Auto-crowd control in mobile drill rigs based on soil condition

Abstract

Systems and methods for operating mobile drill equipment including an auger. The system includes one or more sensors and an electronic controller. The one or more sensors are configured to monitor the mobile drill equipment while the mobile drill equipment performs a drill task. The electronic controller is configured to receive, from at least one of the one or more sensors, sensor data while the mobile drill equipment performs the drill task. The electronic controller is also configured to determine, based on the sensor data, a condition of soil proximate to the mobile drill equipment. The electronic controller is further configured to adjust a rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for operating mobile drill equipment including an auger, comprising:
 one or more sensors configured to monitor the mobile drill equipment while the mobile drill equipment performs a drill task; and   an electronic controller configured to: 
 receive, from at least one of the one or more sensors, sensor data while the mobile drill equipment performs the drill task, 
 determine, based on the sensor data, a condition of soil proximate to the mobile drill equipment, and 
 adjust a rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein, to adjust the rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil, the electronic controller is further configured to:
 decrease the rotary speed of the auger when the condition of the soil is hard, and   increase the rotary speed of the auger when the condition of the soil is soft.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the sensor data indicates a rotary pressure on the auger, and wherein, to determine, based on the sensor data, the condition of the soil, the electronic controller is further configured to:
 determine the condition of the soil is soft when the sensor data indicates that the rotary pressure on the auger is less than a predetermined range during the drilling task, and   determine the condition of the soil is hard when the sensor data indicates that the rotary pressure on the auger is greater than the predetermined range during the drilling task.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller is further configured to adjust a crowd force applied by the mobile drill equipment based on the condition of the soil. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein, to adjust the crowd force applied by the mobile drill equipment based on the condition of the soil, the electronic controller is further configured to stop the mobile drill equipment from applying the crowd force when the condition of the soil is hard. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the sensor data indicates a tilt angle of a vehicle chassis upon which the mobile drill equipment is mounted, and wherein, to determine, based on the sensor data, the condition of the soil, the electronic controller is further configured to determine the condition of the soil is hard when the sensor data indicates that the tilt angle of the vehicle chassis changes by at least a predetermined amount during a crowding down of the auger. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein, to adjust the rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil, the electronic controller is further configured to:
 set the rotary speed of the auger to a first predetermined speed when the condition of the soil is a first soil type, and   set the rotary speed of the auger to a second predetermined speed when the condition of the soil is a second soil type.   
     
     
         8 . A method for operating mobile drill equipment including an auger, comprising:
 receiving, from one or more sensors, sensor data while the mobile drill equipment performs a drill task;   determining, by an electronic controller and based on the sensor data, a condition of soil proximate to the mobile drill equipment; and   adjusting, by the electronic controller, a rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein adjusting, by the electric controller, the rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil further includes:
 decreasing, by the electric controller, the rotary speed of the auger when the condition of the soil is hard, and   increasing, by the electric controller, the rotary speed of the auger when the condition of the soil is soft.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the sensor data indicates a rotary pressure on the auger, and wherein determining, by the electronic controller and based on the sensor data, the condition of the soil further includes:
 determining, by the electronic controller, the condition of the soil is soft when the sensor data indicates that the rotary pressure on the auger is less than a predetermined range during the drilling task, and   determining, by the electronic controller, the condition of the soil is hard when the sensor data indicates that the rotary pressure on the auger is greater than the predetermined range during the drilling task.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising adjusting, by the electronic controller, a crowd force applied by the mobile drill equipment based on the condition of the soil. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein adjusting, by the electronic controller, the crowd force applied by the mobile drill equipment based on the condition of the soil further includes stopping, by the electronic controller, the mobile drill equipment from applying the crowd force when the condition of the soil is hard. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the sensor data indicates a tilt angle of a vehicle chassis upon which the mobile drilling equipment is mounted, and wherein determining, by the electronic controller and based on the sensor data, the condition of the soil further includes determining, by the electronic controller, the condition of the soil is hard when the sensor data indicates that the tilt angle of the vehicle chassis is greater than a predetermined threshold during a crowding down of the auger. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein adjusting, by the electric controller, the rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil further includes:
 setting, by the electronic controller, the rotary speed of the auger to a first predetermined speed when the condition of the soil is a first soil type, and   setting, by the electronic controller, the rotary speed of the auger to a second predetermined speed when the condition of the soil is a second soil type.   
     
     
         15 . A vehicle-mounted drill rig, comprising:
 a vehicle chassis;   drill equipment mounted to the vehicle chassis and including an auger;   one or more sensors configured to monitor the drill equipment while the drill equipment performs a drill task; and   an electronic controller configured to: 
 receive, from at least one of the one or more sensors, sensor data while the drill equipment performs the drill task, 
 determine, based on the sensor data, a condition of soil proximate to the drill equipment, and 
 adjust a rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil. 
   
     
     
         16 . The vehicle-mounted drill rig of  claim 15 , wherein, to adjust the rotary speed of the auger based on the condition of the soil, the electronic controller is further configured to:
 decrease the rotary speed of the auger when the condition of the soil is hard, and   increase the rotary speed of the auger when the condition of the soil is soft.   
     
     
         17 . The vehicle-mounted drill rig of  claim 16 , wherein the sensor data indicates a rotary pressure on the auger, and wherein, to determine, based on the sensor data, the condition of the soil, the electronic controller is further configured to:
 determine the condition of the soil is soft when the sensor data indicates that the rotary pressure on the auger is less than a predetermined range during the drilling task, and   determine the condition of the soil is hard when the sensor data indicates that the rotary pressure on the auger is greater than the predetermined range during the drilling task.   
     
     
         18 . The vehicle-mounted drill rig of  claim 15 , wherein the electronic controller is further configured to stop the drill equipment from applying a crowd force when the condition of the soil is hard. 
     
     
         19 . The vehicle-mounted drill rig of  claim 18 , wherein the sensor data indicates a tilt angle of the vehicle chassis, and wherein, to determine, based on the sensor data, the condition of the soil, the electronic controller is further configured to determine the condition of the soil is hard when the sensor data indicates that the tilt angle of the vehicle chassis is greater than a predetermined threshold during a crowding down of the auger. 
     
     
         20 . The vehicle-mounted drill rig of  claim 15 , wherein the drill equipment further includes: a mast mounted to the vehicle chassis,
 a winch,   a drive gearbox, and   a kelly bar operatively coupled with the mast between the drive gearbox and the winch, wherein the auger is coupled to the kelly bar.