公开(公告)号：US11650147B2

公开(公告)日：2023-05-16

申请号：US17210554

申请日：2021-03-24

Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.

Inventor： Tod A. Oblak ,  Lyle Taylor ,  James Peterson ,  Carl Hendricks ,  John F. Halterman ,  Lawrence A. Mianzo ,  Narayana G. Nadukuru

IPC: G01N21/3563 ,  E21B21/015 ,  G01N21/359 ,  E21B49/00 ,  E21B7/02

CPC classification number: G01N21/3563 ,  E21B21/015 ,  E21B49/005 ,  G01N21/359 ,  E21B7/02

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for real-time characterization of drilled particles during a drilling operation can be comprised of a light illumination source to output short-wave-infrared (SWIR) light toward the drilled particles as the drilled particles exit a drill hole being drilled by a drilling machine; a sensor to sense reflected short-wave-infrared (SWIR) light reflected from the drilled particles exiting the drill hole; and processing circuitry operatively coupled to at least the sensor. The processing circuitry can be configured to determine a spectrum of the reflected short-wave-infrared light sensed by the sensor, and determine particle characterization for a portion of the drilled particles by performing hyperspectral analysis on the determined spectrum and based on predetermined candidate particle characterizations.