Two solenoid guide system for horizontal boreholes
AssigneeVector Magnetics, Inc.
InventorArthur F. Kuckes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electromagnetic method and apparatus for directional drilling guidance of horizontal boreholes for the installation of pipelines and communication cables beneath rivers, highways and other obstacles is disclosed. A solenoid source, with horizontal axes, generates alternating electromagnetic fields which are measured in the borehole by a magnetometer with known orientation with respect to the direction of gravity near the drill bit. A preferred embodiment has a useable range of 150 meters from the source.
Claims13
A method for drill guidance, comprising:
- determining a planned path for a borehole;
- positioning a localized magnetic field source with respect to said planned path;
- orienting said field source with respect to gravity;
- causing said source to generate first and second magnetic fields of alternating polarity;
- measuring, at a measurement location in a borehole being drilled, the vector components of said first and second magnetic fields and the vector components of gravity at the measurement location;
- and
- determining the distance and direction between the measurement location and the magnetic field source;
The method of claim 10, wherein determining said distance and direction includes generating a reference waveform synchronized with said periodic reversal of said magnetic fields and signal averaging the measured magnetic field vector components.
- The method of claim 11, wherein determining said distance and direction further includes computing the vertical angle between said source location and said measurement location and computing therefrom the vector from said measurement location to a selected location on said planned path.
The method of claim 12, further including determining from said distance and direction and from the planned path of the borehole the direction of drilling of the borehole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.