Method of drilling a ground using a robotic arm

The invention relates to a method of drilling ground along a drilling direction, the method comprising:

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to the field of geotechnical engineering, and in particular to methods of drilling the ground, in any type of terrain, which drilling may in particular be horizontal, vertical, or inclined.

Traditionally, ground drilling machines have large slides that serve to guide the movement of drill tubes. Such a slide, an example of which is shown inFIG. 12, forms both a guide for moving a drill tube in translation and also a support for the tube, it being emphasized that the drilling member is usually made up of a plurality of drill tubes connected end to end. For this purpose, the slide presents a length that is significantly longer than a unit element of the drill tube element, i.e. generally a length of about five meters.

The use of a slide presents several drawbacks.

Firstly, since the slide forms a guide of size that is greater than each unit drill tube element, it presents very considerable weight. Specifically, the slide needs to withstand not only the weight of a unit drill tube element, but also its own weight, together with the weight of the drill head, and the forces associated with drilling. As a result, the slide is very heavy and particularly bulky.

Because of the large weight and bulk of the slide, the ground drilling machine needs to be provided with a mechanism for moving and steering the slide that is complex, heavy, and bulky.

Finally, the carrier must also be dimensioned so as to be capable of carrying simultaneously the moving and steering mechanism, the slide, and the first tube, which means that it is necessary to use a carrier that is powerful and therefore bulky and expensive.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An object of the present disclosure is to propose a method of drilling ground that can be performed more easily and that requires less space.

To this end, the disclosure provides a method of drilling ground along a drilling direction, the method comprising:providing at least first and second drill tubes, each having a first end and a second end opposite from the first end, the second end of the second drill tube being suitable for securing to the first end of the first drill tube;providing an articulated manipulator arm presenting at least three articulation points, the manipulator arm being motorized and provided with a gripper member, while not being provided with a slide;using the gripper member to take hold of the first drill tube via its first end;using the manipulator arm to align the first drill tube with the drilling direction;actuating the manipulator arm to move the gripper member along the drilling direction so as to drive the first drill tube into the ground;after driving the first drill tube into the ground, using the gripper member to release the first drill tube; thenusing the gripper member to take hold of the second drill tube via its first end;moving the gripper member so as to bring the second end of the second drill tube into a position facing the first end of the first drill tube;fastening the second end of the second drill tube to the first end of the first drill tube; andmoving the gripper member in the drilling direction in order to drive the second drill tube fastened to the first drill tube into the ground.

In the present disclosure, the term “drill tube” is intended to also cover drill pipes which may be smaller in diameter than drill tubes.

It can thus be understood that actuating the manipulator arm serves in particular to take hold of the first and second drill tubes, to align them with the drilling direction, to secure them to each other in order to form a tubular drilling assembly of great length, and to introduce said assembly into the ground.

Actuating the articulated manipulator arm, which serves to move the gripper member, consists in imparting at least one deformation to the manipulator arm. In other words, the gripper member is moved along the drilling direction by deforming the manipulator arm.

It could also be understood that the alignment step consists in aligning the longitudinal axis of the drill tube with the drilling direction.

The second drill tube may be fastened to the first drill tube by acting on the gripper member, e.g. by moving the gripper member in translation for clamping purposes or by rotating it for screw-fastening purposes.

The second drill tube may be also aligned with the drilling direction prior to being secured to the first drill tube.

The manipulator arm may be an articulated robot presenting a sufficient number of degrees of freedom to enable the gripper member to be positioned and moved in particular along a straight-line path that coincides with the drilling direction, thus, the manipulator arm is actuated by deforming and moving the arm.

By means of the disclosure, drill tubes can be inserted into the ground without requiring the presence of a slide, insofar as it is the manipulator arm that serves to align the drill tube with the drilling direction.

Thrust along the drilling direction may be obtained by moving the gripper member along the drilling direction. More precisely, actuating the manipulator arm by deforming it has the effect of moving the gripper member along the drilling direction, and thus of thrusting the first drill tube along the drilling direction.

