U.S. patent application number 14/605020 was filed with the patent office on 2016-07-28 for drill positioning system for jumbo carrier unit.
The applicant listed for this patent is 1311854 Ontario Limited. Invention is credited to Yves Nelson.
Application Number | 20160215622 14/605020 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56413943 |
Filed Date | 2016-07-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160215622 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nelson; Yves |
July 28, 2016 |
DRILL POSITIONING SYSTEM FOR JUMBO CARRIER UNIT
Abstract
A rock drilling and bolting vehicle includes a drill feed
adapted to slide on a drill feed rail and a bolter feed adapted to
slide on a bolter feed rail. The vehicle includes a first wireless
or ultrasonic transmitter disposed on the drill feed rail for
transmitting a first signal, a second wireless or ultrasonic
transmitter disposed on the drill feed for transmitting a second
signal. The vehicle includes first, second and third wireless or
ultrasonic receivers each capable of receiving the first signal and
the second signal. A processor coupled to the receivers processes
the signals to determine positions of the first and second wireless
or ultrasonic transmitters.
Inventors: |
Nelson; Yves; (Algoma Mills,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
1311854 Ontario Limited |
Elliot Lake |
|
CA |
|
|
Family ID: |
56413943 |
Appl. No.: |
14/605020 |
Filed: |
January 26, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01S 17/42 20130101;
E21D 20/003 20130101; G01S 5/02 20130101; E02F 9/264 20130101; E21B
19/086 20130101; G01S 15/88 20130101 |
International
Class: |
E21D 20/00 20060101
E21D020/00; E02F 9/26 20060101 E02F009/26 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 22, 2015 |
CA |
2,879,241 |
Claims
1. A rock drilling and bolting vehicle comprising: a drill feed
rail; a bolter feed rail; a drill feed adapted to slide on the
drill feed rail; a bolter feed adapted to slide on the bolter feed
rail; a first transmitter for transmitting a first signal through
air, the first transmitter being disposed on the drill feed rail; a
second transmitter for transmitting a third signal through the air,
the second transmitter being disposed on the drill feed; a first
receiver disposed on the vehicle for receiving the first signal and
the second signal; a second receiver disposed on the vehicle for
receiving the first signal and the second signal; a third receiver
disposed on the vehicle for receiving the first signal and the
second signal; and a processor communicatively coupled to the
first, second and third receivers to process the first and second
signals to determine a first position of the first transmitter and
a second position of the second transmitter.
2. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second
transmitters are ultrasonic signal transmitters and wherein the
first, second and third receivers are ultrasonic signal
receivers.
3. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second
transmitters are wireless radiofrequency transmitters and wherein
the first, second and third receivers are wireless radiofrequency
receivers.
4. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a rock face
imager for generating an image of the rock face and wherein the
processor is communicatively connected to the rock face imager to
position the drill feed relative to the rock face.
5. The vehicle as claimed in claim 4 wherein the rock face imager
comprises an ultrasonic transmitter and sensor for mapping the rock
face.
6. The vehicle as claimed in claim 4 wherein the rock face imager
comprises a laser scanner for mapping the rock face.
7. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an
ultrasonic probe for non-destructive testing of installed rock
bolts.
8. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a data
transceiver for receiving rock face map data showing a desired rock
bolt location, a vehicle position system for positioning the
vehicle relative to the rock face and wherein the processor is
further configured to automatically position the rock drill at the
desired rock bolt location.
9. The vehicle as claimed in claim 8 further comprising an
ultrasonic probe for non-destructive testing of the rock bolt after
installation.
10. The vehicle as claimed in claim 9 further comprising
transmitting a bolt installation report to a remote recipient after
testing is complete.
11. The vehicle as claimed in claim 10 further comprising receiving
an updated bolting pattern in response to sending a report
notifying of a poorly installed bolt.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is the first application filed for the present
invention.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to mining equipment
and, in particular, to rock drilling and rock bolting.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In a mine, ground support, e.g. rock bolts and screening, is
used to prevent rock falls. Several different types of rock bolts
may be used but all require that holes be drilled in the rock
first. This is done with equipment known as a rock drill which may
be part of a drilling jumbo also having a bolter. To drill a hole
in the rock to install ground support, a stinger is placed against
the rock face (which is called "stinging the face") and then a hole
is drilled into the rock. The unit is then indexed to install the
rock bolt as ground support.
