US 11,952,888 B2
Data communication in the microwave range using electrically conductive elements in a construction machine
Wilhelm Keusgen, Berlin (DE); Mathis Schmieder, Berlin (DE); Frederic Seng, Kenzingen (DE); Alexander Frey, Riegel (DE); and Felix Weber, Hofweier (DE)
Assigned to Herrenknecht AG, Schwanau (DE)
Appl. No. 17/439,560
Filed by FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V., Munich (DE); and HERRENKNECHT AG, Schwanau (DE)
PCT Filed Mar. 20, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/057810
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 15, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/193416, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 1, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 19164653 (EP), filed on Mar. 22, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0251947 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. E21B 47/13 (2012.01); E21B 17/00 (2006.01); E21B 17/02 (2006.01); H01Q 1/22 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 47/13 (2020.05) [E21B 17/003 (2013.01); E21B 17/0285 (2020.05); H01Q 1/225 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A drilling device for drilling a hole along a drill path from a starting point to a destination point containing a drill head, a drive for rotating the drill head, at least one pipe string, the at least one pipe string having a clear interior during operation, connected to the drill head, and an advancing unit for advancing the drill head along the drill path, wherein the at least one pipe string is connected to a first coupling element configured to excite, at a first end of the at least one pipe string, a first electromagnetic wave carrying a data from a data signal, the at least one pipe string acting as a waveguide, and a second coupling element configured to couple the first electromagnetic wave from a second end of the at least one pipe string to obtain the data signal,
wherein the first coupling element is configured to excite, responsive to the data signal directly electrically connected to the first coupling element, the first electromagnetic wave carrying the data from the data signal in the at least one pipe string, the first coupling element comprising:
a feed portion at a first end of the first coupling element, the feed portion configured to receive the data signal, a first electrically conductive portion extending from the feed portion towards a second end of the first coupling element, the second end of the first coupling element to be connected to the at least one pipe string for forming an electrically conductive connection between the first electrically conductive portion and the at least one pipe string, and
a second electrically conductive portion extending from the feed portion towards the second end of the first coupling element,
wherein the first and second electrically conductive portions and the clear interior of the at least one pipe string are configured as the waveguide, the first and second electrically conductive portions and the clear interior of the pipe string all expanding in a direction from the first end of the first coupling element towards the second end of the first coupling element and into the clear interior of the at least one pipe string.