IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering

PAPER • OPEN ACCESS

Determination of rock fracture parameters in directional percussion

drilling with drillhole path adjustability
To cite this article: E M Chernienkov 2021 IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng. 1118 012002

View the article online for updates and enhancements.

This content was downloaded from IP address 178.171.66.226 on 24/03/2021 at 01:12

MEMT 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1118 (2021) 012002 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1118/1/012002

Determination of rock fracture parameters in directional

percussion drilling with drillhole path adjustability

E M Chernienkov
Chinakal Institute of Mining, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences,
54, Krasnyi prospect, Novosibirsk, 630091, Russia

E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: The paper reviews the existing technologies and equipment for drilling in rocks and
soil with adjustable path of drillholes. The author describes a new method of percussion drilling
and its application prospects. A lab-scale testing installation for physical simulation of rock
fracture in drilling by the new method is presented. The force and impact characteristics required
for the method implementation are updated.

1. Introduction
Drilling is an integral process of mineral mining. Development and improvement of drilling
technologies and equipment will contribute to safer, easier and more efficient production of minerals
[1, 2]. One of the promising and lively evolving trends in the drilling technology is controllable path
drilling in very strong and medium-strong rocks.
This trend is initiated in the mining science to enhance efficiency of increasingly deeper level mining
for higher quality delineation of ore bodies, better heading and shaft sinking using efficient drill and
blast pattern designs at lower oversize yield [3, 4].
In the coal mining industry, controllable path drilling is applicable in top coal caving as adjustment
of drilling paths can allow considerable reduction in work content of initiation slot drilling. Other than
that, directional drilling technique simplifies drilling of service and drainage holes.
Potentially, adjustable path drilling is applicable in oil and gas reservoir engineering, when vertical
drilling is complicated due to terrain conditions or can cause major environmental damage. Furthermore,
the method can be effective in drilling with by-pass of undrillable zones or different facilities arranged
on ground surface [5].
Thus, we need a technology for any-purpose production or shot long hole drilling in mineral mining
at the ensured accuracy of path and with capacity to come to a preset point in underground space.
Considering the above listed limitations, development of the controllable path drilling technology and
equipment for very strong and medium-strength rocks is a relevant and challenging problem.

2. Controllable path drilling technologies and equipment

Hole-making with adjustable path in construction in very strong rocks uses the horizontal direction
drilling technology (HDD) [6]. A HDD plant is equipped with special blades (figure 1). Drilling involves
rotation of a drilling column and feed of an energy source, which is also a mud fluid. Intended deviation
of the drilling path trajectory at a wanted angle is achieved by means of stoppage of rotation, which
results in asymmetrical breakage of the hole bottom. As the required offset is gained, rotation is resumed
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution
of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd 1
MEMT 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1118 (2021) 012002 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1118/1/012002

with uniform cutting of the bottom hole and with straight-line drilling. The features of this method are
difficult navigation of the drilling tool in underground space, as well as complex working environment,
i.e. soil and rocks up to medium strength [7].
(a) (b)

Figure 1. Horizontal directional drilling: (a) process flow chart; (b) customized drill blade.

In the known method of carving [8], a HDD plant is equipped with a DTH air hammer and a drill bit
having an asymmetrical canted front. The bottomhole is cut uniformly at constant rotation of the drilling
tool, and rerouting of the path is achieved via nonunform cutting of the bottomhole in alternate rotation
of the drilling column at a certain angle. As against HDD with special blades, carving is applicable in a
wider range rocks in terms of their strength though it also has a constraint which is associated with the
need to prevent detorsion of the drilling column in reverse rotation, which greatly complicates the
structural design and adds to the price of the equipment.
The oil and gas industries perform adjustable path drilling using rotary steerable systems and screw
downhole motors with angle adjusters (figure 2).
(a) (c)

(b)

Figure 2. Rotary steerable systems and screw downhole motors with angle adjusters: (a) push-the-bit
system; (b) point-the-bit system; (c) screw downhole motor with angle adjuster.

