Resonance-Enabled Drills, Resonance Gauges, and Related Methods

Abstract

Provided herein is a resonance-enabled drill, comprising a housing; one or more force generators chosen from one or more voice coil actuators, one or more eccentrics driven by one or more electric motors, or combinations thereof; one or more sonic heads coupled to the one or more force generators; a plurality of springs coupling the housing to the one or more sonic heads; and a drill rod disposed on its proximal end to the one or more sonic heads. Also provided is a gauge for a sonic drill configured to display information to an operator, for example indicating to the operator when the drill is on or near resonance. Further provided are methods for selecting a resonance frequency in a sonic drill.

1 . A resonance-enabled drill, comprising:
 a housing;   one or more force generators chosen from one or more voice coil actuators, or one or more eccentrics driven by one or more electric motors;   one or more sonic heads coupled to the one or more force generators;   a plurality of springs coupling the housing to the one or more sonic heads; and   a drill rod disposed on its proximal end to the one or more sonic heads.   
     
     
         2 . The drill of  claim 1 , further comprising a bit disposed on the distal end of the drill rod. 
     
     
         3 . The drill of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more voice coil actuators comprise a coil assembly rigidly disposed on the housing or on a reflection mass and a magnet assembly disposed on the one or more sonic heads. 
     
     
         4 . The drill of  claim 3 , wherein the coil assembly of each of the one or more voice coil actuators has little to no motion compared to the one or more sonic heads. 
     
     
         5 . The drill of  claim 1 , wherein each eccentric is driven by one electric motor. 
     
     
         6 . The drill of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more force generators comprises two paired sets of eccentrics configured to exert no vertical force, using a 180° phase angle between the two paired sets of eccentrics. 
     
     
         7 . The drill of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more force generators comprises two paired sets of eccentrics configured to exert full vertical force, using a 0° phase angle between the two paired sets of eccentrics. 
     
     
         8 . The drill of  claim 1 , further comprising a seal disposed between the housing and the drill rod. 
     
     
         9 . The drill of  claim 1 , further comprising a spring-damper disposed between the drill rod and the bit. 
     
     
         10 . The drill of  claim 9 , wherein the spring-damper cushions impact of the drill bit by widening and lowering impulse magnitude, whereby transfer of primary resonant energy to unwanted resonant modes is lowered, and the drill bit is kept in motion and not fused with a workpiece. 
     
     
         11 . The drill of  claim 1 , further comprising an energy transfer rod and flange adaptor disposed between the one or more sonic heads and the drill rod. 
     
     
         12 . The drill of  claim 1 , further comprising between the one or more sonic heads a rotor disposed on the drill rod, and a stator and stator housing disposed on the housing. 
     
     
         13 . The drill of  claim 1 , wherein the kinetic energy stored in the drill by the one or more sonic heads is directly offset by potential energy stored within the plurality springs. 
     
     
         14 . The drill of  claim 1 , further comprising a reflection mass coupled to the one or more sonic heads through a second plurality of springs and configured to offset the kinetic energy stored in the drill. 
     
     
         15 . The drill of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a plurality of plates and a plurality of standoffs. 
     
     
         16 . The drill of  claim 1 , having a resonance frequency, and, when the drill is on resonance, an input force is in phase with the resultant oscillation velocity of the one or more sonic heads. 
     
     
         17 . A gauge for a sonic drill configured to display information to an operator when the drill is on or near resonance, wherein the information comprises one or more parameters chosen from an amplitude of the drill bit, a resonant frequency of the drill, a stress state, power components of the drill, and safe operating frequencies. 
     
     
         18 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method for selecting a resonance frequency in a sonic drill comprising a force generator, one or more sonic heads, and a gauge, the method comprising:
 measuring phase between the force generator and the one or more sonic heads in the sonic drill; and   displaying resonance on the gauge to indicate the resonance frequency of the drill based on the phase.   
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , when the sonic drill comprises a bit, the method further comprises maximizing the ratio between bit motion and motion of the one or more sonic heads. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising, when the sonic drill comprises a bit and penetration of the bit is slowed or ceased, reducing the weight on the bit to adjust the resonance frequency of the drill to continue drilling. 
     
     
         30 - 36 . (canceled)