Patents
US 11821312 B2: Drilling rig and methods using multiple types of drilling for installing geothermal systems
- Granted
- 2023-11-21
- Filed
- 2019-12-20 application 17416898
- Type
- Utility · 11 claims
- Elsewhere
- Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗
Abstract
A drilling rig and methods are provided for using multiple types of drilling when installing geothermal systems. The drilling rig can perform sonic drilling such as percussive sonic drilling and a type of non-sonic drilling. Control switching valves are added to the hydraulics of the drilling rig to selectively provide sufficient flow of hydraulic fluid to motors used in the multiple types of drilling, depending on which type of drilling is currently most efficient for the underground formation being drilled. The water pump and hydraulic motor for such have been designed to handle both types of drilling on a small drilling rig frame, thereby allowing for the drilling to occur in space-constrained environments. A method of recycling water used to remove cuttings during drilling to put back downhole is also provided.
Source: PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 (ipg231121.xml).
Assignees
| Assignee | Type | Place | Also on furp.org | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terra Sonic International, LLC 7 patents | US company or organization | Marietta, OH | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Inventors
| Inventor | Place | Patents | Person page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L. Mark Knolle | Marietta, OH | 2 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
CPC categories
| Subclass | Category | First group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| E21B | Earth or rock drilling; obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells | E21B7/24 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| F24T | Geothermal collectors; geothermal systems | F24T10/00 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| Y02E | Reduction of greenhouse gas [ghg] emissions, related to energy generation, transmission or distribution | Y02E10/10 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).
Assignments and security interests
| Recorded | What | From | To | Reel/frame | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-06-21 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | KNOLLE, L. MARK signed 2021-06-21 | TERRA SONIC INTERNATIONAL, LLC MARIETTA, OH | 56608/99 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
Documents recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch that list this patent. A security interest is a lender’s claim on the patent as collateral; a release ends it.
USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.