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US 8,997,891 B2Granted
Earth boring apparatus
AssigneeTRACTO-TECHNIK GmbH & Co. KG
InventorThomas Schauerte
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An earth boring apparatus includes a drill rod, a source for a drill fluid, and a voltage source. The drill rod has a hollow rod casing provided for throughflow of the drill fluid, and a conductor located within the rod casing, with the voltage source being connected with the conductor and the rod casing. The voltage source is so connected as to prevent the electric conductor to act as anode in the event the drill fluid establishes an electrically conductive connection between the rod casing and the conductor.
Claims19
An earth boring apparatus, comprising:
- a drill rod having a hollow rod casing constructed for receiving a drill fluid from an external drill fluid source and for throughflow of the drill fluid;
- an electrical conductor located within the rod casing;
- and
- an electrical voltage source connected to the rod casing and the conductor, said voltage source being connected such that in the event an exposed portion of the conductor is in contact with the drill fluid and the drill fluid is in contact with the rod casing, the conductor does not act as an anode with respect to the drill fluid,
- wherein the rod casing has a first layer, which comes into contact with the earth, and a second layer, which comes into contact with the drill fluid and is insulated relative to the first layer, wherein the second layer acts as an anode.
2 more elements
A drill rod of an earth boring apparatus, comprising:
- a hollow rod casing constructed for receiving a drill fluid from an external drill fluid source and for throughflow of the drill fluid;
- an electrical conductor located within the rod casing and, when connected to an electrical voltage source, being prevented from acting as an anode with respect to the drill fluid in the event an exposed portion of the conductor is in contact with the drill fluid and the drill fluid is in contact with the rod casing,
- wherein the rod casing has a first layer, which comes into contact with the earth, and a second layer, which comes into contact with the drill fluid and is insulated relative to the first layer, wherein the second layer acts as an anode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.