[0004] Conventionally, the step of indexing from the drill to the
bolter is problematic since it may result in misalignment of the
bolter relative to the drilled hole. Conventionally, the drill feed
must be retracted (by moving a feed extension cylinder or boom) to
remove the drill feed from the rough uneven rock face before
indexing. Ground support operations can become inefficient,
time-consuming and expensive when misalignment occurs.
[0005] Various drill positioning technologies enable the position
of the drill to be determined and controlled for precise drilling
and bolting operations.
[0006] For rock face drilling, the traditional way of calculating
the drill steel position is through sensors located on various
articulations of the articulated jumbo unit or in the hydraulic
cylinders that displace the articulations. The position of the
drill steel driven by the rock drill is then calculated relative to
the movement of the boom. However, this technique becomes
inaccurate when components wear. Furthermore, since the sensors
transmit signals to a controller through wires running along the
boom, the wires are prone to being damaged or severed, thus
increasing downtime and maintenance costs. A need therefore exists
for a solution to this technical problem.
SUMMARY
[0007] In general, the present invention provides a technique and
system for positioning a drill steel for rock drilling,
particularly in the context of installing rock bolts to provide
ground support in an underground mine.
[0008] Accordingly, an inventive aspect of the present disclosure
is a rock drilling and bolting vehicle having a drill feed rail, a
bolter feed rail, a drill feed adapted to slide on the drill feed
rail; and a bolter feed adapted to slide on the bolter feed rail.
The vehicle includes a first transmitter for transmitting a first
signal through air, the first transmitter being disposed on the
drill feed rail, a second transmitter for transmitting a second
signal through the air, the second transmitter being on the drill
feed. The vehicle further includes a first receiver disposed on the
vehicle for receiving the first signal and the second signal, a
second receiver disposed on the vehicle for receiving the first
signal and the second signal, and a third receiver disposed on the
vehicle for receiving the first signal and the second signal. The
vehicle includes a processor communicatively coupled to the first,
second and third receivers to process the first and second signals
to determine a first position of the first transmitter and a second
position of the second transmitter.
[0009] This summary is provided to highlight certain significant
inventive aspects but is not intended to be an exhaustive or
limiting definition of all inventive aspects of the disclosure.
Other inventive aspects may be disclosed in the detailed
description and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Further features and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken
in combination with the appended drawings, in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a drill jumbo equipped with a
wireless drill-positioning system in accordance with an embodiment
of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the drill jumbo of FIG. 1;
and
[0013] FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the drill jumbo of FIG.
1.
[0014] It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like
features are identified by like reference numerals. It should
furthermore be noted that the drawings are not necessarily to
scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] FIGS. 1-3 depict a jumbo carrier vehicle generally
designated by reference numeral 10. This jumbo carrier vehicle is
designed for drilling holes in rock faces and for installing rock
bolts into the holes in order to provide ground support in an
underground mine. The jumbo carrier vehicle depicted by way of
example in FIGS. 1-3 is also known as a face-drilling rig,
rock-bolting jumbo, bolting rig, rock bolter, drilling jumbo or
rock drilling and bolting vehicle. The rock drilling and bolting
vehicle 10 in this illustrated example has a chassis 12 and a
plurality of wheels 14 rotationally mounted to, or otherwise
supported by, the chassis. In the example of FIGS. 1-3, the chassis
is a single rigid chassis although in other embodiments the chassis
may be an articulated chassis. In the example of FIG. 1-3, the rock
drilling and bolting vehicle has four wheels although the vehicle
may have a different number of wheels in alternative
embodiments.
[0016] The rock drilling and bolting vehicle may have an internal
combustion engine, e.g. a diesel engine, in an engine compartment
16. The engine may be coupled via a transmission (not shown) to
provide traction, e.g. four-wheel drive traction, for the vehicle.
