Borepath analyzer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9423503-B2
Application number	US-201314087673-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2013
Priority date	Nov 29, 2012
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A tracker used to analyze a desired borepath prior to horizontal directional drilling operations. The tracker analyzes an amount of interference present at a plurality of different frequencies at multiple locations along the borepath and maps a plot of the interference at the different frequencies. The lower the point on the plot, the less interference present at that frequency at the location analyzed. The tracker summarizes the overall interference along the desired borepath for the different frequencies analyzed and will recommend a preferred frequency. An operator may program the beacon prior to boring operations to emit a beacon signal at the preferred frequency. The operator may also tune the tracker to receive the preferred frequency. The tracker and beacon may then communicate during boring operations at the preferred frequency in order to detect the position of the beacon underground relative to the tracker.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for tracking a beacon along a desired borepath, the method comprising:
measuring an amount of interference present at each of a plurality of different frequencies at a first and a second location, along the desired borepath, with a tracker to determine a noise floor for each of the plurality of frequencies at the first and second locations;
selecting a first preferred frequency at which to emit a beacon signal at the first location based on the desired borepath, the noise floor for each of the plurality of frequencies measured at the first location, and an amount of power required to emit the first preferred frequency at the first location;
selecting a second preferred frequency at which to emit the beacon signal at the second location based on the desired borepath, the noise floor for each of the plurality of frequencies measured at the second location, and an amount of power required to emit the second preferred frequency at the second location;
configuring the beacon to emit the beacon signal at the first preferred frequency and power level when the beacon is at the first location and to emit the beacon signal at the second preferred frequency and power level when the beacon is at the second location;
moving the beacon below ground from the first location to the second location during a horizontal boring operation;
determining a position of the beacon relative to the tracker by detecting the beacon signal at the first preferred frequency proximate the first location; and
determining a second position of the beacon relative to the tracker by detecting the beacon signal at the second preferred frequency proximate the second location.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the amount of interference comprises a type and an amount of noise present at each of the plurality of different frequencies at the first location and at the second location.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
averaging the amount of interference present at each of the plurality of different frequencies at the first location and at the second location in order to determine an average amount of interference.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the second preferred frequency to be the same frequency as the first preferred frequency.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising placing the tracker at a plurality of locations along a borepath and analyzing the amount of interference present at each of the plurality of different frequencies present at each of the plurality of locations.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising averaging the amount of interference at each of the plurality of different frequencies at the plurality of locations in order to determine the average amount of interference.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising recommending one of a plurality of different digital modulation schemes based on the amount of interference at each of the plurality of different frequencies.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising setting the tracker in an analyze mode before measuring the interference at the first location.

9. A method for tracking a beacon below ground along a desired borepath, the method comprising the steps of:
measuring an amount of interference at each of a plurality of different frequencies at a first location and at a second location using a tracker to determine a noise floor for each of the plurality of frequencies at the first and second location;
creating a plot of the noise floor for each of the plurality of frequencies measured at the first and second location using a processor included in the tracker;
selecting a first preferred frequency at which to emit a beacon signal at the first location based on the desired borepath, the plot at the first location, and a power level to emit the first preferred frequency;
selecting a second preferred frequency at which to emit the beacon signal at the second location based on the desired borepath, the plot at the second location, and a power level to emit the second preferred frequency;
configuring the beacon to emit the beacon signal at the first preferred frequency and power level when the beacon is at the first location and to emit the beacon signal at a second preferred frequency and power level when the beacon is at the second location;
moving the beacon below ground from the first location to the second location during a horizontal boring operation; and
determining a first position of the beacon relative to the tracker by detecting the beacon signal at the first preferred frequency and subsequently determining a second position of the beacon relative to the tracker by detecting the beacon signal at the second preferred frequency.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the amount of interference comprises a type and an amount of noise present at each of the plurality of different frequencies.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising measuring the amount of interference present at each of the plurality of different frequencies at a third location using the tracker.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising displaying the plot on a visual display on the tracker.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising determining the GPS location of the first location and the second location.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising setting the tracker in analyze mode before measuring the amount of interference at the plurality of different frequencies.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising determining the second preferred frequency to be the same frequency as the first preferred frequency.

16. An assembly comprising:
a beacon programmed to toggle between emitting a beacon signal at a first preferred frequency and power level at a first location and emitting the beacon signal at a second preferred frequency and power level at a second location below ground along a desired borepath during a horizontal boring operation; and
a tracker for locating the beacon comprising:
a first antenna to detect the beacon signal at a plurality of different frequencies at the first location and subsequently at the second location;
a processor configured to select the first preferred frequency for the beacon to emit the beacon signal at the first location and the second preferred frequency for the beacon to emit the beacon signal at the second location based on the desired borepath, a noise floor for the plurality of different frequencies present at the first location and the second location, and the power level to emit the first preferred frequency and the power level to emit the second preferred frequency; and
wherein the processor is configured to process the beacon signal detected by the antenna to determine a position of the beacon relative to the tracker with the tracker at the first location and to determine a second position of the beacon relative to the tracker with the tracker at the second location.

17. The tracker of claim 16 further comprising a second antenna to detect the beacon signal at the plurality of different frequencies.

18. The tracker of claim 17 further comprising a third antenna to detect the beacon signal at the plurality of different frequencies.

19. The tracker of claim 16 wherein the interference comprises a type and an amount of noise present at each of the plurality of different frequencies.

20. The tracker of claim 16 wherein the first preferred frequency and the second preferred frequency are the same.

21. A horizontal boring system comprising:
a

Assignees

• Charles Machine Works

Inventors

• Cole Scott B
• Schrock Brian J

Classifications

• G01S5/011

  Identifying the radio environment · CPC title

• G01S5/02

  using radio waves (using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00) · CPC title

• G01S19/13 Primary

  Receivers · CPC title

• E21B47/09

  Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells {, e.g. the position of an extending arm}; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes · CPC title

• G01V3/12

  operating with electromagnetic waves {(operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005)} · CPC title