Vermeer Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Gas Technology Institute

University of Cape Town

Alan Wilson-Langman

Hans Kelpe

Michael Raymond Inggs

David Hanson

Kirankumar M Kothari

Leendert Johannes Du Toit

Kenneth J Ryerson

Amit Kumar Mishra

Walter Rothe

An adapter assembly for connection between a drill head of a horizontal directional drilling system and a utility line. A central housing body defines an interior space. A first end cap is secured to a first end of the central housing body. A second end cap is secured to a second end of the central housing body and configured to attach to the utility line. An electromagnetic (EM) sensor, including an antenna arrangement is configured to emit and receive EM signals, provided within the interior space of the central housing body. A connection structure at the first end cap is configured to attach to the drill head for pullback. The central housing body is at least partially transmissive to the EM signals, and the EM sensor is configured to receive electrical power and transmit data via wiring connected through at least one of the first and second end caps.

Horizontal directional drilling system and method

A horizontal directional drilling method includes operation of a HDD machine to power a drill string terminating at a drill head to create an underground borehole extending at least partially horizontally between an entry point and an exit point. A utility line and a pair of insulated wires are attached to the drill string at the exit point. An observation device is also attached to the drill string, and the observation device is connected with an uphole module via power line communication (PLC) over the pair of insulated wires. The horizontal directional drilling machine performs a pullback of the drill string, with the utility line, the pair of insulated wires, and the observation device connected thereto, back toward the entry point. Data from the observation device are displayed on the uphole module during pullback of the drill string.

A symbiotic radar and communication system is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of base stations in communication with a wider communication network, each base station being configured to transmit and receive communication signals to and from a plurality of user terminals. The system performs communication data processing and radar data processing on received signals so that target object reflections contained therein can be resolved. Preferably, initial radar data processing is performed at each base station which embeds time and position information into the data and communicates it to a central radar server, the central server combining the received data from several of the base stations into a single range resolution profile.

Symbiotic radar and communication system

Systems and methods involve generating a baseband signal, up-converting the baseband signal to a radar signal frequency, filtering a lower sideband of the up-converted signal, and transmitting the filtered up-converted signal. Systems and methods also involve receiving a return signal, down-converting the return signal using a signal having a frequency offset from the up-converted signal, filtering the upper sideband of the down-converted return signal, and producing a baseband return signal.

Offset frequency homodyne ground penetrating radar

An obstacle avoidance system for obstacle detection in an opaque material. The system includes at least one electromagnetic signal source adapted to produce an electromagnetic source signal suitable for transmission through the opaque material, at least one electromagnetic signal detector adapted to receive reflected electromagnetic energy signals from discontinuities in the opaque material encountered by the electromagnetic source signal, and a reflected electromagnetic energy signal processor suitable for determining a presence of obstructions and/or strata variations within the opaque material. The system is preferably integral with a head element suitable for traversing the opaque material, for example a subterranean drill bit.

Growing community of inventors

Pleasant Hill, IA, United States of America

Alan Wilson-Langman