The rotary steerable systems bend drilling paths in three ways: Push-the-Bit—the assembly is pushed
off the hole wall [9]; Point-the-Bit—the hole is bent through re-direction of the bit by bending the main
shaft relative to the tool; Push-and-Point is a hybrid system combining the two methods above [10, 11].
Directional drilling with RSS most often uses structural configurations with the angle adjuster set
between the drive and spindle assemblies with drive shaft running through. The wanted angle is set from
the ground surface, by certain orientation of the lower adapter relative to the upper adapter. The range
of the angle is from 0 to 2.5 deg.
Controllable path drilling in soil is performed using controllable air drills (figure 3). The drilling path
is most commonly changed using differently shaped bits or by diversion of steering force [12-14].

2
MEMT 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1118 (2021) 012002 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1118/1/012002

Steering force is generated on air drills by pressure feed in the expanding cell. The cell expands and
deflects the positioning elements which push the hole walls. The created steering effort changes the path
of drilling. Shaft 2 can rotate in this case, and the process of rotary percussion drilling never stops.

Figure 3. Flow chart of re-direction of air drill.

From the review of the known methods and means for controllable path drilling, we arrive at the
conclusion that HDD, carving or RSS need a drill rig to transfer both commands and forces to the tool
at the bottomhole via the drilling column. The use of large-size drilling installations is not always
possible in the confined space of underground mines. For another thing, with drilling column in a drill
hole, a lot of energy is lost in friction between the column and the hole walls and the column can break
down. Accordingly, a promising trend in improvement of drilling equipment is engineering of
autonomous rod-less drilling assemblies for controllable path drilling in medium and high strength
rocks.

3. Controllable path percussion drilling

The Institute of Mining, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences has proposed a new
approach to controllable path drilling [15]. Figure 4 illustrates schematically this method. Here, the main
implementers are a special rock-breaking tool, air/fluid/or other source-driven percussion facilities, a
spacer and a control system to actuate and switch over the percussion facilities.
During drilling, impactors 1 make alternate blows on the sides of rock-breaking tool 2. The
percussion facilities may be DTH air drills and mechanism described in [16–18]. Under the action of
alternate impacts, the rock-breaking tool rotates in the fore-and-aft plane and breaks the bottomhole. At
a certain angle of rotation, switch 4 actuates an opposite impactor to strike the opposite the side of the
rock-breaking tool. Holding down, fixturing and pressing of the tool is carried out by aids 5 and 8. Hoses
6 and 7 enable operation and control of the assembly. A special algorithm of operation of impactors
allows the change in the drilling path.

Figure 4. A new controllable path percussion drilling method: 1 - impactors; 2 - rock-breaking tool;
3 - sides of the rock-breaking tool; 4 - switch; 5 - slide bars; 6 and 7 - hoses; 8 - spacer.
This method differs from the known technologies by the oblique direction of blows which the
impactors deliver to the rock-breaking tool, which reduces the energy intake of the process [19]. By
varying the shape of the rock-breaking tool, it is possible to obtain holes of various cross-section:
circular, square, rectangular, or slot-like. The other undeniable advantage of the new approach is
unnecessity to rotate the rock-breaking tool around the drill hole axis, which eliminates drilling column

3
MEMT 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1118 (2021) 012002 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1118/1/012002

from the equipment package. The tool is pressed to the bottom hole and is advanced by the spacer.
Moreover, no large-size drill rig is required, which greatly saves the cost of the equipment.
Efficient operating mode of the drilling assembly to implement the least energy-consuming process
of breaking in rocks of medium and high strength in case of straightline and directional drilling was
determined after applied and basic research findings on rock fracture by the rock-breaking tool of the
proposed shape and geometry under the joint effect of static and dynamic loads.
The tool–rock interaction was studied in physical simulation of the effect exerted on rock by the
rock-breaking tool under static and dynamic loading on a specially designed testing installation.