At the rear of the vehicle are optional cable reels 18 for
electrical cables. Multiple stabilizing jacks 20 may optionally be
provided to stabilize the vehicle during drilling and bolting
operations. A protective roof or canopy 22 may be provided for the
operator thereby defining a cab for the operator. Alternatively,
the vehicle may have a fully or partially enclosed cab with an
access door and windshield.
[0017] The rock drilling and bolting vehicle 10 depicted by way of
example in FIGS. 1-3 has a single boom 30 supporting a single rock
drill. Although the illustrated embodiment is a single-boom jumbo,
the inventive concept may be applied to twin-boom jumbos or
multi-boom jumbos. The boom 30 is rotationally connected at a first
end to a support bracket 32 mounted to a forward-facing surface of
the vehicle. The boom 30 is a connected at a second end to a beam
support 34 that supports a feed beam or feed rail 36. The feed rail
36 has rear stop 38 and a front stop 40. The feed rail is
dimensioned to receive a rock drill 42. The rock drill 42 slides
over the rail on a rail-mounted drill cradle. The rock drill 42 has
a chuck that holds a drill steel 44 that is further supported by
two spaced-apart supports or cradles, e.g. traveling cradles 46,
48. The drill steel has a drill bit at its forward end.
[0018] The rock drilling and bolting vehicle 10 includes a wireless
drill-positioning system 50 for positioning the drill. The wireless
drill-positioning system 50 includes a plurality of transmitters
and a plurality of receivers. In the embodiment illustrated in
FIGS. 1-3, the wireless drill-positioning system 50 includes two
transmitters 51 and three receivers 52. The transmitters are
spaced-apart from the receivers to measure a time of flight for
each signal to travel from each respective transmitter to each of
the receivers. A first transmitter 51 is disposed on the drill
feed, e.g. on the rear stop 38. A second transmitter is disposed on
the drill cradle 42 or other movable portion of the rock drill.
Optionally, a third transmitter may also be disposed on the drill
feed, e.g. on the front stop 40. A first receiver 52 is disposed on
the canopy 22 in the illustrated embodiment. Second and third
receivers 52 are disposed on either side of the cab in the
illustrated embodiment. The first, second and third receivers may
be disposed elsewhere on the vehicle in other embodiments.
Additional transmitters may be added in other embodiments to
increase accuracy. Additional receivers may also be added in other
embodiments to improve accuracy. The wireless drill-positioning
system includes a microprocessor or microcontroller, e.g. a
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), that calculates the distance
or displacement from the received signals. For example, through
analysis of the time it takes for the transmitted signals to reach
the receivers, a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) or other
processor can calculate the exact location of the drill steel with
respect to the rock drilling and bolting vehicle. This enables the
operator to precisely position the drill steel at a desired
location and with a desired orientation.
[0019] The wireless drill-positioning system therefore enables a
drill feed and rock drill on an underground drilling jumbo unit to
be precisely positioned in three dimensional space for precise
drilling operations. The vehicle thus does not require wired
sensors for positioning the drill steel. Wires for wired sensors
which are strung along the boom of the jumbo unit and which are
prone to damage are thus eliminated.
[0020] In one embodiment, the transmitters are ultrasound signal
transmitters, i.e. ultrasonic distance sensors or ultrasonic
rangefinders. These may be operating at three different frequencies
(hereinafter "ultrasonic signal transmitters") and the receivers
are ultrasound receivers (or ultrasonic signal receivers). The
ultrasound transmitters are battery-powered whereas the signal
receivers may be powered by the vehicle electrical system.
Ultrasound rangers can measure distances through dusty conditions
in underground mines. These may operate, for example, the range of
about 40 kHz-60 kHz although other frequencies may be utilized
depending on the operating range parameters.
[0021] In another embodiment, the transmitters are wireless
radiofrequency transmitters operating at three different
frequencies and the receivers are wireless radiofrequency
receivers.
