Guidance Method in HDD Based on Rotating Magnetic Field

For horizontal directional drilling (HDD), traditional measurement-while-drilling magnetic surveying system suffers from interferences on geomagnetic field and accumulated errors. To solve these problems, a new method based on a rotating magnetic field for measuring the azimuth and the position of drilling bit is proposed. A utility algorithm is deduced, and a fitting model is established. Simulations were conducted using MATLAB software to prove the feasibility of the method. The results show that the method has an adequate accuracy for HDD and is easy to implement for underground locations.