4. Lab-scale testing installation for physical modeling of rock-breaking tool–rock interaction

The lab-scale testing installation in figure 5 allows physical simulation of rock fracture using the newly
proposed method with simultaneous measurement of all parameters of interest (bend angle, rotation
angle of rock-breaking tool, broken rock volume) and concurrent adjustment of parameters, which
influence the process (hold-down of rock-breaking tool to bottom hole, unit blow energy, blow
frequency, number of blows, etc.).

(b)

(c)

(a) (d)

Figure 5. Testing installation for physical simulation of rock-breaking tool–rock interaction:

(a) general view; (b) hold-down gear; (c) shape of drill hole; (d) rock-breaking tool in the drill hole.

4
MEMT 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1118 (2021) 012002 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1118/1/012002

The testing installation in figure 5 is composed of a metal shape frame 1 and a rock mass model
block 2. The test blocks can be of different size. Gear 3 to anchor and hold-down rock-breaking tool 4
to bottomhole is arranged on the frame. It was pre-set that the hold-down force was changed in the range
from 50 to 300 N. At the top of the installation, there is a drop hammering facility 5 intended to deliver
calibrated blows to two sides of rock-breaking tool 4. The range of the blow energy was 5–15 J. Before
the tests started, an indent of the tool shape was made in in the block to eliminate pre-drilling, which
was beyond the scope of the study, and to simulate the process of drilling. Penetration of the tool in the
indent was recorded by a high-speed camera at a rate of 480 frames per second. After a series of blows
on one side of the tool, broken material was removed from the hole scaled. The average angle of turn of
the rock-breaking tool was determined as a ratio of the total angle of turn in the blow series to the number
of calibrated blows. The limiting angle of turn of the rock-breaking tool of this size in the hole is 15 deg.
The rock mass model material was sand-and-cement with cement grade CEM I42.5 having the
physical and mechanical properties as follows: compression strength 40–45 MPa and density 1800
kg/m3. The block size was 400×400×400 mm. Such material simulates rocks of medium strength, is
uniform, has no inclusions, can provide better repeatability of the experiment and makes it possible to
adjust and approve the experimentation procedure initially.
First, a series of blows was made on one side of the rock-breaking tool at a certain blow energy and
hold-down pressure. Then, the bottomhole was cleaned, chips were removed and scaled. The process
was video recorded. After processing and interpretation of the test data, rock drilling efficiency in the
new method will be assessed using the procedure from [20, 21] and compared with the conventional
rotary percussion drilling technology [22].
After the first test series, it has been found that at the hold-down pressure of the rock-breaking tool
to the bottomhole of 300 N, the tool jumps off the bottomhole and slips without damaging and cutting
of the test material. Figure 6 presents the graph of the average tool turn angle versus its hold-down
pressure. At the hold-down of 250–300 N and blow energy more than 5 J, the tool penetrates the block
and drilling takes place. Thus, feasibility of the approach is proved, but it is required to modify the
testing installation to implement higher axial hold-down pressure of the rock-breaking tool to the bottom
hole and higher energy of unit blow. An increase in the hold-down results in a decrease in the average
turn of the bit at fulfillment of penetration as the pressure neutralizes jump-off of the tool from the
bottom hole.

10
Average angle of turn of
rock-breaking tool, deg

8 a
6
b
4

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Hold-down pressure, N

Figure 6. Average turn angle of rock-breaking tool versus its hold-down pressure to bottom hole:
(a) blow energy 10 J; (b) blow energy 5 J.

5. Conclusions
1. The review and discussion of the existing controllable path drilling technologies and equipment for
rocks and soil has revealed shortcomings of them.

5
MEMT 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1118 (2021) 012002 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1118/1/012002

2. The new method proposed for the directional drilling features adjustability of the drilling path and
the capacity of the method to drill holes of differently shaped cross-section.
3. Feasibility of the new rock drilling method is proved on a laboratory scale. The force and impact
values required for implementation of the new drilling method are refined, and appropriate modification
of the testing installation is planned.

