Machine-Building Holding JSC (Yekaterinburg, Russia)

I. D. Safarov, Head of Design Department

Chinakal Institute of Mining, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (Novosibirsk, Russia)
D. O. Cheshchin, Senior Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, dimixch@mail.ru
B. B. Danilov, Chief Researcher, Doctor of Engineering Sciences
V. V. Plokhikh, Junior Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences

The article examines the prospects for expanding the application range of low-pressure down-the-hole pneumatic hammers in simultaneous casing drilling under complex engineering and geological conditions. An analysis of current trends in drilling equipment development associated with the transition to high-pressure pneumatic hammers is presented. These systems provide high drilling performance but require significant capital and operating costs. Particular attention is paid to the problems arising from the use of high-power impact machines with expandable drill bits, where increased impact loads can lead to the destruction of bit components and borehole walls. The authors carried out computer simulation of the stress-strain state of an expandable drill bit subjected to the action of both high- and low-pressure pneumatic hammers using the finite element method. The simulation results demonstrated that high-pressure pneumatic hammers generate critical stresses in the bit body and movable segments, whereas the use of the lowpressure pneumatic hammer P-110-3.2 ensures a sufficient safety margin of the structure while maintaining efficient rock fragmentation. A comparison of compressor equipment was also performed, confirming the economic advantages of low-pressure systems due to their smaller dimensions, lower energy consumption, and reduced cost. Field tests conducted during water well drilling in the Altai Republic confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed technology. It was established that low-pressure pneumatic hammers exhibit high operational reliability, technological flexibility, and acceptable technical and economic performance. The study concludes that their application is advisable for shallow and medium-depth drilling with simultaneous casing installation.

1. Repin A. A., Alekseev S. E., Karpov V. N. Exploration drilling equipment. Problems of Safety and Efficiency in Development of Georesources in Modern Conditions : Proceedings of Scientific-Technical Conference dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Mining Institute of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the 75th anniversary of its founder and first director, corresponding member of the RAS Arkady Evgenyevich Krasnoshtein. Perm : Gornyi institut UrO RAN, 2014. pp. 235–239.

2. Repin A. A., Kokoulin D. I., Alekseev S. E., Karpov V. N., Shakhtorin I. O. Compact DTH hammer for underground directional deep-hole drilling in coal mines. Prospects of Innovative Development of the Coal Regions of Russia : Collection of works IV International scientific conference. Prokopevsk : Kuzbasskiy gosudarstvennyi tekhnicheskiy universitet, 2014. pp. 344–346.
3. Drill rigs. Epiroc Trading Co., Ltd., 2026. Available at: https://www.epiroc.cn/en-cn/products/drill-rigs (accessed: 29.04.2026).
4. Annual Report 2021. Sandvik, 2021. 160 p.
5. Exploration Drilling. Fagersta : Atlas Copco, 2010. 44 p.
6. Repin A. A., Smolyanitsky B. N., Alekseev S. E., Popelyukh A. I., Timonin V. V. et al. Downhole High-Pressure Air Hammers for Open Pit Mining. Journal of Mining Science. 2014. Vol. 50, No. 5. pp. 929–937.
7. High pressure drilling tools. Machine-Building Holding JSC, 2023. Available at: https://www.mash-hold.ru/catalog/pnevmoudarnyy_instrument_vysokogo_davleniya/ (accessed: 22.01.2026).
8. Alekseev S. E., Chernienkov E. M. Drilling boreholes with simultaneous casing. Interekspo Geo-Sibir. 2021. Vol. 2, No. 3. pp. 107–114.
9. Shakhtorin I. O. Analysis of construction bit for drilling wells with simultaneous casing. Interekspo Geo-Sibir. 2018. Vol. 6. pp. 329–337.
10. Repin A. A., Alekseev S. E., Popelyukh A. I. Enhancing Reliability of Parts of Percussion Machines. Journal of Mining Science. 2012. Vol. 48, No. 4. pp. 669–674.
11. Dripan P. S. Impact load during setting an anchor into a rock massif. Nauchnyi vestnik NIIGD Respirator. 2019. No. 4(56). pp. 65–71.
12. Vasilevich Yu. V., Neumerzhitskaya E. Yu., Khvasko V. M., Moyseychik A. E. Solving dynamic problems taking into account inertial forces and impact loads : Tutorial. Minsk : BNTU, 2021. 74 p.
13. Cheshchin D. O., Danilov B. B., Plokhikh V. V. Validation of Parameters and Configuration of RockBreaking Tool for Casing-while-Drilling. Journal of Mining Science. 2025. Vol. 61, No. 5. pp. 799–805.
14. Diesel Portable Air Compressor. Denair. Available at: https://ru.denair.net/portable_air_compressor/diesel_portable_air_compressor.html (accessed: 12.02.2026).
15. Timonin V. V., Alekseev S. E., Karpov V. N., Chernienkov E. M. Influence of DTH Hammer Impact Energy on Drilling-with-Casing System Performance. Journal of Mining Science. 2018. Vol. 54, No. 1. pp. 53–60.
16. Trofimov V. T. Engineering Geology : Textbook. Moscow : MGU, 2023. 576 p.
17. Karpov V. N. Assessment testing procedure for downhole pneumatic hammers under production conditions. Fundamentalnye i prikladnye voprosy gornykh nauk. 2016. Vol. 3, No. 2. pp. 74–80.