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 having a comminution zone 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. a core sample capture device disposed within a core capture tube proximate to the tail of the drill string, said core capture tube disposed within an activation tube for transmitting activating and deactivating forces to the core capture device by means of a wire line; said core capture device comprising:
 i. a rotating scoop assembly having a first open position and a second closed position; 
 ii. a core tube adapted to receive a core sample; 
 iii. wherein, the activation tube is coaxial with said core tube and surrounds the core tube; 
 iv. and wherein, the activation tube is adapted to mechanically engage said rotating scoop assembly thereby moving it from said first open position to said second closed position; and, 
 v. the core capture tube further comprising 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 scoop assembly; 
   c. an auger tube disposed around the activation tube and above the drill bit, for removing cuttings from said comminution zone;   d. a cuttings fluidization apparatus connected to said head of the drill string to facilitate transport of cuttings from the comminution zone to said auger tube; and,   e. cuttings management means connected to said drill string for collecting and transporting cuttings to the surface.   
     
     
         2 . The device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the scoop assembly comprises a lower housing fixed to the bottom end of the core tube, said lower housing adapted to house a rotating scoop member. 
     
     
         3 . The device as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said rotating scoop member comprises a first disc and a second disc, wherein:
 a. said first and second discs each have an axis; 
 b. the first and second discs are co-axial and joined by a joining member between the respective rims of the first and second discs; 
 c. the respective outside surfaces of the first and second discs each have fixed thereto a first lug and a second lug; 
 d. said first lug is mounted between the respective axis of each disc of the first and second discs and the respective rim of each disc of the first and second discs; and, 
 e. said second lug is mounted to the axis of each of the first and second discs. 
 
     
     
         4 . The device as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said lower 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 receives said gate body. 
     
     
         5 . The device as claimed in  claim 4  wherein said gate assembly housing further comprises:
 a. a first mounting plate fixed over the left orifice; 
 b. a second mounting plate fixed over the right orifice; 
 c. wherein said first and second mounting plates each further include a central aperture for receiving the first and second disc first lugs permitting rotational movement of the gate body about its axis; and, 
 d. wherein the first and second mounting plates respectively further include a first and second arcuate slots for receiving the first and second disc second lugs for guiding the gate body from a first open position to a second closed position. 
 
     
     
         6 . The device in  claim 5  wherein the joining member cuts the core sample when the gate body is moving from the first open position to the second closed position and encloses the core within the core tube. 
     
     
         7 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said cuttings fluidization apparatus comprises a shock wave transmitter for transmitting a shock wave from the top of the head of the drill string to the tail of the drill string. 
     
     
         8 . The system as claimed in  claim 7  wherein said shock wave transmitter comprises a housing mounted proximate to the head of the drill string by 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. 
     
     
         9 . The system as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the casing is adapted to contain a flapper having a pinned end and a cam end, wherein said pinned end is pivotally 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. 
     
     
         10 . The system as claimed in  claim 9  wherein said cam end of the flapper communicates with a cam, wherein said cam rotates on an axis and communicates said up and down cycling motion to the flapper cam end. 
     
     
         11 . The system as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the cam is connected to a variable speed motor for driving the cam rotationally about said axis, and wherein said variable frequency of flapper movement is regulated by regulating the speed of the motor, and wherein the cam end of the flapper is spring biased against the cam. 
     
     
         12 . The system as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the flapper is weighted to provide a correct magnitude of shock wave to the drill string. 
     
     
         13 . The system as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the shock wave travels to the tail of the drill string and is transmitted to the auger tube 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 tube. 
     
     
         14 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said cuttings management means comprises:
 a. a bucket for collecting cuttings from the auger tube and transporting the cuttings to the head of the drill string; 
 b. a port for directing cuttings from the auger tube 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. 
 
     
     
         15 . The system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein said port control means comprises a tube section incorporated into the upper section of the auger tube, wherein said tube section includes a first and a second port oppositely disposed proximate to the bottom of the tube section. 
     
     
         16 . The system as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the bottom end of the tube section sits over the top end of the auger tube so that as cuttings are carried up the auger tube they are forced through the open ports and into said bucket. 
     
     
         17 . The system as claimed in  claim 16  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. 
     
     
         18 . The system as claimed in  claim 17  wherein port control means comprises a wireline mechanism having a first deployed configuration and a second stored configuration. 
     
     
         19 . The system as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said first deployed position said wireline is adapted to engage the sample capture device and position it in its open position.