AU2006263771B2

AU2006263771B2 - Arrangement for positioning rock drilling rig on drilling site

Info

Publication number: AU2006263771B2
Application number: AU2006263771A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Erkki Eilo; Jussi Koskelainen; Tommi Saleniemi
Original assignee: Sandvik Mining and Construction Oy
Current assignee: Sandvik Mining and Construction Oy
Priority date: 2005-06-29
Filing date: 2006-06-27
Publication date: 2011-06-02
Anticipated expiration: 2026-06-27
Also published as: AU2006263771A8; WO2007000492A1; US20080230270A1; CA2612983A1; FI20055356A0; AU2006263771A1; CA2612983C; FI117570B; EP1896691A1; EP1896691A4

Description

1 ARRANGEMENT FOR POSITIONING ROCK DRILLING RIG ON DRILLING SITE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention relates to a method for positioning a rock drill ing rig on a drilling site. [0002] The invention also relates to a rock drilling rig. [0003] Currently a rock drilling rig is positioned such that an opera tor drives the rig to a drilling site using visual positioning estimation. After driv ing the rock drilling rig to place and fitting the jacks against the ground, it is possible to perform navigation, in which the location of the rock drilling rig is linked to a coordinate system provided for the drilling site. Navigation may be performed such that on the drilling site there is a separate laser that is directed to a known location in a tunnel. Thereafter the location of the carrier or the drill unit of the rock drilling rig is determined with respect to the laser. This can be done by means of sights in the drill unit, for instance. Alternatively, on a carrier there is arranged in accordance with DE publication 3,902,127 a laser receiver that determines the location of the carrier during navigation, whereafter a con trol unit of the drilling rig may amend the coordination system in view of the location of the drilling rig. Current solutions have a drawback that the actual location of the rock drilling rig on the drilling site is not found out until in the course of navigation at the earliest. If the navigation reveals that the rock drill ing rig is positioned on the drilling site such that it is not possible to drill all the holes of the drilling plan, the jacks must be lowered, the carrier must be reposi tioned and the rig must be navigated again. Problems resulting from erroneous positioning make the drilling considerably slower and more difficult. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0005] The present invention provides a method for positioning a rock drilling rig on a drilling site, the method comprising: driving the rock drilling rig to a drilling site and positioning a carrier thereof in relation to wall surfaces surrounding the drilling site, wherein the rock drilling rig is positioned in a selected positioning place; performing post-positioning navigation in which the positioning place of the rock drilling rig is linked to a coordinate system of the drilling site based on the selected positioning place of the rock drilling rig prior to navigation and linked to a drilling plan where at least the directions of holes to be drilled are determined; 2846040_1 (GHMatters) P76359.AU 2 initiating the drilling of the holes according to the drilling plan after the navigation, wherein movements of a drilling unit to drill holes according to the drilling plan are based on distances from the selected positioning place of the predetermined coordinate system; positioning of the rock drilling rig before starting navigation into the selected positioning place, the position of which is determined based on the distance between the rock drilling rig and wall surfaces of the drilling site; and, determining, during positioning, the location of the carrier of the rock drilling rig by means of at least one distance measuring device having a quanti tative output in relation to the wall surfaces of the drilling site. [0006] The present invention also provides a rock drilling rig com prising: a movable carrier; at least one drill boom with a drill unit comprising a feed beam, feed ing means and a rock drill machine; at least one control unit, in which it is possible to store a drilling plan in which at least the direction of holes to be drilled are determined; a navigation system which is arranged to link the rock drilling rig to a predetermined coordinate system of a drilling site based on a selected posi tioning place of the rock drilling rig prior to navigation; and at least one distance measuring device having a quantitative output for determining a location of the carrier in relation to one or more wall surfaces surrounding the drilling site, wherein the control unit comprises at least one user interface, wherein the at least one measurement results of the distance measuring devices is arranged for display to an operator in at least one user interface, and before starting navigation the rock drilling rig is arranged to be driven in the positioning place that depends on the distance between the rock drilling rig and wall surfaces of the drilling site, and wherein the control unit controls the movements of the drill unit ac cording to the drilling plan based on distances from the selected positioning place of a predetermined coordinate system. [0007] [0008] Thus embodiments of the invention allow the rock drilling