Method and Apparatus for Establishing a Manual Governor Control Setting in an Electro-Hydraulic System

Abstract

An horizontal directional drilling (HDD) system having dynamically scalable control settings is disclosed. Such a system can include a drill pipe configured to attach to a boring tool, a user control having an input device moveable in position along an input range, the user control configured to output a control signal proportional to the position of the input device along the input range, a pump having an output range, the pump configured to move the drill pipe at various output levels over the output range based on the control signal, and a controller coupled to the user control and the pump, the controller configured to execute program instructions stored in memory to cause the HDD system to: perform drilling operations in a first control setting in which the output range of the pump corresponds to the input range of the user control and changes in output of the pump are proportional to positional changes of the input device along the input range, and perform drilling operations in a second control setting in which the output range of the pump is limited by a output limit and changes in output of the pump are proportionally scaled to positional changes of the input device along the input range.

1 . An horizontal directional drilling (HDD) system having dynamically scalable control, comprising:
 a drill pipe configured to attach to a boring tool;   a user control having an input device moveable in position along an input range, the user control configured to output a control signal proportional to the position of the input device along the input range;   a pump having an output range, the pump configured to move the drill pipe at various output levels over the output range based on the control signal; and   a controller coupled to the user control and the pump, the controller configured to execute program instructions stored in memory to cause the HDD system to:
 perform drilling operations in a first control setting in which the output range of the pump corresponds to the input range of the user control and changes in output of the pump are proportional to positional changes of the input device along the input range; and 
 perform drilling operations in a second control setting in which the output range of the pump is limited by a output limit and changes in output of the pump are proportionally scaled to positional changes of the input device along the input range. 
   
   
   
       2 . The HDD system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to dynamically transition operation of the HDD system from the first control setting to the second control setting without an interruption in drill pipe movement associated with a decrease in output of the pump. 
   
   
       3 . The HDD system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute stored program instructions to cause the HDD system to dynamically transition operation of the HDD system from the second control setting to the first control setting without an interruption in drill pipe movement associated with a decrease in output of the pump when the input device is positioned in a neutral position of the input range when in the second control setting and a switch is toggled. 
   
   
       4 . The HDD system of  claim 1 , wherein the output limit in the second control setting is based on a level of the control signal corresponding to an output level of the pump in the first control setting when a switch was toggled. 
   
   
       5 . The HDD system of  claim 4 , wherein the output limit in the second control setting is further based on the level of the control signal corresponding to an output level of the pump in the first control setting that was maintained over a period of time beginning when a switch was toggled. 
   
   
       6 . The HDD system of  claim 1 , wherein the output limit in the second control setting is based on an output constant amount and a level of the control signal corresponding to an output level of the pump in the first control setting when a switch was toggled. 
   
   
       7 . The HDD system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute stored program instructions to cause the HDD system to calibrate the full output range of the pump to the full input range of the user control in the first control setting. 
   
   
       8 . The HDD system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute stored program instructions to cause the HDD system to calibrate the full output range of the pump to the full input range of the user control in the first control setting, and wherein the output range of the pump limited by the output limit in the second control setting proportionally corresponds to the full input range of the user control. 
   
   
       9 . The HDD system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute stored program instructions to cause the HDD system to rescale the output range of the pump limited by the output limit to the full input range of the user control when the input device is positioned in a neutral position of the input range when in the second control setting. 
   
   
       10 . The HDD system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute stored program instructions to cause the HDD system to change the output limit in response to a user input and then rescale the output range of the pump limited by the adjusted output limit to the full input range of the user control when in the second control setting. 
   
   
       11 . The HDD system of  claim 1 , wherein the pump is configured to rotate the drill pipe at various output levels over the output range based on the control signal and the output limit corresponds to one or both of a rotation rate limit and a hydraulic fluid pump pressure limit. 
   
   
       12 . The HDD system of  claim 1 , wherein the pump is configured to linearly advance the drill pipe at various output levels over the output range based on the control signal and the output limit corresponds to one or both of an advancement speed limit and a hydraulic fluid pump pressure limit. 
   
   
       13 . A method of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) with dynamic scalable controls, comprising:
 moving a drill string using a pump operating at an output level of an output range, the output level corresponding to a position of an input control along an input range in a first control setting;   changing the output level of the pump in the first control setting, wherein changes in the output level of the pump in the first control setting are proportional to positional changes in the input control along the input range;   transitioning from the first control setting to a second control setting while maintaining at least some motion of the drill string;   determining an output limit of the output range of the pump;   moving the drill string using the pump in the second control setting, the output range of the pump limited by the output limit in the second control setting; and   changing the output level of the pump in the second control setting, wherein changes in the output level of the pump within the output range in the second control setting are proportionally scaled to positional changes in the input control along the input range.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising
 identifying a desired change in output of the pump while in the first control setting;   detecting that the desired change in pump output is too small to be effected by a positional change of the input control along the input range in the first control setting;   transitioning from the first control setting to the second control setting to increase sensitivity between the input control and pump output; and   making the desired change in pump output using the second control setting.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the output of the pump and associated drill string movement is not changed during the transition from the first control setting to the second control setting. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the output limit in the second control setting is based on the level of pump output corresponding to the position of the input control along the input range when a switch is toggled in the first control setting. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the output limit in the second control setting is based on the level of pump output corresponding to the position of the input control along the input range that was maintained for a period of time after a switch was toggled in the first control setting. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the output limit in the second control setting is based on an output constant amount and the level of pump output corresponding to the position of the input control along the input range when a switch is toggled in the first control setting. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising calibrating the full output range of the pump to the full input range of the input control in the first control setting, wherein the output range of the pump limited by the output limit in the second control setting proportionally corresponds to the full input range of the user control. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising proportionally rescaling the output range of the pump limited by the output limit to the full input range of the user control when the input control is positioned in a neutral position of the input range when in the second control setting. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising changing the output limit in response to a user input and then rescaling the output range of the pump limited by the adjusted output limit to the full input range of the input control when in the second control setting. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein moving the drill string using the pump in the first and second control settings further comprises rotating the drill using a hydraulic fluid rotation pump corresponding to the pump, wherein changing the output level of the pump in the first and second control settings further comprises changing one or both of a rotation rate and hydraulic fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid rotation pump, and wherein the output limit is one or both of a maximum rotation rate and a maximum hydraulic fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid rotation pump. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein moving the drill string using the pump in the first and second control settings further comprises linearly advancing the drill string using a hydraulic fluid thrust pump corresponding to the pump, wherein changing the output level of the pump in the first and second control settings further comprises changing one or both of an advancement speed and hydraulic fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid thrust pump, and wherein the output limit is one or both of a maximum advancement speed and a maximum hydraulic fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid thrust pump. 
   
   
       24 . A horizontal directional drilling (HDD) system with dynamic scalable controls, comprising:
 means for moving a drill string using a pump operating at an output level of an output range, the output level corresponding to a position of an input control along an input range in a first control setting;   means for changing the output level of the pump in the first control setting, wherein changes in the output level of the pump in the first control setting are proportional to positional changes in the input control along the input range;   means for transitioning from the first control setting to a second control setting while maintaining at least some motion of the drill string;   means for determining an output limit of the output range of the pump;   means for moving the drill string using the pump in the second control setting, the output range of the pump limited by the output limit in the second control setting; and   means for changing the output level of the pump in the second control setting, wherein changes in the output level of the pump within the output range in the second control setting are proportionally scaled to positional changes in the input control along the input range.   
   
   
       25 . The HDD system of  claim 24 , wherein the output of the pump and associated drill string movement is not changed during the transition from the first control setting to the second control setting.