Millennium Projects
Technical Details
Millennium Project Number: M-2002-005
Project Title: HDD Obstacle Detection- Acoustical
Project Start Date: 2002
Projected End Date: NA
Technical Details:
Guided horizontal directional drilling equipment is being increasingly used for the installation of gas mains. This method can be less expensive than traditional "open cut" installations but has an associated risk of impacting existing underground utilities. Loss of service and associated repair costs can be significant. Even with the use of traditional mark out services, damages can occur.
The goal of this project is to develop acoustic technology for horizontal directional drilling systems to detect obstacles in the drill path. This technology has been proven in laboratory settings. The focus of this project will be development of a prototype system and subsequent field evaluations.
The project goals were met with the successful demonstration of a prototype system. Future development work, including commercialization plans are being continued through a separate OTD project.