rig to be positioned in a correct place such that the planned drill holes can be 2646040_1 (GHMatters) P76359.AU 3 drilled therewith. Thus it is possible to avoid situations where the rig must be repositioned and navigated again due to erroneous original positioning. Fur ther, when the carrier is positioned correctly in view of the boom reach, drill units may be moved efficiently and quickly. The positioning arrangement of the invention is relatively simple to implement and it does not require any compli cated systems. In addition, embodiments of the invention may be applied to the existing rock drilling rigs. [0009] In certain embodiments at least three laser range finders are used for distance measuring. [0010] In one embodiment a positioning place of the rock drilling rig may be determined in connection with a drilling plan. [0011] In another embodiment a positioning station of the rock drill ing rig may be determined in a separate file, wherefrom it may be retrieved and displayed to the operator. [0012] Certain embodiments may involve determining a positioning place as distances from wall surfaces of the drilling site. The distances may be indicated to the operator by means of a display device, for instance. [0013] In an embodiment coverage areas of the drill units may be verified prior to drilling. It is thus checked that the drill unit reaches to drill the holes assigned to be drilled with said drill unit in the drilling plan. [0014] Certain embodiments may involve determining after naviga tion the vertical position of the carrier by means of at least one distance meas uring device. For this task it is possible to use separate vertically directed dis tance measuring devices or, alternatively, it is possible to use at least one dis tance measuring device used for positioning and able to be turned from hori zontal direction to vertical direction. Vertical measurement makes it possible to detect whether the carrier moves during drilling, for instance, as a result of sinking jacks. Inclination of the carrier may be measured by using a plurality of upwardly or downwardly directed distance measuring devices or one or more inclinometers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] In the following some embodiments of the invention will be described in greater detail in connection with the attached drawings, in which 2648040_1 (GHMatters) P76359.AU 3a Figure 1 a schematic side view of a rock drilling rig in accordance with the invention, which rig is positioned on a drilling site and navigated in a coordinate system of the drilling site, Figure 2 is a schematic top view of an arrangement in accordance with the invention for determining the location of the rock drilling rig on the drill ing site, Figure 3 is a schematic view of a drilling plan, 28460401 (GHMatters) P76359.AU WO 2007/000492 4 PCT/F12006/050280 Figure 4 is a schematic view of a control unit and a user interface thereof, and Figure 5 is a schematic view of an arrangement for monitoring the vertical position of the rock drilling rig during drilling. [0016] For the sake of clarity, some embodiments of the invention are presented in a simplified manner in the figures. Like reference numerals refer to like parts in the figures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION [0017] A rock drilling rig 1 of Figure 1 comprises a movable carrier 2, at least one drill boom 3 and a drill unit 4 arranged on the drill boom 3. The drill unit 4 comprises a feed beam 5, onto which there is arranged a rock drill machine 6 that may be moved on the feed beam 5 by means of a feeding de vice 7. The rock drill machine 6 comprises at least one percussion device wherewith it is possible to give impact impulses to a tool 8 connected to the rock drill machine 6, and by the effect of said impact impulses the tool breaks rock and creates a drill hole. In connection with the carrier 2 there may also be jacks 9, by means of which the rock drilling rig 1 driven to a drilling site 10 may be set to a desired position, typically to a horizontal position for navigation and drilling. The rock drilling rig 1 may additionally comprise a plurality of distance measuring devices 11, such as laser range finders, which may be utilized in positioning the rock drilling rig 1. [0018] In Figure 2 the rock drilling rig 1 is driven to the drilling site 10, in this case in the rear of a tunnel. The rock drilling rig I may be positioned in a predetermined positioning station 12, where the carrier 2 is at predeter mined distances X, Y and Z from wall surfaces 13a, 13b, 13c confining the drilling site 10. During positioning the distance between the carrier 2 and the rear wall l3a may be measured with a first distance measuring device 11a, further, the distance between the carrier and the side walls 13b, 13c may be measured with a second and a third distance measuring devices 11 b and 11 c. Not until the carrier 2 has been positioned in a determined positioning station 12 are the jacks 9 set against the ground and navigation is initiated to link the accurate location of the rock drilling rig 1 to the coordinate system of the drill ing site 10. In some cases measurement of distances to the wall surfaces 13 may be carried out by means of only one distance measuring device 11, or on the other hand, there may be more than three distance measuring devices 11.

