National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Stc.unm

Timothy James Blada

David W Raymond

Stephen Buerger

Jiann-Cherng Su

Anirban Mazumdar

Steven James Spencer

Adam Foris

Elton K Wright

Jonathan Phillips

Monique Nathalie Richard

Claudia Luhrs

Angela Knapp

A system or method for drilling includes autonomously controlling a rotary or percussive drilling process as it transitions through multiple materials with very different dynamics. The method determines a drilling medium based on real-time measurements and comparison to prior drilling data, and identifies the material type, drilling region, and approximately optimal setpoint based on data from at least one operating condition. The controller uses these setpoints initially to execute an optimal search to maximize performance by minimizing mechanical specific energy. Near-bit depth-of-cut estimations are performed using a machine learning prediction deployed in an embedded processor to provide high-speed ROP estimates. The sensing capability is coupled with a near-bit clutching mechanism to support drilling dysfunction mitigation.

Control systems and methods to enable autonomous drilling

A system or method for drilling includes autonomously controlling a rotary or percussive drilling process as it transitions through multiple materials with very different dynamics. The method determines a drilling medium based on real-time measurements and comparison to prior drilling data, and identifies the material type, drilling region, and approximately optimal setpoint based on data from at least one operating condition. The controller uses these setpoints initially to execute an optimal search to maximize performance by minimizing mechanical specific energy.

Disclosed is a process for making a composite material that contains structured particles. The process includes providing a first precursor in the form of a dry precursor powder, a precursor liquid, a precursor vapor of a liquid and/or a precursor gas. The process also includes providing a plasma that has a high field zone and passing the first precursor through the high field zone of the plasma. As the first precursor passes through the high field zone of the plasma, at least part of the first precursor is decomposed. An aerosol having a second precursor is provided downstream of the high field zone of the plasma and the decomposed first material is allowed to condense onto the second precursor to from structured particles.

Process to make structured particles

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Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

Timothy James Blada