To drive the first drill tube into the ground, the gripper member exerts thrust on the first drill tube along the drilling direction.

In the disclosure, the ground for drilling may be horizontal, vertical, or indeed inclined. In particular, the method of the disclosure can be implemented when drilling into a wall that is substantially vertical.

The first and second drill tubes may be stored in at least one storage zone arranged in the proximity of the manipulator arm. It can be understood that the gripper member retrieves the first and second drill tubes in succession from the storage zone. It can be understood that the disclosure enables the drill tubes to be stored in a manner that need not necessarily be well ordered, the manipulator arm being arranged to take hold of a drill tube via one of its ends, regardless of its orientation, and prior to putting the drill tube into alignment.

Without going beyond the ambit of the present disclosure, the method of the disclosure may be repeated so as to insert into the ground a tubular drilling assembly that is made up of a number of drill tubes that is greater than two.

After the drilling operation, the gripper member may also be used for extracting the tubular drilling assembly by decoupling the drill tubes from one another so as to withdraw them in succession from the ground, and finally put them back in the storage zone.

Thus, the drilling method of the disclosure is faster and easier to implement than prior art methods in which additional and specific tooling is generally needed in order to retrieve the drill tubes and place them in the slide.

The first drill tube may be driven into the ground by setting it into rotation while exerting thrust thereon in the drilling direction.

The first drill tube may be driven into the ground by vibrating it while exerting thrust thereon in the drilling direction.

Setting the first drill tube into vibration can be combined with setting it into rotation.

According to some embodiments, there is also provided a retainer member having an axis that is substantially parallel to the drilling direction, the retainer member is placed facing the ground to be drilled, and the first drill tube is driven into the ground after inserting the second end of the first drill tube through the retainer member.

The function of the retainer member is to block movement of the first drill tube axially, e.g. in order to hold the first drill tube in the ground while it is being fastened to the second drill tube.

The retainer member may be fastened to the ground beforehand. In an implementation, the retainer member is fastened to the wall for drilling.

The retainer member may include guide means for facilitating guidance of the first drill tube.

In a variant, the retainer member may be arranged facing the wall for drilling, but without being fastened thereto.

While driving the first drill tube into the ground, the first drill tube may be maintained in alignment with the drilling direction, where necessary, by adjusting the position and/or the orientation of the retainer member.

It can be understood that monitoring the alignment of the first drill tube makes it possible to correct the drilling path. The position and/or the orientation of the gripper member is/are adjusted periodically, for example, in real time, whereby the drilling path is corrected periodically during drilling.

The disclosure also provides an installation for drilling ground, along a drilling direction, by performing the drilling method of the disclosure, which installation comprises:at least first and second drill tubes, each having a first end and a second end opposite from the first end, the second end of the second drill tube being suitable for securing with the first end of the first drill tube; andan articulated manipulator arm presenting at least three articulation points, the manipulator arm not being provided with a slide, and comprising:a gripper member configured to grip one or the other of the first and second drill tubes via its first end;alignment means for aligning the first drill tube with the drilling direction;drive means for driving the first drill tube into the ground along the drilling direction;fastener means for fastening the second end of the first drill tube to the first end of the first drill tube; andactuator means for actuating the manipulator arm in such a manner as to move the gripper member along the drilling direction so as to drive the second drill tube fastened to the first drill tube into the ground.

As mentioned above, the manipulator arm is deformable and presents a plurality of degrees of freedom enabling the gripper member to be steered and moved, in particular along a straight-line direction. The manipulator arm is thus actuated by deforming and/or moving said arm, which movement may be a movement in rotation.

The drive means for driving one or the other of the first and second drill tubes into the ground are arranged to move the gripper member along the drilling direction, which gripper member is holding the drill tube via its first end. For this purpose, the gripper member exerts thrust on the drill tube along the drilling direction. The manipulator arm may include an arm that exerts thrust on the gripper member, which thrust is directed along the drilling direction.

