Process Monitoring in Heavy Duty Drilling Rigs—Data Acquisition System and Cycle Identification Algorithms

Jacek Wodecki,Magdalena Worsa-Kozak,Jaroslaw Szrek,Radoslaw Zimroz,Bartłomiej Ziętek,Pavlo Krot,Andrzej Czajkowski,Paweł Śliwiński,Mateusz Góralczyk

doi:10.3390/en13246748

Abstract

The monitoring of drilling processes is a well-known topic in the mining industry. It is widely used for rock mass characterization, bit wear monitoring and drilling process assessment. However on-board monitoring systems used for this purpose are installed only on a limited number of machines, and breakdowns are possible. There is a need for a data acquisition system that can be used on different drilling rigs and for an automatic data analysis procedure. In this paper, we focused on the automatic detection of drilling cycles, presenting a simple yet reliable system to be universally installed on drilling rigs. The proposed solution covers hardware and software. It is based on the measurement of electric current and acoustic signals. The signal processing methods include threshold-based segmentation, a short-time envelope spectrum and a spectrum for the representation of results. The results of the research have been verified on a real drilling rig within the testing site of its manufacturer by comparing the results with the data of the on-board monitoring system installed on the machine. Novel aspects of our approach include the detection of the pre-boring stage, which has an intermediate amplitude that masks the real drilling cycles, and the use of the percussion instantaneous frequency, which is estimated by acoustic recordings.

Highlights

All of the leading producers of drilling rigs in the recent three decades have devoted their attention to the development of process monitoring systems to enhance the control and quality of blast-hole drilling [1]
Equipment could be used for rock mass characterization, drill bit wear monitoring, the assessment of the performance of the drilling process and operator’s skills, development of the design of a machine, minimization of the energy consumption for the drilling, etc
The main feature under consideration is the difference between levels describing the idle state, pre-boring and proper drilling

Summary

Introduction

All of the leading producers of drilling rigs in the recent three decades have devoted their attention to the development of process monitoring systems to enhance the control and quality of blast-hole drilling [1]. This initial step of ore extraction in mines using blasting technology has to be performed with an excellent, repeatable accuracy and high efficiency in order to ensure the economic feasibility of mining operations in the reality of the currently worsening mining–geological conditions, meaning decreasing thickness of the deposits, their depletion and deepening location. The information about the number of drilling cycles as well as the quality of the drilling may be used for maintenance policy

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Conclusion