WO 2007/000492 5 PCT/F12006/050280 The distance measuring device 11 may be arranged to turn to predetermined measurement positions or it may rotate such that it measures distances in a plurality of directions. [0019] Figure 3 shows a drilling plan 14, in which there may be de termined the directions 16 of drill holes and the locations of starting points 15. For instance in so-called longhole drilling, in which the holes may be drilled in a fan-shaped pattern, it may be sufficient that the drilling plan 14 only determines the hole directions 16. In addition, the drilling plan 14 may also determine a positioning station of the rock drilling rig 1 as measurements in directions X, Y and Z. A planned location of the rock drilling rig in the positioning station may be illustrated on the drilling plan 14 by a symbol 17, When the drilling plan 14 is designed the symbol 17 may be placed in the drilling plan 14, whereafter a design program may calculate distances in directions X, Y and Z for the posi tioning station and may arrange them to be part of the drilling plan 14 or to be a separate file that may be retrieved in the memory of the control unit 30 of the rock drilling rig 1. The drilling plan 14 may also be displayed on the display de vice of the control unit 30 of the rock drilling rig 1. Prior to positioning the op erator may retrieve a drilling plan 14 created for each drilling cut onto the dis play of the control unit. Readings of the distance measuring devices 11 may be displayed to the operator on common or separate display devices. By monitor ing the readings of the display devices and by comparing them with the posi tioning station 12 indicated in the drilling plan 14, it is possible to drive the rock drilling rig 1 in a sufficiently accurate manner to the planned location on the drilling site 10, For measurements of the positioning station 12 in directions X, Y and Z there may be determined tolerances within which the carrier 2 driven in the positioning station must be located before navigation may start. [0020] Figure 4 shows a user interface 18, on the display 19 of which appear planned distances between the positioning station 12 and rock walls 13. The user interface 18 may also present at the same time or at differ ent times readings of the distance measuring devices 11. The user interface 18 may further indicate, with a suitable indicator 20 or in some other manner, the distances in directions X, Y and Z that still deviate from the predetermined dis tances. After the carrier 2 has been driven to a determined positioning station the control unit 30 may acknowledge by means of the user interface 18 the positioning and permit the initiation of navigation. This can be done visually or WO 2007/000492 6 PCT/F12006/050280 by a sound signal, for instance. Further, the control unit 30 and the user inter face 18 may be arranged to guide the operator to carry out the positioning. [0021] It is also possible to automate the driving of the rock drilling rig I to the positioning station 12. In that case the control unit 30 may be pro vided with a steering mode that may be switched on after the mine vehicle 1 has first been driven close to the drilling site 10. Thereafter the control unit 30 may steer the rock drilling rig 1 automatically to a predetermined positioning station 12, set the carrier 2 in a horizontal position by means of the jacks 9 by utilizing a clinometer 21 and thereafter allow initiation of navigation. [0022] The positioning station 12 may be determined in advance, for instance, in connection with drawing up the drilling plan, as described in the above, or the positioning station 12 may be determined on the basis of the op erator's experience, the user instructions of the rock drilling rig or some other guidelines. [0023] Figure 5 shows the rock drilling rig 1 in a drilling situation. On the carrier 2 of the rock drilling rig 1 there may be a plurality of distance meas uring devices 11 directed to a surface confining the drilling site 10 in the verti cal direction during drilling, i.e. a roof surface 13d, or alternatively, a floor sur face 1 3e. By monitoring the vertical movements of the carrier by means of these distance measuring devices 11 it is possible to detect if the jacks 9 sink in the floor surface 13e, for instance. In situations where all jacks 9 sink in the floor surface 13e, a