Remote control directional drilling system

Claim 2

A remote control directional drilling system which is used for the purpose of drilling directional well holes, attaches to the downhole end of a standard drill pipe string and consists of a downhole motor and the downhole motors input is connected to the downhole end of said drill pipe string, a drive shaft that is attached to the output shaft of the downhole motor and the drive shaft consists of two sections, a flexible connection that connects the two drive shaft sections, a drill bit that connects to the downhole end of the drive shaft, a drive shaft housing that is attached to the downhole end of the downhole motor and encloses and provides support for the drive shaft, the drive shaft housing consists of two sections, a flexible connection that connects the two drive shaft housing sections and corresponds in location with the flexible connection that connects the two drive shaft sections, an uphole flange mount which holds the drive shaft section attached to the output shaft of the downhole motor in the center of the drive shaft housing section attached to the downhole end of the downhole motor and the uphole flange mount is Mounted inside the said drive shaft housing section near the point where said drive shaft housing section is attached to the flexible connection which connects the two sections of drive shaft housing, a downhole flange mount which holds the drive shaft section attached to the drill bit in the center of the drive shaft housing section connected to the downhole end of the flexible connection that connects the two sections of the drive shaft housing and the downhole flange mount is mounted inside the said drive shaft housing section near where the said drive shaft housing is connected to said flexible connection and the said drive shaft housing section supports the drive shaft where the drive shaft attaches to the drill bit, an attitude and remote control guidance system which controls the direction of the remote control directional drilling system by receiving direction commands radiated down the drill pipe string by electromagnetic waves and orientating the drive shaft section attached to the drill bit and the drive shaft housing section enclosing said drive shaft section and the drill bit in the direction directed by the direction commands, the drive shaft housing section attached to the downhole end of the downhole motor encloses the attitude and remote control guidance system, an electrical generator which provides electrical power to the attitude and remote control guidance system and is operated by the drive shaft section attached to the output shaft of the downhole motor, an hydraulic pump which provides hydraulic power to the attitude and remote control guidance system and is operated by the drive shaft section attached to the output shaft of the downhole motor, the drilling fluids pumped down through the drill pipe string to operate the downhole are exhausted through the output shaft of the downhole motor through the drive shaft sections through the flexible connection that connects the drive shaft sections and through the drill bit.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 including an attitude and remote control guidance system which consists of an attitude and direction detector which detects the attitude and direction of the drive shaft housing section attached to the downhole end of the downhole motor, an attitude and direction transmitter which receives attitude and direction data from the attitude and direction detector and transmits said data up the drill pipe string by electromagnetic waves, a telemetry receiver at the top of the well hole and the telemetry receiver receives the attitude and direction data transmitted up the drill pipe string so said data can be displayed to an operator, a data line which is connected from the attitude and direction detector to the attitude and direction transmitter and carries attitude and direction data from the attitude and direction detector to the attitude and direction transmitter, a control receiver which receives direction commands radiated by electromagnetic waves down the drill pipe string, a command transmitter at the top of the well hole that an operator uses to transmit direction commands by electromagnetic waves down the drill pipe string to the control receiver, a control unit which receives the direction commands received by the control receiver and controls the hydraulic fluid flow from the hydraulic pump to position the drive shaft section and drive shaft housing section on the downhole side of said sections respective flexible connections and the drill bit in the direction directed by the direction commands, a data line connected from the control receiver to the control unit and carries direction commands received by the control receiver to the control unit, a hydraulic line which provides hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pump to the control unit, a hydraulic line which provides hydraulic fluid from the control unit to the hydraulic pump, four position cylinders which are double acting cylinders with double shafts, the position cylinders are mounted on the uphole side of the uphole flange mount, the position cylinders are lOcated ninety degrees apart around the uphole flange mount, four drilled holes from the uphole side to the downhole side of the uphole flange mount and one hole is located under each position cylinder, the downhole shaft of each position cylinder extends through the hole located under the position cylinder, four mounting brackets which are mounted on the uphole side of the downhole flange mount and one mounting bracket is located under each position cylinder, four hinge bolts which attach the four downhole shafts of the position cylinders to the four mounting brackets, one transducer mounted on the uphole end of each position cylinder and is activated by the uphole shaft of the position cylinder, each transducer transmits continually to the control unit the piston position of each transducer''s respective position cylinder, one power line which is connected from each transducer to the control unit that provides electrical power from the control unit to the transducer, one data line from each transducer to the control unit that carries position cylinder piston position data from the transducer to the control unit, two hydraulic lines from each position cylinder to the control unit which uses the two hydraulic lines to provide hydraulic fluid to the position cylinder to control the position cylinder piston position, a control transmitter which receives position cylinder piston position data from the control unit and transmits said data by electromagnetic waves up the drill pipe string to the telemetry receiver at the top of the well hole so said data may be displayed to an operator, a data line from the control unit to the control transmitter that carries position cylinder piston position data from the control unit to the control transmitter, an electrical power line which provides power from the electrical generator to the attitude and direction detector, the attitude and direction transmitter, the control receiver, the control unit and the control transmitter.

Claim 4

In claim 1 wherein the rotor shaft of the electrical generator is hollow and large enough in internal diameter to slip over and be attached to the drive shaft section attached to the output shaft of the downhole motor, the rotor shaft of the hydraulic pump is hollow and large enough in internal diameter to slip over and be attached to the drive shaft section attached to the output shaft of the downhole motor.