Horizontal Directional Reaming
AssigneeQuanta Associates, L.P.
InventorsPablo Guerra, Jason Steph
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosure relates to embodiments of horizontal directional drilling equipment and methods for horizontal directional drilling techniques including a reamer head comprising a frustoconical body, wherein the frustoconical body defines a cavity configured to receive at least one bearing; and a plurality of teeth mounted to the frustoconical body. An imaginary apex of the frustoconical body is superimposed on the centerline of a reamer or reaming apparatus for reaming of an underground arcuate path. In another embodiment the reamer head is a progressive independently segmented reaming head. A plurality reaming heads are mounted to a reaming apparatus for reaming of an underground arcuate path.
Claims14
An apparatus for horizontal directional drilling reaming an underground arcuate path after a pilot hole has been drilled, comprising:
- a reamer line defining a centerline axis;
- a body comprising a centralizing ring, a plurality of arms connected to the centralizing ring, and a plurality of reamer heads, one each of the reamer heads respectively mounted and corresponding to one each of the plurality of arms;
- wherein the body is connected to the reamer line for centering the horizontal directional drilling reaming apparatus in the underground arcuate path;
- wherein the plurality of reamer heads are symmetrically arranged around the centralizing ring;
- a plurality of teeth mounted to each reamer head, wherein each of the plurality of teeth is configured to rotate and ream the underground arcuate path;
- wherein each of the reamer heads comprises a frustoconical body;
- wherein the frustoconical body defines a cavity configured to receive at least one bearing;
- wherein the plurality of teeth are mounted to the frustoconical body;
- wherein the frustoconical body is truncated across one end;
- and
- wherein the frustoconical body defines a geometrical apex projecting beyond the truncated end that coincides with the centerline axis of the horizontal directional drilling reaming apparatus for reaming a relatively larger diameter hole of at least 91.44 cm wherein the frustoconical body has an increased rate-of-penetration, and wherein the plurality of teeth mounted on the frustoconical body have an increased mechanical efficiency, for the horizontal directional drilling underground arcuate path.
A method for horizontal directional drilling reaming an underground arcuate path with an assembled horizontal directional drilling reaming apparatus, comprising the steps of:
- drilling a pilot hole;
- rotating a plurality of reamer heads wherein the plurality of reamer heads are symmetrically arranged around a centralizing ring in a body of the assembled horizontal directional drilling reaming apparatus;
- and
- horizontal directional drilling reaming the underground arcuate path having a relatively larger diameter hole of at least 91.44 cm whilst reducing friction external of the reaming heads between the reaming heads and a surrounding wall of the underground arcuate path, whilst increasing the rate-of-penetration in reaming the relatively larger diameter hole, and whilst increasing the mechanical efficiency of a plurality of teeth mounted to each reamer head, by each of the plurality of reamer heads comprising a frustoconical body wherein each frustoconical body defines a geometrical apex projecting beyond a truncated end of each frustoconical body that coincides with a centerline axis of the assembled horizontal directional drilling reaming apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.