Vertical drilling system of auger type provided with a trajectory correcting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11085284-B2
Application number	US-201816626363-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2018
Priority date	Jun 30, 2017
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a system for drilling a vertical well in soil according to a substantially vertical theoretical drilling trajectory comprising a drilling device including a hollow core having a longitudinal axis, the hollow core being provided with a drilling tool; a rotating driving device exhibitingan active state in which the driving device is oriented with respect to the soil in an angular correction position, anda passive state in which the driving device does not modify the displacement trajectory of the drilling device;a device for measuring the deviation of the hollow core;a control device configured to make the driving device swivel when a deviation is measured, in order to bring it in its active state in an angular correction position determined such that, considered in the horizontal plane, the trajectory correcting direction associated with the angular correction position is opposite to the deviation direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for drilling a well in a soil along a substantially vertical theoretical drilling trajectory, wherein the system includes:
a drilling device including a hollow core having a longitudinal axis, the hollow core being provided with a drilling tool;
a first device for rotating the hollow core and the drilling tool about the longitudinal axis;
a linking element extending inside the hollow core, the linking element including a tremie pipe which presents a lower part provided with at least one injecting hole, the tremie pipe being connected to a fluid supply source;
a driving device disposed at a lower end of the tremie pipe; the driving device presenting:
an active state in which the driving device is oriented and maintained with respect to the soil in an angular correction position, in such a way as to correct the displacement trajectory of the drilling device along a trajectory correcting direction considered in a horizontal plane, and
a passive state in which the driving device does not modify the displacement trajectory of the drilling device;
a hollow core deviation measuring device for identifying a possible deviation between the displacement trajectory of the drilling device and the substantially vertical theoretical drilling trajectory and determining a deviation direction of the drilling device with respect to the substantially vertical theoretical drilling trajectory, said deviation direction being considered in the horizontal plane;
a control device configured for, when a deviation is measured in respect of the substantially vertical theoretical drilling trajectory, bringing the driving device in its active state in an angular correction position determined in such a way that, considered in the horizontal plane, the trajectory correcting direction associated with the angular correction position is opposite to the deviation direction;
wherein the driving device has a distal end comprising an inclined plane, which inclined plane engages with the soil to correct the displacement trajectory.

2. The drilling system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device further includes a computing device for computing the angular correction position based on the deviation direction determined by the hollow core deviation measuring device.

3. The drilling system according to claim 1 , wherein the driving device is configured to rotate in the same direction and at the same speed as the hollow core, when said driving device is in the passive state.

4. The drilling system according to claim 3 , wherein the drilling device includes a coupling device to lock the rotation of the driving device with respect to the hollow core when said driving device is in the passive state.

5. The drilling system according to claim 1 , further including a second device connected to the linking element, for rotating the linking element and the driving device about the longitudinal axis, wherein the linking element is capable of rotating with respect to the hollow core, and wherein the control device is configured to actuate the second device for setting into rotation when a deviation is measured so as to bring the driving device in its active state into said angular correction position.

6. The drilling system according to claim 5 , wherein the second device is configured to make the driving device rotate in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the hollow core, when said driving device is in the passive state.

7. The drilling system according to claim 1 , wherein the driving device is moveable in translation with respect to the hollow core, wherein the drilling system further includes a displacement device for displacing in translation the driving device with respect to the hollow core along the longitudinal axis, in such a way that the driving device presents a deployed position and a retracted position.

8. The drilling system according to claim 7 , wherein the displacement device is configured to displace the driving device with respect to the hollow core by jacking, jarring or vibratory driving.

9. The drilling system according to claim 7 , wherein, in its active state, the driving device is in deployed position, whereas, in its passive state, the driving device is in retracted position.

10. The drilling system according to claim 7 , wherein the driving device further presents an injecting position wherein the injecting hole is located underneath a lower end of the hollow core.

11. The drilling system according to claim 1 , wherein the hollow core deviation measuring device includes an inclination sensor placed in the lower part of the hollow core.

12. The drilling system according to claim 1 , wherein further including a member for measuring the depth reached by the drilling device, wherein the hollow core deviation measuring device is configured to measure a deviation distance of the hollow core with respect to a vertical direction, and wherein the control device is configured to bring the driving device in its active state when the ratio of the deviation distance to the depth reached by the drilling device is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

13. The drilling system according to claim 1 , wherein the drilling device is an auger.

14. The drilling system according to claim 1 , wherein trajectory correcting direction is the direction corresponding to the intersection between the inclined plane and the vertical plane orthogonal to the inclined plane.

15. A method for making a column in a soil comprising a step of drilling a well in the soil along a substantially vertical theoretical drilling trajectory, the method comprising:
providing a drilling device including:
a hollow core having a longitudinal axis, the hollow core being provided with a drilling tool;
a first device for rotating the hollow core and the drilling tool about the longitudinal axis;
a linking element extending inside the hollow core, the linking element including a tremie pipe which presents a lower part provided with at least one injecting hole, the tremie pipe being connected to a concrete product source;
a driving device disposed at a lower end of the tremie pipe, the driving device presenting:
an active state in which the driving device is oriented and maintained with respect to the soil in an angular correction position, in such a way as to correct the displacement trajectory of the drilling device along a trajectory correcting direction considered in a horizontal plane, and
a passive state in which the driving device does not modify the displacement trajectory of the drilling device;

a hollow core deviation measuring device for identifying a possible deviation between the displacement trajectory of the drilling device and the substantially vertical theoretical drilling trajectory and determining a deviation direction of the drilling device with respect to the substantially vertical theoretical drilling trajectory, said deviation direction being considered in the horizontal plane;

introducing the drilling device in the soil while setting the hollow core into rotation, the driving device being in its passive state;
measuring the deviation of the hollow core in order to determine a deviation direction of the drilling device with respect to the vertical theoretical drilling trajectory; and
when a deviation higher than a predetermined threshold is measured, bringing the driving device in its active state by orienting it and maintaining it with respect to the soil in an angular correction position, determined such that, considered in a horizontal plane, the trajectory correcting direction associate

Assignees

• Soletanche Freyssinet

Inventors

• Cardona Gérard

Classifications

• E21B7/064

  specially adapted drill bits therefor · CPC title

• E02D5/46

  making in situ by forcing bonding agents into gravel fillings or the soil (consolidating soil in general E02D3/12) · CPC title

• E21B7/10

  Correction of deflected boreholes · CPC title

• E02D7/00

  Methods or apparatus for placing sheet pile bulkheads, piles, mouldpipes, or other moulds (for both placing and removing E02D11/00; {accessories for coupling driver to piles or the like E02D13/10; for trees or other plants A01G17/16; placing posts E04H17/26}) · CPC title

• E02D2250/0038

  using an auger, i.e. continuous flight type · CPC title