An innovative new hybrid-electric horizontal drilling machine can halve fuel use.
- 750kW capacity
- Halves fuel use
- Drastically lowers emissions and noise
The drilling machine was developed by collaboration between Finnish electric drivetrain group Visedo and Dutch industrial drill manufacturers Normag.
Rather than the traditional hydraulic motors and pumps, the Visedo-Normag hybrid-electric drill uses 12 inverters to supply AC power to three main motors and six ancillary motors that drive and control rig operations. The motors provide a combined capacity of 750kW.
“In the world of horizontal drilling, this system is a real game-changer,” Visedo Netherlands managing director Pieter Dijkstra says.
“Unlike conventional systems with hydraulic drivelines, it removes the need for dedicated generators as part of the mobile drilling apparatus.
“For operators fuel savings can be considerable: the first Visedo-Normag rig was delivered to a client in Poland, who reported fuel consumption as low as 18 litres per hour. Previously with a diesel-hydraulic rig, consumption was 58 litres per hour,” Dijkstra adds.
The drilling machine can dig lateral shafts of up to 1.2 metres diameter to be bored through subsoil for distances up to 3 kilometres.
The hybrid-electric drivetrain also reduces the footprint of the machine, allowing it to fit into cramped urban worksites where traditional hydraulic machinery can’t fit.
While the substantial fuel savings are the most obvious benefit of the Visedo-Normag drill, the hybrid-electric drive also greatly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and noise.
“While fuel savings are important, that’s not the only consideration,” Normag technical director Raymond Petiet says.
“Contractors who buy these rigs are under pressure from clients to reduce emissions and noise. On top of that, productivity is increased by up to 30 per cent if drilling and reaming can be done in one step – a key design capability of the Normag-Visedo rig.”