Device, system and method for reinforcing a tunnel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9840913-B1
Application number	US-201514920793-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 22, 2015
Priority date	Oct 22, 2015
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

Techniques and mechanisms to form a reinforcement structure including dirt processed during drilling of a tunnel. In an embodiment, a device includes a drill head to drill an underground tunnel, where a housing of the device takes in dirt produced by such drilling. A mixer and other components of the device variously condition the dirt to produce a casing material that is subsequently provided to a compactor of the device. The compactor extrudes the casing material through a die. The extruded casing material is eliminated from the device to form a reinforcement structure at one or more sides of the tunnel. In another embodiment, a fiber optic cable is paid out from the device into the tunnel during the drilling, or is pulled into the tunnel by the device during the drilling.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a drill head to drill a tunnel;
a housing coupled to the drill head, the housing to receive dirt while the drill head drills the tunnel;
a dirt conditioning unit disposed in the housing and configured to collect the dirt and to condition a first portion of the dirt by mixing the first portion of the dirt with a binder to form a casing material, the binder comprising an epoxy; and
a compactor including a pump and a die, the pump coupled to receive the casing material from the dirt conditioning unit and to force the casing material through the die as an extrusion and out a rear end of the housing to form a reinforcement structure disposed along a side of the tunnel, wherein the die forms a cross-sectional shape of the reinforcement structure as the casing material is extruded.

2. The device of claim 1 , the dirt conditioning unit further to deposit dirt as waste material within the tunnel.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dirt conditioning unit further comprises:
a first mixer coupled to receive the dirt excavated by the drill head and mix the dirt with water to form a mixture; and
a second mixer coupled to receive a first portion of the mixture from the first mixer and further mix the first portion of the mixture with the binder to form the casing material.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the dirt conditioning unit further comprises:
a third mixer coupled to the first mixer to receive a second portion of the mixture and to dilute the second portion of the mixture to form a waste fluid, the dirt conditioning unit further to send the waste fluid from the device to an above-ground location via the tunnel.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a spool to pay out a cable from the device into the tunnel while the tunnel is being drilled.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a cure unit disposed within or adjacent to the compactor to expose the casing material to ultraviolet light prior to or during extrusion of the casing material through the die to induce at least partial curing of the epoxy.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dirt conditioning unit to condition the first portion of the dirt includes the dirt conditioning unit to disintegrate and sift the dirt.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dirt conditioning unit to condition the first portion of the dirt includes the dirt conditioning unit to convey the first portion with a peristaltic pump.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the die comprises an annular shaped die.

10. A method comprising:
collecting dirt received in a capsule during drilling at a first end of the capsule, the drilling to form a tunnel;
conditioning in the capsule a first portion of the dirt, including mixing the first portion with a binder to form a casing material, the binder comprising an epoxy; and
extruding the casing material from a second end of the capsule to form a reinforcement structure disposed along a side of the tunnel, wherein extruding the casing material includes forcing the casing material through a die having a cross-sectional shape of the reinforcement structure with a pump.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising depositing dirt as waste material within the tunnel.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein conditioning the first portion of the dirt comprises:
mixing the dirt with water to form a mixture, wherein a portion of the mixture includes the first portion of the dirt; and
mixing a portion of the mixture with the binder to form the casing material.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
diluting another portion of the mixture to form a waste fluid; and
sending the waste fluid from the capsule to an above-ground location via the tunnel.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising paying out a cable from the capsule into the tunnel during the drilling.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising exposing the casing material to ultraviolet light to induce at least partial curing of the epoxy.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein conditioning the first portion of the dirt includes disintegrating and sifting the dirt.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein conditioning the first portion of the dirt and extruding the casing material includes conveying the first portion of the dirt with a peristaltic pump.

18. A system comprising:
a capsule including:
a drill head to drill a tunnel;
a housing coupled to the drill head, the housing to receive dirt while the drill head drills the tunnel;
a dirt conditioning unit disposed in the housing and configured to collect the dirt and to condition a first portion of the dirt by mixing the first portion of the dirt with a binder to form a casing material, the binder comprising an epoxy; and
a compactor including a pump and a die, the pump coupled to receive the casing material from the dirt conditioning unit and to force the casing material through the die as an extrusion and out a rear end of the housing to form a reinforcement structure disposed along a side of the tunnel wherein the die forms a cross-sectional shape of the reinforcement structure as the casing material is extruded; and

a cable coupled to the capsule and extending from the housing, the cable to couple the capsule to a computer platform and to exchange control signals between the capsule and the computer platform while the drill head drills the tunnel.

19. The system of claim 18 , the dirt conditioning unit further to deposit dirt as waste material within the tunnel.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the dirt conditioning unit comprises a first mixer and a second mixer, and wherein the dirt conditioning unit to condition the first portion of the dirt comprises:
the first mixer to mix the dirt with water to form a mixture, wherein a portion of the mixture includes the first portion of the dirt; and
the second mixer to receive the portion of the mixture from the first mixer and to mix the portion of the mixture with the binder to form the casement material.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the dirt conditioning unit further comprises a third mixer to receive another portion of the mixture from the first mixer and to dilute the other portion of the mixture to form a waste fluid, the dirt conditioning unit further to send the waste fluid from the capsule to an above-ground location via the tunnel.

22. The system of claim 18 , the capsule further comprising a spool to pay out a cable from the capsule into the tunnel while the tunnel is being drilled.

Assignees

• X Dev Llc

Inventors

• Levine Gabriella
• Devaul Richard W
• Liu Eric H C

Classifications

• E21D9/111

  by means of heads or tool-carrying sectors implementing an oscillating rotary motion · CPC title

• E21D9/13

  using hydraulic or pneumatic conveying means · CPC title

• E21D11/403 Primary

  combined with the head machine · CPC title

• E21D9/04

  Driving tunnels or galleries through loose materials; Apparatus therefor not otherwise provided for {(E21D9/005, E21D9/06 take precedence; soil improvement E21D9/001; provisional protective covers E21D19/04)} · CPC title

• E21B7/205

  without earth removal (E21B7/30 takes precedence) · CPC title