[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1-3, two or more transmitters are located
along each end of the feed beam to determine the position and
posture of the feed beam, and a single transmitter is located on
the drill cradle or, alternatively, at the two travelling cradles
in order to reference the drill steel position and depth. In the
illustrated embodiment, a receiver is located at the top and center
of the jumbo carrier unit by way of example. Additional receivers
are located on either side of the cab as shown by way of example.
The processor (e.g. Programmable Logic Controller) may be located
inside the cab of the jumbo carrier unit or elsewhere in the
vehicle. The PLC is designed to gather data from the receivers and
to provide the operator with the exact positioning of the drill
steel. Note that additional receivers may be added to the jumbo
carrier unit, and that additional transmitters may also be added to
the feed beam assembly in order to increase signal reception and
accuracy when the drill feed and boom are in motion.
[0023] In another embodiment, the system may employ as few as two
transmitters, i.e. a first transmitter connected to (and movable
with) the drill cradle that represents the position of the drill
steel and a second transmitter connected to the drill feed rail.
Knowing the position and orientation of these two points in
three-dimensional space relative to the vehicle-mounted sensors
enables the processor of the system to determine the absolute
position of the drill steel in three-dimensional space. Knowing the
rate of forward advance of the drill and the amount of force
applied to the drill steel can be used to quantify the rock
properties. The rock properties can be used to adjust or control
drill parameters for the next (adjacent) hole to be drilled. Drill
parameters may include the applied force to provide a given rate of
advance, RPM, type of drill bit, etc.
[0024] The position and posture (i.e. angle or orientation) of the
boom may be determined. The relative position of the drill feed
along the rail may be determined. In addition to three-dimensional
positioning, the processor may calculate the rate of advance
(forward speed) of the drill steel. The processor may furthermore
calculate the acceleration or deceleration of the drill steel. The
position, speed, and acceleration of the drill steel may thus be
controlled by the processor based on the data received. The
processor may thus provide feedback control to the drill feed to
regulate its speed or acceleration. The processor may also enable
the operator to preset the desired depth of the hole to be drilled
(e.g. for cases when the drill steel is longer than the rock bolt)
to avoid unnecessarily deep drilling.
[0025] The wireless positioning system may be adapted for use with
a bolt feed as well as a drill feed. Transmitters may be disposed
on the front and rear stops of the bolter feed rail and on the
bolter feed. The same receivers may be used for both the bolting
and drilling feeds.
[0026] The wireless positioning system may also be adapted for use
with explosive loading. In other words, an explosive may be loaded
into a drilled hole after measuring and recording the position and
orientation of the hole that has been drilled. Once the hole
position, depth and orientation are known from the drilling step,
the explosive loader may be automatically guided to the hole to
permit remote automated loading of the explosive into the hole.
[0027] Different bolt systems may be used. For example, the bolt
system may be configured to install any suitable mechanical rock
bolt, cement or resin rebar, Split Set.RTM. bolt, Swellex.RTM.
bolt, Dywidag.RTM. bolt, or cable bolt. The wireless positioning
system may be used with a single boom, dual boom or multi-boom
jumbo unit.
[0028] The system may optionally include an ultrasound rock-face
mapping unit which emits ultrasound waves and receives the
reflected ultrasound waves. An ultrasound sensor uses an
analog-to-digital converter to convert the analog reflected waves
into a digital signal that is then processed by a digital signal
processor (DSP). A mapping algorithm converts the processed signals
into a map of the rock face.
[0029] A positioning module uses the map and the position data to
accurately position the drill relative to the rock face. The rock
face imager may also be used to capture an image of the rock bolts
after installation.
[0030] As an alternative technique for mapping the rock face, a
miner or other operator may hold a battery-operated handheld
transmitter mounted on a pole at various locations, e.g. at each of
the four corners of the tunnel or at various points on a rock face.
The transmitter sends a signal that the receivers capture to
determine a position of the transmitter at the rock face. The
processor collects this data to map the face to be drilled. The
operator can collect as many data points over the rock face as
desired to provide a desired level of detail. Alternatively, the
third transmitter on the forward end of the drill feed may be used
to map the rock face. The forward end of the drill feed is moved to
various spots of the drilling face. At each spot, the transmitter
at the forward end of the drill feed transmits a signal to enable
the three receivers and processor to measure the three-dimensional
position.