vertical movement B is not necessarily detected by means of inclination measuring device 21 or the like, because the carrier may then retain its horizontal position. Instead, by means of each distance measuring device 11 it is possible to detect deviations from the original measurement re sults and thus it is possible to detect both inclination and vertical transfer of the carrier 2. On the carrier 2 there may be arranged one or more individual laser measuring devices 1ld fixedly pointing upwardly or downwardly or alternatively in connection with the distance measuring device 11b used in positioning there may be arranged a distance measuring device 11e pointing upwardly or downwardly, whereby the distance measuring devices 11 b and I1e constitute a kind of measuring unit 31. In some cases the beam of the laser measuring device may be diverted with a prism from horizontal direction A to vertical di rection B after the carrier 2 has been driven to the positioning station. Yet an other option is that the distance measuring device 11a used for positioning is arranged on the carrier 2 by means of a turning member 22 such that t may be WO 2007/000492 7 PCT/F12006/050280 turned in direction C to a horizontal A measuring position and to a vertical B measuring position in accordance with a measuring operation to be carried out at any particular time. It is also possible that just one distance measuring de vice 11 is arranged to monitor the vertical B position of the rock drilling rig 1 so as to detect the sinking of the rig and that one or more clinometers 21 are ar ranged to monitor the inclination of the carrier 2. Monitoring results may be conveyed from the distance measuring device 11 and the clinometer 21 to a control unit 30 for analyzing. If the measurements detect a change in the verti cal B position of the rock drilling rig, the position may be corrected by adjusting the jacks 9. Further, it is possible to carry out new navigation if substantial changes have taken place in the vertical position. The control unit 30 may be arranged to notify the operator of a change in the vertical position and the con trol unit may further suggest to the operator a jack reset or a new navigation. It is also possible that on the basis of the changed vertical position adjustments will be made in the control unit to the coordinate system to be used. It is further possible that the control unit is arranged to perform the above-described ad justment operations automatically after a change exceeding the predetermined conditions in the vertical position has taken place. The monitoring of the verti cal position and the relating measuring devices need not necessarily be asso ciated with the positioning of the positioning station but they may be utilized independently. [0024J It should be noted that the location of the positioning station may depend on the excavation method used. In typical tunnelling the rock drill ing rig is to be positioned on the centre line of the tunnel. Alternatively the posi tioning station may be determined on a border of the drilling site, for instance, in situations where the rear of the tunnel will be excavated in two or more stages. Determination of the positioning station may also take into account ob stacles as well as rock drilling and mining apparatuses found on the drilling site. [0025] The invention is not limited to tunnel drift drilling alone, but it may be utilized in any rock drilling method, in which there is a need for posi tioning a rock drilling rig to a predetermined drilling station for drilling holes de termined in the drilling plan. [0026] In some cases features of the present document may be used as such irrespective of other features. On the other hand, features of the 8 present document may be combined, where necessary, to provide various combinations. [0027] The drawings and the relating description are only intended to illustrate the inventive idea. The details of the invention may vary within the scope of the claims. [0028] In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express lan guage or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention. [0029] It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is re ferred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the pub lication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country. 2133099_1 (GHMatters)

