Construction of an acoustic information transmission system of a horizontal directional drilling device

Abstract

Currently, the constant growth in the volume of the horizontal directional drilling procedure dictates the improvement of the drilling technology and the technical requirements. One of the important technical requirements for the horizontal directional drilling device is the transmission of information about drilling parameters to the operator (depth, rotation angle, inclination angle). The solution to this problem is possible with the help of measuring systems installed inside the drilling head. Traditionally, in real drilling conditions, three communication channels are distinguished: electrically conductive, hydraulic and electromagnetic, each of which has some advantages and disadvantages. The use of acoustic waves excited in the internal space of the drilling head and propagating in the material of the drilling column to the receiver allows to eliminate the disadvantages of the listed communication channels and ensure the highest quality horizontal directional drilling procedure. The paper investigates the acoustic method of information transmission in a horizontal directional drilling device. An acoustic system for positioning a drilling tool has been developed, which provides the transmission of information about the coordinates of the drilling head. The acoustic channel of information transmission has been studied in terms of constructing its structural components: the design of the probe-transmitter (electromechanical transducer) has been developed, as well as the hardware of the system. In order to determine the requirements for the modulator-demodulator of signals of an acoustic information transmission channel, the propagation of an information package was simulated taking into account the resonant properties of the converter using the Multisim circuit simulation program. Thus, the use of an acoustic system for monitoring and transmitting information about the positioning of the drilling head makes it possible to abandon expensive contact methods for determining the position of the drilling head, which give point information and require a lot of time. The proposed acoustic information transmission channel allows for tight acoustic contact between the protective container and the drilling column to eliminate power losses, increases the efficiency of the device and reduces the loss of a useful signal during its propagation and also simplifies the operation of the device. As a result, the developed acoustic system provides an opportunity to perform the highest-quality horizontal directional drilling procedure with the necessary requirements for the volume of transmitted information and stability of operation in complex noise-signal conditions, which eliminates the disadvantages of previously used methods.