[0031] This wireless positioning technology may be used to measure
the drilling depth of the hole. With a transmitter at the end of
the feed beam and a receiver on one of the moving cradles, the
processor can calculate the distance travelled, which represents
the hole depth. Alternatively, the system may include a transmitter
and receiver combination at the rear of the (feed beam or somewhere
else along the feed beam) and have a target (signal reflector) on
one of the moving cradles. By measuring the time of flight of the
signal to and from the reflector/target, the processor may
calculate the displacement, and optionally the speed and
acceleration, of the drill steel relative to the beam, thereby
permitting the processor to track the movement of the drill steel.
The displacement of the target represents the hole depth. This
could also be used on surface drilling to determine a hole
depth.
[0032] The vehicle may include a vehicle positioning system (VPS)
to determine its own position inside the mine. This VPS may rely on
interior radiofrequency (RF) beacons or dead reckoning techniques
involving one or more accelerometers. The vehicle may include a
rangefinder (e.g. laser or ultrasonic rangefinder) to measure a
distance from the vehicle to the rock face. Multiple sensors may be
provided to position the vehicle a desired distance and orientation
relative to the rock face. Once the vehicle is positioned relative
to the rock face, the vehicle positions the rock drill and drill
steel at the desired location on the rock face. This desired rock
bolt location may be provided by a rock bolt distribution map (i.e.
a bolting pattern or plan) which may be stored or programmed in a
memory coupled to the processor of the vehicle. Alternatively, the
bolting pattern/plan may be transmitted to a data transceiver of
the vehicle from a command station or control center remote from
the vehicle.
[0033] An ultrasonic probe for non-destructive testing may be
provided to conduct pulse-echo tests by contacting the free end of
the bolt. This probe is capable of determining the bolt length and
is also capable of identifying defects in the rock bolt such as
necking, deformation, and loss of resin encapsulation. The vehicle
may use the ultrasonic probe for non-destructive testing of the
rock bolt after installation to verify that the bolt has been
properly installed. In one embodiment, the vehicle may transmit a
bolt installation report to a remote recipient (e.g. command
station or control center) after testing is complete. The report
indicates whether the bolt is properly installed or not and may
provide engineering data for the mining engineer to review, save,
compile or use at a later date for follow-up testing. If a bolt is
not properly installed, remedial action may be taken. For example,
the vehicle may further receive an updated bolting pattern in
response to sending a report notifying of a poorly installed
bolt.
[0034] In other embodiments, it will be appreciated that the
transmitters and receivers may be reversed. Instead of placing the
transmitters on the feed rail and drill cradle, the transmitters
may be placed on the vehicle and the receivers may be placed on the
feed rail and drill cradle. In this arrangement, the received data
is transmitted wirelessly by a separate RF transmitter in each of
the receivers to the processor in the vehicle to enable the
processor to compute the positions of the receivers. In the main
embodiment, the receivers are disposed on the vehicle so that these
may be wired to the processor, which eliminates the need to have
wireless transmission capabilities to relay the data.
[0035] The use of the terms "a", "an" and "the" and similar
articles or referents in the context of describing the invention
(especially in the context of the following claims) are to be
construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless
otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The
terms "comprising", "having", "including" and "containing" are to
be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning "including, but not
limited to") unless otherwise noted. The term "connected" is to be
construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or
joined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation
of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a
shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value
falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and
each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it
were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can
be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated
herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any
and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided
herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the
invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the
invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the
specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed
element as essential to the practice of the invention.
[0036] The present invention has been described in terms of
specific embodiments, examples, implementations and configurations
which are intended to be exemplary or illustrative only. Other
variants, modifications, refinements and applications of this
innovative technology will become readily apparent to those of
ordinary skill in the art who have had the benefit of reading this
disclosure. Such variants, modifications, refinements and
applications fall within the ambit and scope of the present
invention. Accordingly, the scope of the exclusive right sought by
the Applicant for the present invention is intended to be limited
solely by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
* * * * *