Dry drilling and core acquisition system

Abstract

A rotary dry drilling system comprises a surface mounted drill having a drill bit and a drill bit driver rotationally connected by a hollow drill string. There is included core sample capture means adapted to travel from the head of the drill string to the tail of the drill string. The system also comprises an auger for removing cuttings from a comminution zone and cuttings fluidization means to facilitate transport of cuttings from the comminution zone to the auger. Once the cuttings are removed by the auger they are collected and transported to the surface for disposal.

1 . A rotary dry drilling system comprising:
 a. a surface mounted drill having a drill bit and drill bit driving means rotationally connected through a hollow drill string to said drill bit for drilling a bore through rock to obtain a core sample, wherein said drill string has a head and a tail;   b. core sample capture means adapted to travel from the head of the drill string to the tail of the drill string to capture the core sample;   c. auger means connected to said drill bit for removing cuttings from a comminution zone;   d. cuttings fluidization means connected to said head of the drill string to facilitate transport of cuttings from said comminution zone to said auger means; and,   e. cuttings management means connected to said drill string for collecting and transporting cuttings to the surface.   
   
   
       2 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said core capture means comprises a rotating gate assembly having a first open position and a second closed position; a core tube adapted to receive a core sample; an activation tube coaxial with said core tube and surrounding the core tube wherein said activation tube is adapted to mechanically engage said rotating gate assembly thereby moving it from said first open position to said second closed position; and, a screw cap adapted to engage the activation tube and transmit rotational movement from the drill motor to the activation tube so that the activation tube is forced into engagement with the gate assembly. 
   
   
       3 . The device as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the gate assembly comprises a gate assembly housing fixed to the bottom end of the core tube, said gate assembly housing adapted to house a rotating gate body. 
   
   
       4 . The device as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said rotating gate body comprises a first disc and a second disc, wherein said first and second disc each have an axis, and further wherein the first and second discs are co-axial. 
   
   
       5 . The device as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the first disc and second disc are jointed by a member between the respective rims of the first and second disc. 
   
   
       6 . The device as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the respective outside surfaces of the first and second disc each have fixed thereto a first lug and a second lug. 
   
   
       7 . The device as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said first and second disc first lug is mounted between the respective axis of each disc and the respective rim of each disc. 
   
   
       8 . The device as claimed in  claim 7  wherein said first and second disc second lug is mounted to the axis of each disc. 
   
   
       9 . The device as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said gate assembly housing includes a bottom orifice to accommodate said drill string, a left side orifice and a right side orifice wherein said left and right side orifices are opposite each other, and wherein the gate assembly housing is adapted to receive said gate body. 
   
   
       10 . The device as claimed in  claim 9  wherein said gate assembly housing further includes a first mounting plate and a second mounting plate, wherein said first and second mounting plates are fixed over the left and right orifices respectively by fixing means. 
   
   
       11 . The device as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the first and second mounting plates each further include a central aperture adapted to receive the first and second disc first lugs and permit rotational movement of the gate body about its axis. 
   
   
       12 . The device as claimed in  claim 11  wherein each of the first and second plates respectively further include a first and second arcuate slot, wherein said first and second arcuate slots are adapted to receive the first and second disc second lugs, and further wherein the first and second slots act as guides to guide the gate body from a first open position to a second closed position. 
   
   
       13 . The device in  claim 12  wherein the member is adapted to cut the core sample when the gate body is moving from the first open position to the second closed position and enclose the core within the core tube. 
   
   
       14 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said auger means comprises an externally threaded length of hollow drill string axially connected to the drill bit wherein said externally threaded length is adapted to carry cuttings out of said drill bore. 
   
   
       15 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said cuttings fluidization means comprises means for transmitting a shock wave from the top of the head of the drill string to the tail of the drill string. 
   
   
       16 . The system as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said means for transmitting a shock wave comprises a housing adapted for mounting proximate to the head of the drill string by way of an aperture through which the drill string passes, wherein said housing comprises a casing having a removeably fixed casing cap for sealing said casing and an inside bottom surface. 
   
   
       17 . The system as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the casing is adapted to contain a flapper having a pinned end and a cam end, wherein said pinned end is pivotly pinned to said inside bottom of the casing and wherein said cam end is adapted for cycling up and down at a variable frequency so that on the down stroke said flapper strikes said inside bottom surface of the casing thereby sending a shock wave down the length of the drill string. 
   
   
       18 . The system as claimed in  claim 17  wherein said cam end of the flapper is operatively in communication with a cam, wherein said cam rotates on an axis and communicates said up and down cycling motion to the flapper cam end. 
   
   
       19 . The system as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the cam is operatively connected to a motor for driving the cam rotationally about said axis. 
   
   
       20 . The system as claimed in  claim 19  wherein said motor is a variable speed motor, and wherein said variable frequency of flapper movement is regulated by regulating the speed of the motor. 
   
   
       21 . The system as claimed in  claim 20  wherein the cam end of the flapper is spring biased against the cam. 
   
   
       22 . The system as claimed in  claim 21 wherein the flapper is weighted to provide the correct magnitude of shock wave to the drill string. 
   
   
       23 . The system as claimed in  claim 22  wherein the shock wave travels to the tail of the drill string and is transmitted to the auger means and the drill bit causing the vibration thereof and resulting in the fluidization of the cuttings so that they do not clump, ball, clump or bind to the drill bit or auger means. 
   
   
       24 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said cuttings management means comprises:
 a. a bucket disposed for collecting cuttings from the auger means and transporting the cuttings to the head of the drill string;   b. a port for directing cuttings from the auger flights to the bucket wherein said port has an open position and a closed position;   c. port control means for moving the port from said open position to said closed position and from the closed position to the open position.   
   
   
       25 . The system as claimed in  claim 24  wherein said port control means comprises a tube section incorporated into the upper section of the auger means, wherein said tube section includes a first and a second port oppositely disposed proximate to the bottom of the tube section. 
   
   
       26 . The system as claimed in  claim 25  wherein the bottom end of the tube section sits over the top end of the auger so that as cuttings are carried up the auger they are forced through the open ports and into said bucket. 
   
   
       27 . The system as claimed in  claim 26  wherein the ports are closed by said port control means so that the bucket can be removed from the bore hole and so that cuttings do not fall into the centre of the bore. 
   
   
       28 . The system as claimed in  claim 27  wherein port control means comprises a wireline mechanism having a first deployed configuration and a second stored configuration. 
   
   
       29 . The system as claimed in  claim 28  wherein said first deployed position said wireline is adapted to engage the sample capture device and position it in its open position