Claims

1. A method for positioning a rock drilling rig on a drilling site, the method comprising: driving the rock drilling rig to a drilling site and positioning a carrier thereof in relation to wall surfaces surrounding the drilling site, wherein the rock drilling rig is positioned in a selected positioning place; performing post-positioning navigation in which the positioning place of the rock drilling rig is linked to a coordinate system of the drilling site based on the selected positioning place of the rock drilling rig prior to navigation and linked to a drilling plan where at least the directions of holes to be drilled are determined; initiating the drilling of the holes according to the drilling plan after the navigation, wherein movements of a drilling unit to drill holes according to the drilling plan are based on distances from the selected positioning place of the predetermined coordinate system; positioning of the rock drilling rig before starting navigation into the selected positioning place, the position of which is determined based on the distance between the rock drilling rig and wall surfaces of the drilling site; and, determining, during positioning, the location of the carrier of the rock drilling rig by means of at least one distance measuring device having a quanti tative output in relation to the wall surfaces of the drilling site.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising determining the positioning station of the rock drilling rig in connection with a drilling plan.

3. The method of claims 1 or 2, comprising: displaying at least one measurement result of the distance measur ing devices at least on one user interface; and driving the rock drilling rig manually to the positioning place taking into account the selected positioning place information and the distance meas urement results.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, com prising: 254040_1 (GHMatters) P76359.AU 10 defining the position of the positioning place as distance values from the wall surfaces of the drilling site.

5. The method of any one of the preceding claims, comprising: measuring with a first laser distance measuring device the distance between the carrier and the wall surface ahead; and measuring with a second and a third laser measuring devices dis tances between the carrier and at least one lateral wall surfaces.

6. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein when the drill unit reaches to drill the holes of the drill plan, the holes are first verified by a control unit of the rock drilling rig prior to drilling.

7. The method of any one of the preceding claims, comprising de termining after the navigation a vertical position of the carrier by means of at least two distance measuring devices.

8. The method of any one of the preceding claims , comprising: determining after the navigation, a vertical position of the carrier by means of at least two distance measuring devices, and using at least one distance measuring device employed in the posi tioning for detecting post-navigation changes in the vertical position of the car rier.

9. The method of any one of the preceding claims, comprising: after the rock drilling rig has been driven manually to the drilling site driving the rock drilling rig automatically to the positioning station steered by a control unit.

10. A rock drilling rig comprising: a movable carrier; at least one drill boom with a drill unit comprising a feed beam, feed ing means and a rock drill machine; at least one control unit, in which it is possible to store a drilling plan in which at least the direction of holes to be drilled are determined; a navigation system which is arranged to link the rock drilling rig to a 2648040_1 (GHMOtters) P76359 AU 11 predetermined coordinate system of a drilling site based on a selected posi tioning place of the rock drilling rig prior to navigation; and at least one distance measuring device having a quantitative output for determining a location of the carrier in relation to one or more wall surfaces surrounding the drilling site, wherein the control unit comprises at least one user interface, wherein the at least one measurement results of the distance measuring devices is arranged for display to an operator in at least one user interface, and before starting navigation the rock drilling rig is arranged to be driven in the positioning place that depends on the distance between the rock drilling rig and wall surfaces of the drilling site, and wherein the control unit controls the movements of the drill unit ac cording to the drilling plan based on distances from the selected positioning place of a predetermined coordinate system.

11. The rock drilling rig of claim 10, wherein the control unit is given at least one positioning place information wherein the distances between the carrier and the wall surfaces surrounding the drilling site are determined, and wherein the control unit is arranged to display the information of the positioning place to the operator in the at least one user interface.

12. The rock drilling rig of claim 10 or 11, wherein the control unit is arranged to accept initiation of navigation only af ter positioning the rock drilling rig to the positioning place.

13. The rock drilling rig according to any one of claims 10 to 12 fur ther comprising at least one vertical distance measuring device to measure vertical distance of the carrier from a floor or roof of the drilling site, wherein the vertical distance measuring device detects if jacks holding the carrier in place have sunk into the floor surface of the mine.

14. The rock drilling rig of claim 13 wherein the carrier contains jacks that adjust the vertical position of the drilling rig based on outputs from the vertical distance measuring device. 204040_1 (GHMatters) P78359.AU 12

15. The rock drilling rig of claim 13 or 14, wherein the coordinate system is adjusted to correspond to any deviation in the vertical distance from the floor or roof surface.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the step of positioning the rock drilling rig before starting navigation includes posi tioning further based on the distance between the rock drilling rig and a floor or roof surface of the drilling site.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising, after the initial positioning of the drill rig, monitoring the vertical distance between the rock drilling rig and the floor or roof surface of the drilling site.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising adjusting jacks on the carrier to adjust the vertical position of the drilling rig in response to deviation in the vertical distance between the rock drilling rig and the floor or roof surface of the drilling site.

19. The method of claim 17 or 18, further comprising adjusting the coordinate system to any deviation in the vertical distance from the floor or roof surface of the drilling site.

20. A method of positioning a rock drilling rig on a drilling site sub stantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. A rock drilling rig substantially as herein described with refer ence to the accompanying drawings. 26460401 (GHMatters) P76359.AU