References
[1] Karpov V N, Timonin V V, Konurin A I and Chernienkov E M 2019 Improvement of drilling
efficiency in underground in mines in Russia, IOP Conference Series Earth and
Environmental Science DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/262/1/012024
[2] Kondratenko A S, Timonin V V, Karpov V N and Popelyukh A I 2018 Ways to improve rotary-
percussive drilling efficiency Gornyi Zhurnal 5, pp 63–68
[3] Mametiev L E, Ananiev A N, Lyubimov O V and Zhaldin D V 2000 Prospects for horizontal
drilling in underground mines, Gorn Inform -Analit Byull, 2000 11
[4] Levinson L M, Akbulatov T O and Akchurin Kh I 2000 Borehole Bending Adjustment: Teaching
Aid, Ufa: UGNTU
[5] Norman J. Hyne 2001 Nontechnical Guide to Petroleum Geology, Exploration, Drilling and
Production. 2nd Edition Penwell Corp.
[6] Serebrennikov A A 2020 Laying Underground Engineering Communications with Horizontal
Directional Drilling: A Training Manual Moscow: KNORUS
[7] Kondratenko A S, Timonin V V and Patutin A V 2016 Prospects for directional drilling in hard
rocks Journal of Mining Science 52 1 pp 129–134
[8] Maksimov A S 2018 Improving the efficiency of a horizontal directional drilling rig in difficult
soil conditions Proc. II International Scientific and Practical Conference of Students,
Graduate Students and Young Scientists Omsk: SibADI pp 46–48
[9] Push-the-Bit RSS—Weatherford. Available at: https://www.weatherford.com/en/products-and-
services/drilling/drilling-services/rotary-steerable-systems/push-the-bit-rss/
[10] Point the Bit Rotary Steerable Systems—Schlumberger. Available at: https://www.slb.ru/
[11] Point+Point— Halliburton. Available at: https://www.halliburton.com/
[12] Danilov B B, Smolyanitsky B N and Cheshchin D O 2019 Design parameters of the device for
adjusting a trajectory of pneumatic puncher motion in soil IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ.
Sci. 262 012012
[13] Danilov B B, Smolyanitsky B N, Chanyshev A I and Cheshchin D O 2018. Determination of
pneumatic puncher turn radius during change of its motion path in solid Journal of Mining
Science 54 3 pp. 397–403
[14] Danilov B B, Smolyanitsky B N and Cheshchin D O 2015 Justification of basic diagrams of
horizontal drilling deflectors Journal of Mining Science 51 3 pp 553–561
[15] Timonin V V, Alekseev S E, Chernienkov E M 2018 Patent US2675614A Method of shock
drilling
[16] Timonin V V DTH air hammers for underground mines. Gorn. Oborud. Elektromek. 2(11) pp 13–
17
[17] Timonin V V, Alekseev S E, Kokoulin D I, Kubanychbek and Chernienkov E M 2018 Air
distribution analysis in DTH air hammer with valve–piston couple Interexpo Geo-Sibir Conf.
Proc. 6 pp 207–217
[18] Timonin V V, Alekseev S E, Kokoulin D I, Kubanychbek B and Chernienkov E M 2018 Influence
of part-to-part gaps in air distribution system on operation of DTH hammer IOP Conference
Series Earth and Environmental Science DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/262/1/012073
[19] Pokrovsky G N and Zakablukovsky N G 1976 Analysis of rock fracture process under oblique
impact as applied to drilling Transfer of Impact and Percussive Machines pp 51–65 (in
Russian)

6
MEMT 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1118 (2021) 012002 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1118/1/012002

[20] Timonin V V and Karpov V N 2016 Assessment of rock failure process under percussion–rotary
drilling Fundament. Prikl. Vopr. Gorn. Nauk vol 3 2 pp 172–176
[21] Karpov V N, Timonin V V, Tkachuk A K, Konurin A I et al 2018 Patent RU2674350C1 Acoustic
test of impact of percussion tools of mining and construction machines on geomedium
[22] Oparin V N, Timonin V V, Karpov V N, Smolyanitsky B N 2017 Energy-based volumetric rock
destruction criterion in the rotary–percussion drilling technology improvement Journal of
Mining Science vol 53 6 pp 1043–1064