According to embodiments of the disclosure, the manipulator arm may not have an elongate slide for guiding drill tubes. In other words, the manipulator arm does not have a slide of the kind shown inFIG. 12of a length that is substantially equal to or longer than the length of the drill tube.

The thrust exerted by the gripper member on the first drill tube may be determined, and for example corrected, while drilling is taking place.

The speed at which the first drill tube penetrates may be determined, and for example corrected, while drilling is taking place.

To do this, the manipulator arm has movement sensors and force sensors suitable for determining the penetration speed of the drill tubes, and also the forces applied to said drill tubes. These values can be compared periodically, for example, in real time, with target values. The operator can then modify the thrust force or the travel speed of the gripper member in order to correct these values. According to some embodiments, the corrections may be performed automatically.

The alignment means serve to align the longitudinal axis of the drill tubes with the drilling direction.

The installation may further comprise measurement means for determining the position and the orientation in three-dimensional space of the gripper member, and the alignment means make use of measurement data supplied by the measurement means.

The alignment means also enable the path of the drill tube to be corrected while drilling is taking place, so as to ensure that the drilling path remains a straight line during drilling.

The measurement means serve periodically, for example, in real time, to determine the position and the orientation of the gripper member, and consequently the position and the orientation of the drill tube held by the gripper member.

Furthermore, and preferably, the manipulator arm is servo-controlled in terms of path, speed, and forces.

Alternatively, the alignment means may include a sensor suitable for following a laser beam defining the drilling direction.

The installation of the disclosure may further comprise a retainer member having an axis that is substantially parallel to the drilling direction, the retainer member being arranged to have one or the other of the first and second drill tubes passed therethrough.

The retainer member may further comprise a controllable blocker device for blocking movement in translation of the first drill tube relative to the ground along the drilling direction.

For example, the blocker device is actuated so as to block the first drill tube in the ground while the gripper member is securing the second drill tube to the first drill tube, e.g. by clamping or by screw-fastening.

The blocker device may also be actuated during a stage of withdrawing drill tubes, in order to hold the first drill tube in place while the gripper member separates the second drill tube from the second drill tube.

According to some embodiments, the retainer member may further comprise a rotary head enabling at least the first drill tube to be set into rotation when said first drill tube is co-operating with the retainer member.

In this embodiment, the gripper member exerts only thrust along the drilling direction on the drill tube, and it is the rotary head of the retainer member that sets it into rotation.

The manipulator arm may further comprise an actuator head enabling at least the first drill tube to be set into rotation and/or into vibration.

In an embodiment, the gripper member includes said actuator head.

In another embodiment, the installation further comprises at least one drill pipe, and the gripper member is also configured to take hold of the drill pipe and to insert it in the first drill tube inserted into the ground.

In a variant, the first drill tube is inserted into the ground initially prior to inserting the drill pipe in the first drill tube. In another variant, the drill pipe is inserted into the first drill tube prior to inserting the assembly into the ground.

Finally, according to some embodiments, the manipulator arm is an articulated robot presenting at least three articulation points.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

FIG. 1shows an embodiment of an installation10for drilling ground S in accordance with the present disclosure. As described in greater detail below, the installation serves in particular to drill boreholes in a vertical wall P along a drilling direction D that is horizontal.

Without going beyond the ambit of the present disclosure, the wall P could have some other configuration, and the drilling direction D could slope relative to the horizontal, or could indeed be vertical.

The installation10comprises an articulated and motorized manipulator arm12that, in this example, is a robot having a plurality of articulation axes referenced X1, X2, X3, X4, and X5. The manipulator arm presents three articulation points.

More precisely, the manipulator arm has a first portion14that can pivot about a vertical pivot axis X1, a second portion16that can pivot relative to the first portion14about a pivot axis X2, a third portion18that can pivot relative to the second portion16about a pivot axis X3, and a fourth portion20articulated relative to the third portion18.

Unlike the prior art, the manipulator arm does not have a slide.

