Systems and methods for automated drilling of high aspect ratio, small diameter holes in remote, confined spaces
| DWPI Title: Compact drill assembly for use in drilling system to drill high-aspect ratio and small diameter holes of arbitrary depth in remote and confined space, has linear drill drive for advancing and retracting rotatable drilling spindle along confined dimension |
| Abstract: A compact drill assembly, a drilling system and a method for automatically drilling small diameter holes of arbitrary depth. The compact drill assembly includes a housing having a geometry that allows insertion into the confined space and a rotatable drilling spindle that includes an actuated locking collet assembly arranged and disposed to selectively secure and release a composite bit. A bit conveying arrangement is configured to convey the composite bit along the non-confined dimension and along the confined dimension through the actuated locking collet assembly. A drill drive is arranged and disposed to advance the rotatable drilling spindle along the confined dimension. The method includes conveying a composite bit along the non-confined dimension and along the confined dimension through the compact drill assembly and advancing the composite bit along the confined dimension to drill into a surface along an edge of the confined space. |
| Use: Compact drill assembly for use in a drilling system (claimed) to drill high-aspect ratio and small diameter holes of arbitrary depth in a remote and confined space with confined dimension and non-confined dimension for wellbore of oil and gas wells. |
| Advantage: The assembly can minimize unsupported composite bit length throughout process for enabling the bit to be progressively fed from an assembly main body as depth increasing, and enables monitoring integrity of oil and gas wells in situ by precise drilling of small diameter and high aspect ratio holes in dimensionally constrained spaces. The bit conveying arrangement conveys the composite bit along the non-confined dimension and the confined dimension through the actuated locking collet assembly, thus minimizing buckling, clearing cuttings and torsional compliance and strength. |
| Novelty: The assembly (104) has a housing (111) for comprising geometry that allows insertion into a confined space (101). A rotatable drilling spindle (115) includes an actuated locking collet assembly (117) arranged to selectively secure and release a bendable bit. A bit conveying arrangement (121) comprises a bit brake. The bit conveying arrangement conveys the bendable bit along non-confined dimension (105) and confined dimension (103) through the actuated locking collet assembly. A linear drill drive (123) is arranged to advance the bendable bit along the confined dimension. The linear drill drive advances and retracts the rotatable drilling spindle along the confined dimension. |
| Filed: 5/12/2022 |
| Application Number: US17743133A |
| Tech ID: SD 15473.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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