises, comprises predominantly, or consists essentially of a biodegradable material. By biodegradable it is meant a material that can be left in the ground and will degrade within a period of time, such as one week, one month, one year, ten years, and one hundred years. In another version, the hole support tube 100 comprises, comprises predominantly, or consists essentially of a material that is paper-based. In another version, the hole support tube 100 comprises, comprises predominantly, or consists essentially of a material that is cellulose-based, such as material obtained from one or more of wood, cotton, and hemp. In another version, the hole support tube 100 comprises, comprises predominantly, or consists essentially of cardboard. In another version, the hole support tube 100 comprises, comprises predominantly, or consists essentially of cardboard water-proofed with a water-proofing material, such as one or more of a wax, polyethylene, other plastic, corn starch based product, and adhesive foil. In one version, the hole support tube 100 can be structurally rigid where is can support itself without significant deformation, or may be flexible.
In another version, the hole support tube 100 can comprise, comprise predominantly, or consist essentially of a non-biodegradable, light-weight material. For example, in this version, the material can comprise a plastic or polymeric material. In another version, the material can be a polymeric/cellulose composite material. The polymeric hole support tube 100 can be shaped and structured as discussed above. Alternatively, the polymeric hole support tube 100 can be in the form of a flexible bag or pouch which can be deployed by inversion which allows for self placement of the material/product.
In one version, the hole support tube 100 according to this version of the invention is useable as a biodegradable hole liner. In accordance with this version, the hole support tube 100 is sized and configured to be used as a liner for a hole that has been drilled during geological drilling, such as for exploration, production, and/or tunneling. The biodegradable hole liner 100 has a length from the first end 125 to the second end 130 of from about 1 m to about 20 m, more preferably from about 2 m to about 10 m, and most preferably about 3 m. The cylindrical body 105 has an outer diameter or equivalent dimension from about 90 mm to about 5 m, more preferably from about 95 mm to about 3.5 m, and most preferably about 95 mm to about 300 mm, and an inner diameter from about 25 mm to about 5 m, more preferably from about 35 mm to about 500 mm, and most preferably about 40 mm to about 250 mm. The thickness of the wall 107 of the cylindrical body 105 is from about 1 mm to about 400 mm, more preferably from about 1.5 mm to about 150 mm, and most preferably from about 2 mm to about 50 mm. By equivalent dimension herein and throughout it is meant that if the circular cross-section or shape were to be replaced with a non-circular cross-section or shape, the equivalent dimension would be the dimension of the non-circular cross-section or shape that results in an area calculation that is generally the same as the area of the circular cross-section or shape. By way of hypothetical example, a 1 mm diameter cross-section or circular shape would have an area of about 0.8 mm2 and a square shaped cross-section or shape would have an equivalent cross-sectional area also of about 0.8 mm2 which would mean the length of the sides of the square is about 0.9 mm.
In one version, a plurality of hole support tubes 100 can be connected to one another longitudinally. As can be seen in
A system 200 for employing multiple hole support tubes 100, such as a first hole support tube 205 and a second hole support tube 210, in a drilling operation is shown in
In one version, the hole support tubes 100 used in
Alternatively or additionally, one or more hole support tubes 100 can be used in a blasting system 300 to support a hole during a blasting operation, as illustrated in
The thickness of the wall 107 of the hole support tube 100 can be adjusted to alter its physical and structural properties and/or to adjust the properties of the procedure in which the hole support tube 100 is being used. For example, in the blasting process of
Another version of a hole support tube 100 according to the invention is shown in
The wire 410 of the electronic hole support tube 100 may be any suitable wire or cable capable of transmitting an electronic signal to and/or from the electronic member 405 to the second end 135 of the hole support tube 100. In one version, a portion of the wire 410 may extend beyond the second end 135 so that the wire can be connected to a monitor or controller. Optionally, a connection member 415 can be provided at the second end 135 to facilitate connection with a monitor or controller and/or with another wire or cable. In one version, the wire 410 can be in the form of a fiber optic cable. The fiber optic cable can be a single or multi-mode cable as used in the telecommunications industry. In a fiber optic version, the entirety of the length of the fiber optic strand/cable can form the sensor, with data points being available the entire length of the connected cable. In another version, the wire can be replaced by wireless technology that wirelessly communicates a signal to or from the electronic member 405.
In one version, the electronic member 405 of the electronic hole support tube 400 can be a detector that detects a condition. The detected condition can be a condition associated with or of importance to the drilling and/or blasting operation. For example, in one version the electronic member 405 can include a camera capable of detecting a video image of the hole. In another version, the electronic member 405 can include a temperature sensor capable of detecting the temperature in the hole and/or of the surrounding earth. In another version, the electronic member 405 can include an acoustic or vibration detector. Acoustic, vibration and/or light signals can be monitored and used to identify rock composition, hardness, voids, water level, temperature, seismic conditions, and the like. Optionally, the electronic member 405 can include multiple detectors or electronic components. The electronic member 405 can optionally also be able emit light. In another version, the fiber optic cable can form the sensor system along the entirety of its length. In this version, the fiber optic strands/cable themselves are the actual sensor, and are capable of sensing changes in vibration or temperature in the surrounding orebody, as well as in the hole support tube 100 itself. This can be achieved through some of the following methods: distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), distributed temperature sensing (DTS), and/or Fiber Brags grating (FBG). The embedded fiber optic cable is connected to either a wireless transmitter at the top of the hole (the hole collar), or a surface connection fiber optic cable which physically transmits data back to a control location.