The manipulator arm12also has a gripper member30that is articulated relative to the fourth portion20. As can be seen, the gripper member is arranged at the end of the manipulator arm. The manipulator arm12has actuator means (not shown) that serve to set the various portions into movement relative to one another so as to deform the manipulator arm and thus steer and move the gripper member30in three dimensions. This type of manipulator arm is manufactured in particular by the suppliers Kuka and Fanuc. In contrast, the use of such a manipulator arm in the context of drilling ground in accordance with the present disclosure is not described in the prior art.

In this example, the articulations and the various portions are shown diagrammatically. It should be understood that the manipulator arm is configured in particular to enable the movable gripper member to move in a straight line, and in particular along the drilling direction D.

In this example, the installation10also has a plurality of drill tubes, specifically in this example a first drill tube40of length L, a second drill tube42, and a third drill tube44. Each of the first, second, and third drill tubes has a first end40a,42a,44a, and a second end40b,42b,44bopposite from its first end. Each of these drill tubes presents a longitudinal axis. These tubes are designed to be secured end to end to one another so as to form a tubular drilling assembly of great length. Naturally, without going beyond the ambit of the present disclosure, these tubes could be in the form of drill pipes.

Furthermore, the manipulator arm does not have an elongate slide for guiding drill tubes, as is shown inFIG. 12illustrating a prior art installation.

As can be seen inFIG. 1, the second end40bof the first drill tube40carries a drill tool41, in this example a drillbit.

In addition, the second end42bof the second drill tube42can be secured to the first end40aof the first drill tube40. In this example, the first and second drill tubes are secured to each other by screw-fastening.

The gripper member30is configured to take hold of one or another of the first, second, and third drill tubes via its first end.

In the example ofFIG. 2, the gripper member30is taking hold of the first drill tube40via its first end40a. To do this, the gripper member30includes clamp-forming means31that clamp onto the first end40aof the first tube40. The first drill tube40thus constitutes an extension of the gripper member30.

It is specified that the gripper member30also has an actuator head32that, in this example, serves to impart both rotation and vibration to the first drill tube40.

In this example, the installation10also has a retainer member50of axis A that is substantially parallel to the drilling direction D.

In the example ofFIG. 1, the retainer member50is securely fastened to the wall P by fastener means52,54.

The retainer member50is in the form of a sleeve suitable for having one or another of the first, second, and third drill tubes passed therethrough. Still in the example ofFIG. 1, the retainer member50also has a controllable blocker device56, which is described in greater detail below, for the purpose of blocking the first drill tube against moving in translation relative to the ground along the drilling direction D.

The manipulator arm12also has drive means60for driving the first drill tube40into the ground S along the drilling direction D. In this example, the means for driving the first drill tube comprise the various portions14,16,18, and20making up the manipulator arm and the actuator means enabling the various portions to be moved relative to one another so as to exert straight-line thrust on the gripper member, this thrust being directed along the drilling direction D.

This step of driving the first drill tube40into the ground S is shown inFIGS. 3 and 4.

The manipulator arm also has alignment means70for aligning the first drill tube40with the drilling direction D, the alignment means in this example comprising the various portions making up the manipulator arm and the actuator means, thereby enabling the longitudinal axis of the first drill tube to be put into alignment with the drilling direction D.

It is specified that the installation further includes measurement means69(shown inFIG. 4) for determining the position and the orientation in three dimensions of the gripper member30, these measurement means in this example comprising one or more gyros, or any other sensor for sensing position and orientation in three dimensions.

The alignment means make use of measurement data supplied by the measurement means69in order to put the longitudinal axis of the first drill tube40into alignment with the drilling direction D.

As shown inFIG. 3, after taking hold of the first drill tube40, the gripper member30is moved so that the drill tool41is engaged in the retainer member50. The manipulator arm is then actuated so as to exert straight-line thrust on the gripper member30acting in the drilling direction D so as to drive the first drill tube into the ground S.

While exerting thrust on the first drill tube40via the gripper member30, the actuator head32is actuated in such a manner as to set the first drill tube40into rotation.

In this example, the actuator head also includes a vibration generator for vibrating the first drill tube40.

