Drive Systems for Drilling Equipment

Drive Systems for Drilling Equipment

1. Introduction
This paper is devoted to drive systems for drilling
equipment. In an era characterized by computers
and the Internet, our attention will focus on one
specific group of drilling machines in particular.
Production of these machines has increased
enormously in recent years and growth rates of up
to 60% are not uncommon in this context. This
group comprises the horizontal or directional
drilling machines.
What are these machines actually used for?

This second attempt to drill a hole through under

the river also very nearly failed. Strong electromagnetic fields under the middle of the river made
it virtually impossible to guide the probe on target.
The strong magnetic fields were further reinforced
by a nearby high-voltage cable.

The first attempt to route a fibre-optical cable

under the river Danube had been made one year
earlier, but had to be abandoned after 14 working
days: a rock under the river bed proved to be too
hard and the drill rod broke.

Finally, however, the diamond-toothed drill managed to bite its way through to the other side of
the river. The drilling team was delighted: We
landed only 20 cm away from our designated
target a brilliant result.

There are already millions and millions of kilometres of services running under the roads and
pavements of Europe, and there will be millions
more if the demand for an ever increasing array
of digital services is realized. Installing these new
services will be a mammoth task, but servicing the
existing utility networks may prove even greater.
In the majority of cases, public authorities or utility
companies need to dig trenches in order to reach
the damaged pipelines or cables and that usually
means road or pavement closures and the inevitable congestion.
Figure 1 shows a horizontal drilling machine at
work in the Friedrichsau park here in Ulm. The
machine first drilled a hole measuring 10 cm in
diameter and 185 metres in length from Friedrichsau to a depth of 25 metres and under the river
Danube.The hole was subsequently widened to 28
cm in diameter. That is the diameter required by
the protective piping through which the fibreoptical cables were subsequently to be fed. The
protective piping is made up of pipe sections
measuring 12 metres in length. Widening the
drilled hole is a routine job and rounds off the
work.

Fig. 1: Horizontal drilling machine at work in Ulm

Detlef Bartocha / VMT7/E

Brueninghaus Hydromatik
Elchingen plant
Phone +49 (0) 7308 / 82 23 90
Fax
+49 (0) 7308 / 53 38
E-Mail detlef.bartocha@bru-hyd.com

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The possibilities available to contractors and

network installers when it comes to new services
are much wider, however, and range from traditional trenching through special trenching
machines to trenchless options. And the machines used are getting better all the time, both
for trenching and for trenchless drilling. The first
moles machines which burrow through the
ground dragging service runs behind them were
few and far between only a few years ago, but the
no-dig units which can be steered over long
installation runs are now commonplace (Fig. 2).
From the manufacturers point of view, the
technology must meet a whole series of requirements. According to one manufacturer, it is a
challenge for the builders of such machinery to
develop a technology that can keep pace with the
demand for utility constructions. Europe is highly
developed and most of its major cities were
established hundreds of years ago. Placing
underground pipes and cables without the need
to make large excavations has obvious benefits in
the historic regions of the world.
Together with main hydraulic systems, microelectronic systems are also becoming established
here in order to simplify the various work
sequences.

Fig. 2: Functional principle and on-the-job photographs

2. Hydraulic components for

directional drilling machines
The criteria governing all developments in mobile
hydraulics are essentially always the same, namely:
Easy operation
Compact installation space
Low weight
High efficiency
Good cost / benefit ratio

Combination pump A4VG + A4VG

Applications

Drilling equipment
Road construction equipment
Other mobile machines

Compact
Numerous possible combinations
Few special parts
All types of control are possible
Modular design

Sizes

28 40 56 71 90 125 180 250

Pressure range

400 / 450 bar

2.1 Variable displacement

pumps A4VG / A10VG

Fig. 3: Combination pump A4VG + A4VG horizontal drilling machines

The variable displacement pump for closed-circuit

operation A4VG / A10VG is ideal for use in mobile
machinery (Fig. 3).
The use of three pumps permits installation of a
central feed.

Advantages:
One filter, one feed pump and one external feed
pressure valve. The total feed is distributed on a
demand basis in accordance with momentary
requirements.

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This increases flexibility when selecting the types

(e.g. simpler versions) and ordering parts, as well
as when stocking spare parts.
This permits, for instance, the purchase of basic
pumps and separate through drives for the various
pumps to be mounted.
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2.2 Variable displacement

pumps A11VO / A20VO
The variable displacement pump A11VO is a highpressure pump for open-circuit operation which is
primarily used for sophisticated hydrostatic drives
in mobile machines and motor vehicles.
A tandem pump of the same size is frequently
demanded for use in excavators, cranes and drilling
machines. The pumps series A20VO has been
developed for this purpose. The A20VO pumps are
characterized by their high delivery rates due to the
use of impeller technology. The use of a common
impeller for two pumps and its arrangement has
been patented by Brueninghaus Hydromatik
(Fig. 4).