In one version, the electronic member 405 can be an electronic connector. For example, the electronic connector can be adapted to receive a connection member 415 from an electronic hole support tube 400 that is inserted in a hole below another electronic hole support tube 400. In this manner, multiple electronic hole support tubes 400 can be positioned with an electronic member 405 that detects a condition being on the lowest electronic hole support tube 400 and with the electronic hole support tubes 400 above it delivering the signal to and/or from the electronic member 405. In another version, a plurality of electronic hole support tubes 400 can each be equipped with an electronic member 405 that detect a condition and/or emits light or the like. In this version, multiple wires can be provided if necessary.
Another version of an electronic hole support tube 400 is shown in
A version of a drill 505 for use with the drilling system 500 is shown in
A version of a process for producing and/or installing hole support tubes 100 is shown in
Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with regard to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible, and alterations, permutations and equivalents of the version shown will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and study of the drawings. For example, the cooperating components may be reversed or provided in additional or fewer number, and all directional limitations, such as up and down and the like, can be switched, reversed, or changed as long as doing so is not prohibited by the language herein with regard to a particular version of the invention. Also, the various features of the versions herein can be combined in various ways to provide additional versions of the present invention. Furthermore, certain terminology has been used for the purposes of descriptive clarity, and not to limit the present invention. Throughout this specification and any claims appended hereto, unless the context makes it clear otherwise, the term “comprise” and its variations such as “comprises” and “comprising” should be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, limitation, or step but not the exclusion of any other elements, limitations, or steps. Throughout this specification and any claims appended hereto, unless the context makes it clear otherwise, the term “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” and their variations such as “consists” should be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, limitation, or step and not the exclusion of any other elements, limitations, or steps or any other non-essential elements, limitations, or steps, respectively. Throughout the specification, any discussed on a combination of elements, limitations, or steps should be understood to include a disclosure of additional elements, limitations, or steps and the disclosure of the exclusion of additional elements, limitations, or steps. All numerical values, unless otherwise made clear in the disclosure or prosecution, include either the exact value or approximations in the vicinity of the stated numerical values, such as for example about +/−ten percent or as would be recognized by a person or ordinary skill in the art in the disclosed context. The same is true for the use of the terms such as about, substantially, and the like. Also, for any numerical ranges given, unless otherwise made clear in the disclosure, during prosecution, or by being explicitly set forth in a claim, the ranges include either the exact range or approximations in the vicinity of the values at one or both of the ends of the range. When multiple ranges are provided, the disclosed ranges are intended to include any combinations of ends of the ranges with one another and including zero and infinity as possible ends of the ranges. Therefore, any appended or later filed claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein and should include all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A hole support tube for use in an industrial drilling operation, the hole support tube comprising:
- an elongated body sized, shaped, and adapted to fit within a geological hole, the body having a wall extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, the wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a hollow interior of the body,
- wherein the wall is made of a biodegradable material.
2. A hole support tube according to claim 1 wherein the hole support tube is an electronic hole support tube equipped with an electronic component.
3. A hole support tube according to claim 2 wherein the electronic component comprises one or more of a wire, a cable, a fiber optic cable, a circuit, a detector, and an emitter.
4. A hole support tube according to claim 2 wherein the electronic component is a fiber optic cable on or in the wall.
5. A hole support tube according to claim 2 wherein the electronic component is a fiber optic cable spirally wound around or within the wall.
6. A hole support tube according to claim 1 wherein the wall is at least partially cylindrical.
7. A hole support tube according to claim 1 wherein the biodegradable material comprises cellulose.
8. A hole support tube according to claim 1 wherein the biodegradable material comprises cardboard.
9. A hole support tube according to claim 1 wherein a majority of wall is cardboard or cardboard composite material.
10. A hole support tube according to claim 1 wherein the body is sized, shaped, and configured to be used as a liner for a hole that has been drilled during geological exploration, production, or tunneling.
11. A hole support tube according to claim 1 wherein the body has one or more of a length from about 2 meters to about 10 meters, a diameter or equivalent dimension of from about 95 mm to about 3.5 meters, and a wall thickness of from about 2 mm to about 50 mm.
12. A hole support tube for use in an industrial drilling operation, the hole support tube comprising:
- an elongated body sized, shaped, and adapted to fit within a geological hole, the body having a wall extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, the wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a hollow interior of the body, and
- an electronic component comprising an electronic cable, wherein the electronic cable is spirally wound around or within the wall.
13. A hole support tube according to claim 12 wherein the electronic cable comprises a fiber optic cable.
14. A hole support tube according to claim 12 wherein the wall is made of a biodegradable material.
15. A hole support tube according to claim 12 wherein the wall comprises cardboard.
16. A method of performing an industrial drilling operation, the method comprising:
- drilling a geological hole;
- inserting a hole support tube into the geological hole, the hole support tube comprising an elongated body, the body having a wall extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, the wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a hollow interior of the body, wherein the wall is made of a biodegradable material;
- performing a drilling operation; and
- not removing the hole support tube from the geological hole to biodegrade.
17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the drilling operation comprises one or more of further drilling, filling the hole support tube with explosive, blasting the geological hole with explosive, and electronically monitoring or detecting a condition in the geological hole.
18. A method according to claim 16 wherein the hole support tube further comprises an electronic component comprising an electronic cable, wherein the electronic cable is spirally wound around or within the wall and wherein the method further comprises transmitting an electronic signal through the electronic cable before, during, or after the drilling operation.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 13, 2022
Publication Date: Jul 28, 2022
Applicant: CARDBORED PTY, LTD. (Perth)
Inventor: Ronan Collins (Scarborough)
Application Number: 17/575,550