In other words, the first drill tube is driven into the ground by setting it into rotation, while also causing it to vibrate and thrusting it along the drilling direction D, as shown inFIG. 4.

After the first drill tube40has been driven into the ground S, the blocker device56is actuated in order to prevent any axial movement of the first drill tube40. The gripper member30releases the first end40aof the first drill tube40, and retrieves the second drill tube42, taking hold of it via its first end42a.

The manipulator arm is then actuated so as to put the longitudinal axis of the second drill tube42into alignment with the drilling direction D.

The gripper member30is then moved so as to bring the second end42bof the second tube42into a position facing the first end40aof the first drill tube40. The second drill tube42is then secured to the first drill tube40by screw-fastening, by using the actuator head32to turn the drill tube42so as to screw the second end of the second drill tube to the end part of the first drill tube40that is held blocked in the ground by the blocker device56.

It can thus be understood that the manipulator arm12also has fastener means80for fastening the second end42bof the second tube42to the first end40aof the first drill tube40, and in this example said means comprise in particular the actuator head of the gripper member30.

After the second drill tube42has been secured to the first drill tube40, and more precisely after the second end of the second drill tube has been fastened to the first end of the first drill tube, the blocker device56is released so as to allow the first drill tube40to move freely in translation along the drilling direction D. The gripper member30is then moved along the drilling direction D so as to drive the second drill tube fastened to the first drill tube into the ground. This movement is thus a movement in translation performed along the drilling direction D.

Likewise, the second drill tube42is set into rotation while moving the gripper member30so as to drive the drill tube41in rotation. The second drill tube is also caused to vibrate. This step is shown inFIG. 7.

Thus, the implementation of the drilling method of the disclosure as shown inFIGS. 1 to 7comprises:providing first and second drill tubes40,42, each having a first end40a,42aand a second end40b,42bopposite from the first end, the second end of the second drill tube being suitable for securing to the first end of the first drill tube;providing a manipulator arm12having a movable gripper member30;using the gripper member30to take hold of the first drill tube40via its first end40a;using the manipulator arm12to align the first drill tube with the drilling direction D, and more specifically by adjusting the position of the gripper member30;moving the gripper member30in the drilling direction so as to drive the first drill tube40into the ground while putting the first drill tube into rotation;after driving the first drill tube40into the ground, using the gripper member30to release the first drill tube; thenusing the gripper member30to take hold of the second drill tube42via its first end42a;moving the gripper member30so as to bring the second end of the second drill tube into a position facing the first end of the first drill tube;screw-fastening the second end42bof the second drill tube42to the first end40aof the first drill tube40by causing the actuator head32to turn; andmoving the gripper member30in the drilling direction D in order to drive the second drill tube fastened to the first drill tube into the ground.

Furthermore, while driving the first drill tube40into the ground, and likewise while driving the second drill tube into the ground, the first and second drill tubes are kept in alignment with the drilling direction by periodically comparing the real drilling path with the desired drilling direction D and, where necessary, by adjusting the position and the orientation in three-dimensional space of the gripper member30, in order to correct the path.

FIG. 8shows an embodiment in which the retainer member50also has a rotary head55that enables the first drill tube40to be set into rotation when the first drill tube40is co-operating with the retainer member50. In other words, in the embodiment ofFIG. 13, the rotary head is situated in the retainer member50and not in the gripper member30.

It can thus be understood that the rotary head55is arranged to set the first drill tube40into rotation while the gripper member30is moving so as to drive the first guide tube40into the ground.

In the variant ofFIG. 9, the retainer member50is arranged facing the wall P for drilling, but is not fastened thereto. The retainer member50stands on the ground via a stand57.

InFIG. 10, there can be seen the retainer member50when drilling is horizontal. In this example, the retainer member50has hydraulic jaws56mounted on a plate57.

InFIG. 11, there can be seen a variant of the retainer member50used when the drilling is vertical. In this example, the retainer member50comprises a collapsible guillotine system59with the first guide tube40being held by friction.