Combination pump
A11VO + A11VO

Variable displacement tandem pump

A20VO

Compact
Low power / weight ratio
High speeds
High delivery rates
Impeller for sizes 130, 190, 260

Sizes A11VO

Compact (Back to Back)

Low power / weight ratio
1 suction port
High speeds
High delivery rates
Impeller for sizes 130, 190, 260

40 60 75 95 130 190 260

Pressure range
Sizes A20VO

350 / 400 bar

60* 75 95 130 190 260

Pressure range

350 / 400 bar

* 250 / 315 bar

Fig. 4: Combination pump A11VO and tandem pump A20VO

2.3 Variable displacement

tandem pump A8VO
The A8VO of robust bent-axis design is another
compact solution (Fig. 5) from Brueninghaus
Hydromatik to complement the types A11VO
tandem, combination pump and A20VO back-toback swashplate design. The A8VO series 63 is
available in sizes 80, 107, 140 and 200. Various
control concepts are available for this variable
displacement tandem pump. Further details can be
found in this volume, in the report on System
drives for large and medium-sized mobile cranes
by Georg Kreissl.
Advantages:
Space-saving compact solution, in which the spring
power regulator and electronics plus load sensing
control could constitute a single control concept.
Moreover, the pump also includes power-take offs
for mounting additional pumps.

Variable displacement tandem pump

A8VO

Compact
Low power / weight ratio
1 suction port
Single and total power regulators
Integrated auxiliary pump (optional)

Sizes

Applications

Drilling equipment
Excavators
Cranes
Concrete pumps

80 107 140 200

Pressure range

350 / 400 bar

Fig. 5: Variable displacement tandem pump A8VO

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3. Pump systems for closedcircuit operation

A4VG triple combination pump
The pumps operate with electrohydraulic proportional control.
The individual pumps are controlled via M-Control
joysticks, a microcontroller and a software program
(Fig. 6).
The GFT gear mechanisms for the suspension units
are combined with A10VT motor (Fig. 8) or
A6VEHZ3.
The motors are equipped with type HDKG rpm
sensors for speed monitoring.

The first pump supplies the low-speed rotation

motors (e.g. MCR motors) as primary consumers.
The second and third pumps are used for the
actuators travel left and right (e.g. GFT gearbox)
and via valves for feed / retract, as well as the water
pump (A2FM) for rinsing.
The cylinder control functions are controlled via
another pump of type A10VO mounted on the
opposite side of the diesel engine.
Orbit motors are used for the feed and retract
functions.

System Advantages:
In closed circuits the return oil is backed up on the
respective pump stroke.

Joystick
Cylinder control functions

Microcontroller
+
software

BB-3

Programming,
diagnosis via PC,
BB3

MC1
MC2
MC3
A2FM
Centrifugal or
piston pump

SP08

MH6
WW22
MC1

MC2

Feed

Retract

Orbit
motor

Orbit
motor

MH6
WW22

MC3

Diesel
Travel

A4VG...EP.D

A10VO...DFR

A4VG...EP.D A4VG...EP.D

GFT + A10VT or
GFT + A6VE...HZ3

Travel

GFT + A10VT or
GFT + A6VE...HZ3

Rotation
Support
required
MCR

MCR

Fig. 6: Block circuit diagram, closed circuit

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4. Pump systems for opencircuit operation

A11VO or A20VO combination pump
The first pump supplies the main feed and retract
cylinders, as well as one travel side (e.g. GFT
gearbox) and the setup and positioning cylinders
via two different valves. The second pump supplies
the rotation motor(s) (MCR motors) and the other
travel side. The third pump (in this case G3) is used
to supply auxiliary functions.

The GFT gear mechanisms for the suspension units

are combined with A10VT motor (Fig. 8) or
A6VEHZ3.
The LRDCS pump control used here comprises a
power regulator LR, pressure cut-off D, cross-sensing regulator C and load-sensing regulator S
(Fig. 7).

Setup and positioning cylinders

Feed retract

System Advantages:
Power protection against engine overloading
Optimal power division between users;
assignment at cross-sensing
Priority rotation and feed

GFT + A10VT or
GFT + A6VE...HZ3

Travel

Rotation
MCR

Travel

2M7-22

3M7-22

5M4-15
DRS/
LRDS

Load signal

Auxiliary functions

A11VO
Load signal

alternatively:

A11VO

G3

A20VO...LRDCS

A8VO...LA1S + electronics

Fig. 7: Block circuit diagram, open circuit

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5. HYDROTRAC GFT travel

drives for drilling machines
Weightclass (t)

Planetarygear type

Hydraulic
motor

T2 max
(Nm)

Speed
reduction i 1)

Pmax
(bar) 2)

Turas dia.
(mm)

Comments

5-8

GFT 9 T2

A10VT 45

9000

47,6

265

510

Multiple-disk brake
brake valve with and
without cut-off

9 - 14

GFT 17 T3

A10VT 45

17000

88,2

280

492

Multiple-disk brake
brake valve with and
without cut-off

15 - 24

GFT 24 T3

A10VT 45

24000

120,5

280

593

Multiple-disk brake
brake valve with and
without cut-off

25 - 30

GFT 28 T3

A10VT 80

28000

79,3

280

635

Multiple-disk brake
brake valve
without cut-off 3)

1) Other speed reduction ratios see data sheet RE 77110 and on request
2) Depends on speed reduction i
3) Cut-off is available if ordered in sufficient quantities

6. Prospects
Market-oriented controls have been developed in
close cooperation with the machine producers and
have further improved the cost-efficiency and
handling of the various drilling machines. The trend
among modern producers to obtain everything
from a single source is confirmed by the availability
of complete system solutions ranging from
mechanical and hydraulic drives, through hydraulic
controls to electronically programmable open and
closed-loop controls including software.
The Mannesmann Rexroth group of companies
with the divisions Rexroth Hydraulics,
Brueninghaus Hydromatik and Lohmann und
Stolterfoth is in a position to offer system solutions
specially tailored to the requirements of drilling
machines.

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