Design and optimisation on rapid rescue well-drilling technology with large-diameter pneumatic hammers

ABSTRACT

Rescue drilling with large-diameter escape shafts is the most efficient methods to get through the trapped miners. In order to improve the penetration rate of rescue drilling technology during underground coal mine disasters, the large-diameter RC pneumatic hammer has been designed and numerically optimised. Meanwhile, the suction capacity of the RC pneumatic hammer has been investigated, including relevant field tests. Field test results have shown that the maximum penetration rate of the RC pneumatic hammer is 4.55 m/h while drilling in sandstone and limestone formations. The designed large-diameter pneumatic hammer dramatically reduces the drilling time in the rescue operation of mine accidents.

KEYWORDS:

• Percussive-rotary drilling
• RC pneumatic hammer
• rescue well drilling
• mine disaster
• suction capacity

Acknowledgements

The authors thank to the financial supports from the Project funded by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Project NO. 2017M612916), the Open Research Fund Program of Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Shale Gas Resource Utilization, Hunan University of Science and Technology (Grant No. E21820), the Special Project funded by Chongqing Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Project No. Xm2017066), the State Key Research Development Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFC0804202), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Project No. 106112017CDJXY240001).The authors thank to Prof Jianming Peng and Dr Liming Fan, Zhi-wei Liao, for their precious help.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [grant number 2017M612916]; Hunan University of Science and Technology [grant number E21820] Chongqing Postdoctoral Science Foundation [grant number Xm2017066]; the State Key Research Development Program of China [grant number 2017YFC0804202]; and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [grant number 106112017CDJXY240001].