In horizontal directional drilling (HDD) operations, drilling mud must carry cuttings, cool the drill bit, and stabilize the borehole throughout the process. If the sand-laden slurry generated during construction is not purified promptly, it will directly affect drilling accuracy and project efficiency. Rhino Industrial has developed a mud purification system for this scenario, focusing on “precise impurity removal and recycling”, making it a key support equipment for horizontal directional drilling projects.
1. Core Requirements for Mud Purification in Horizontal Directional Drilling
Horizontal directional drilling often encounters complex geological layers, such as sandy soils and gravel beds, where the drilling mud can easily mix with large amounts of cuttings. Inadequate purification can lead to three major problems:
Borehole instability: Excessive sand reduces the suspension capacity of the mud, increasing the risk of borehole collapse and affecting pipe pullback.
Equipment wear: Coarse particle impurities accelerate wear on drill rods and drill bits, increasing maintenance costs.
Environmental non-compliance: Direct discharge of contaminated slurry pollutes soil and water along the construction path, violating construction regulations.
Therefore, a purification system must meet the core requirements of “rapid sand removal, precise quality control, and adaptability to mobile construction.”
2. Targeted Purification Technology of the Rhino System
Rhino Industrial has developed a “three-stage progressive purification” technology for horizontal directional drilling, tailored to varying crossing difficulties:
1. Rapid interception of coarse particles: Using a dual-motor high-frequency vibrating screen with a wear-resistant coarse mesh, the system separates pebbles and large cuttings with particle sizes 0.5 mm within 10 seconds. This prevents impurities from clogging downstream equipment and ensures smooth mud transport.
2. Deep separation of fine sand: A custom high-pressure sand pump injects the mud into a hydrocyclone, efficiently separating fine sand with particle sizes of 0.074–0.5 mm. Separation efficiency reaches 98%, and the moisture content of the fine residue is below 30%, allowing direct off-site transport and reducing on-site storage pollution.
3. Precise filtration of colloids: For clayey layers, the desander is equipped with ultra-fine filter cartridges to separate clay particles and colloidal substances. This reduces sand content in the mud to <0.5%, restores mud viscosity and shear strength, ensures borehole stability, and supports long-distance drilling requirements.
Additionally, the system features an intelligent mud-mixing module. Through PLC-based automatic detection of mud properties, it precisely adds bentonite and treatment agents, ensuring stable mud performance throughout the drilling process. The modular tank design allows for quick disassembly and transport, meeting the needs of remote drilling sites.
3. Practical Value and Field Applications
In horizontal directional drilling projects, the Rhino system demonstrates significant value:
Ensuring construction safety: After purification, the sand content in the mud is low, improving borehole stability by 40% and effectively preventing incidents such as borehole collapse and stuck drills. In a river-crossing pipeline project, the system successfully reduced construction interruptions by two instances, ensuring on-time project completion.
Reducing costs: Mud recycling rate exceeds 90%, cutting new mud procurement costs by 70%. In a long-distance pipeline project, a single project saved over 1.2 million RMB in mud material costs, with the equipment investment recouped within three months.
Adapting to complex scenarios: In urban road crossings, the compact structure reduces footprint by 50%, minimizing traffic impact. In mountainous crossings, explosion-proof and rain-proof designs allow operation in harsh environments, with continuous equipment operation failure rates below 2%.
Currently, the Rhino system has served over 300 horizontal directional drilling projects nationwide, covering sectors such as gas, water supply, and oil & gas pipelines. Customer feedback indicates that purification efficiency and stability consistently outperform traditional equipment.
Conclusion
Mud purification in horizontal directional drilling directly determines project quality and efficiency. Rhino Industrial leverages scenario-driven technological innovation to provide efficient and reliable solutions in this field. Looking ahead, Rhino will further optimize purification efficiency and intelligence, helping horizontal directional drilling projects achieve the “safety, environmental protection, and cost-effectiveness” trifecta, and promoting high-quality development in the trenchless industry.
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