December 2015 Vol. 70 No. 12
New Products
DCI: Major Upgrades to Locating Systems
Digital Control Inc. (DCI) has introduced DigiTrak Falcon F5 and Falcon F2 HDD locating systems and the Aurora LWD Live application.
The new DigiTrak Falcon receivers are specifically designed to minimize the effects of active interference which is present on most HDD project sites. The two Falcon locators are new versions of the popular F2 and F5 models. The Digitrak Aurora LWD Live app provides a real-time bore profile on Aurora touch screens.
Attendees at the 2015 ICUEE show got previews of the new technologies, and they received enthusiastic responses, said Siggi Finnsson, DCI product manager.
Finnsson said LWD Live will be available late in the fourth quarter of 2015 with the Falcon receivers projected to be available early in the first quarter of 2016.
Falcon
Digitrak Falcon technology takes a new approach to mitigate the effects of active interference that can impact the accuracy of bore readings, said Finnsson.
“There is nothing else remotely like it,” he said. “The capability of accurately analyzing the interference profile, choosing and optimizing specific frequencies, and pairing frequencies to the transmitters for each job site is an industry first.”
The Falcon receiver, he explained, performs a frequency scan along the intended bore path and the entire frequency spectrum between 4.5 and 45 kHz is analyzed. The system identifies frequencies where interference is at a minimum and optimizes signal transmission at those frequencies.
“Once this is done,” Finnsson said, “the wide-band transmitter is paired with by the receiver to operate on those specific frequencies. Because interference changes from job site to job site and can change along the bore path, the user is assured the best frequency in each situation. An additional benefit is a significant range improvement, which comes from an improved transmitter design and by eliminating much of the interference by sidestepping it in the scanning and optimization process.”
Finnsson said the Falcon systems operate at the widest range of frequencies in the industry, allowing a single transmitter to perform in conditions that currently require multiple transmitters. With significantly improved range, the 15-inch Falcon transmitter operates on the optimum frequencies for each job.
“The Falcon F2 and Falcon F5 represent an important step forward in improving job-site efficiency,” he continued. “They are a technology upgrade to our current line of F2 and F5 locators, adding the industry’s most advanced interference capability to each of the existing systems.”
“F2 and F5 owners can cost effectively upgrade their systems to include Falcon technology once it becomes available. When the optimization process is finished and the pilot bore starts, the operation of the Falcon systems is the same as with the current F2s and F5s, allowing easy adoption of the new technology.”
Aurora LWD Live
DigiTrak Aurora LWD Live provides the rig operator with critical rod-by-rod data, allowing him to “see” the bore profile as the pilot bore proceeds.
“The application,” Finnsson said, “is designed to add a visual dimension to the decision making process and provides additional details on depth and topology which until now have not been available in real time. LWD Live provides rod-by-rod detail of the bore as it happens, capturing rod number, pitch, depth, surface distance and time for every rod drilled. It clearly shows the bore path as it is created. It calculates and plots the relationship between drill head and terrain – information that helps the HDD operator make better drilling
decisions.”
Finnsson said the initial release focuses on the real-time viewing of the bore profile and additional details helpful in decision making. Numerous future phases are planned and made available over the next few quarters to those who have purchased the application via downloads.
“LWD Live and Aurora products are unique to the industry,” he said. “Wi-Fi connected remote display with significant computational capability, on-board training materials and the ability to make custom HDD applications are not available from other suppliers”
Based in Kent, WA, DCI is a leading developer and manufacturer of guidance systems for horizontal directional drilling. DigiTrak equipment is in use worldwide.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Digital Control Inc.
(800) 288-3610, www.digital-control.com
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