Patent Grant
7026950
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of surface to down hole communication techniques for an oil rig. The invention pertains in particular to a direct interface which intercepts existing commands going to existing oil rig equipment and superimposing additional commands onto the existing commands to manipulate drilling mud pressure and/or other physically perceptible influences which a down hole tool or other device can detect and interpret.
2. Background of the Related Art
Varying mud pressure to command a down hole tool is well known in the art. Currently known techniques for manipulating mud pressure to communicate a command from the surface to down hole equipment are inefficient. These known mud pressure command systems require large, heavy equipment to be added to the oil rig to manipulate mud pressure. One example of a known mud pressure command system is the Halliburton Geo-Span™ downlink system. The Geo-Span™ system diverts mud flow to reduce mud pressure to change the azimuth and inclination of a steerable drilling system. The Geo-Span™ system requires the addition of a bulky high pressure mud diversion valve and controller. Such an addition is expensive and requires the utilization of additional rig space which is at a premium. Thus, there is a need for a down hole communication system that does not require the addition of the bulky mud diversion valve to existing equipment.
Some systems require operator to manually switch the mud pump on and off to create a pressure fluctuation. This pressure fluctuation is used to signal or command a down hole device which senses a change in the mud pressure. This manual technique is slow (on the order of several minutes to transmit a simple command). Moreover, these manual commands are subject to error due to the variation between operators' implementations of the manual commands. Thus, there is a need for a faster and more precise communication method and apparatus for communicating with down hole equipment.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for communicating control commands from an oil rig surface location to a down hole device. The control commands comprise one or more than one physically detectable changes which are sensed by the down hole device. When using more than one physically detectable changes, the physical changes can occur simultaneously or sequentially. The present invention performs specific causal acts by intercepting existing control signals and superimposing one or more commands on top of the existing control signals. The superimposed command causes physical changes, such as a variation in mud pump pressure and/or rotation that can be sensed by a down hole tool or a device.
Additionally, the superimposed wave form or command may cause a variation in drill string rotation speed, addition of a tracer to the drilling mud or transmission of an acoustic pulse down hole. The superimposed command may also manipulate a draw works to vary the weight on bit, or vary the speed of a mud pump to change drilling mud pressure, or manipulate a top drive to change rotation speed. The physical change (e.g., a change in rotation, mud pressure, tracer presence, or an acoustic pulse) is sensed by a down hole device. The down hole device interprets the physical change as a command to the down hole device that it is to perform an operation such as adjusting an operating parameter such as a drilling angle.
The present invention provides a simple controller to command existing equipment to cause physically perceptible changes in the down hole environment. A down hole tool or a device detects the physical changes and interprets them as a command. The command causes the down hole tool or a device to perform an act such as changing the drilling angle. The present invention interfaces with existing oil rig equipment without the need to add a bulky mud diversion valve to change mud pressure. The present invention eliminates the need to perform manual manipulation of the existing oil rig equipment to command a down hole tool.
The present invention superimposes commands on a selected SCR controller or other equipment to generate predefined changes in a motor speed or another equipment's output which causes a change in mud pressure or some other physical change which can be detected at down hole. In one example, the present invention generates variations in mud pressure or in the flow rate of the drilling mud by changing commands sent to a SCR controller. The SCR controller then manipulates mud pressure by changing the mud pump speed. The present invention can also generate variations in mud pressure by changing commands sent to a controllable choke. The present invention can also generate rotational speed variation commands in top drives or rotaries to generate a perceptible variation in the rotation speed of the drilling mechanism. The present invention is also used to generate a variation in the weight on bit or speed of hoisting and lowering via manipulation of a draw works. The present invention can also inject tracers which can be electronic or doped chemically or with nuclear isotopes. The present invention enables drillers or other users to send predetermined sequences or combinations of physical influences which are detected and interpreted as commands by a down hole tool or a device. These predetermined commands can be one shot, multiple shots or continuous or periodic bursts of physically perceptible changes.
In one example of the present invention, a controller is designed around and incorporates an industry standard embedded controller to provide a reliable and familiar operation. The controller is packaged in a rugged housing to meet the rigorous specifications for industrial oilrig site usage. In the present example of the invention, a small easily installed lightweight controller is provided with an intuitive user interface. A user interface is provided to enable a user to easily command down hole operations, such as drilling angle or data reporting rate by manipulation of a physically perceptible physical parameter.
In the present example of the invention, a controller is provided which is designed to interface seamlessly with all major silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) drives as well as the alternating current (AC) drives. In the current example of the invention, the controller provides operational flexibility. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a controller designed to provide a communication interface with three SCR drive systems at a time. Utilizing the present invention, a rig operator or other user can easily communicate with the controller to superimpose command data upon existing rig control signals. The superimposed data is used to send command data to down hole tools or devices by manipulating the rig equipment to effectuate a perceptible physical parameter in the operational state of the rig. The user can define the data using graphical interface tools provided by the user interface of the present invention to avoid costly mistakes from human error induced variances in manual operation. The present invention enables product and service providers to focus on maximizing reliability by providing a familiar interface that can be bypassed at will. The present invention offers additional combinations of physical influences for generating commands.
As shown in
As shown in
Existing SCR signals 111, from the existing conventional driller console on the oil rig floor 107 enter switch 108 through input terminals 111 and exit switch 108 at output terminals 113 as signals to an SCR system or another controller. Depending on the state of the switch 108, the existing SCR signals 111 either bypass processor 200 or pass through processor 200. Processor 200 superimposes commands on a selected existing SCR signal 111 when switch 108 is in an “on” position 1,2 or 3. Control signals 111 are also commands to SCR controllers or other controller rather than an SCR controller to vary rotation speed, add a tracer, vary weight on bit or initiate an acoustic signal which are initiated from user interface 618. Additional commands can be generated from user interface 618 to accommodate new drivers or equipment to be added to the oil rig system.
Turning now to
As shown in
Turning now to
The command generator translates the user input command to an equipment command based on the system state. The command generator 402 sends the equipment command it generated, to the drilling console interface 404. The drilling console interface 404 superimposes the user command on existing signals 111 coming from drilling console 406. The equipment command comprises, for example, a stream of control pulses discussed above for signaling the controllers 420, 421, 423, 425 and 427 to implement a change in rotation, mud pressure, weight on bit or tracer concentration.
As shown in
Controllers 420, 421, 423, 425 and 427 receive equipment commands from command generator 402, interpret the equipment command and issue an equipment specific command to control a down hole device accordingly. As shown in
Acoustic/Tracer controller 423 commands a tracer injection or generation of an acoustic signal via tracer/acoustic system 436, well known in the art, into the mud supply. The tracer comprises a traceable fluid such as detectable by a down hole tracer/acoustic detector 438. The tracer may also comprise injection and removal of micro spheres, which can be detected by a down hole tracer/acoustic detector 438. The injection and removal of such micro spheres is well known in the art for the purpose of changing the density of drilling mud. The inventors, however, are aware of no application in which micro spheres have been used as a command generator, either alone or in combination with another command such as a change in mud pressure or drill string rotation speed. The micro sphere tracer or acoustic signal is preferably detectable by a down hole tracer/acoustic detector 438 by detecting a change in density or by sensing a physical characteristic such as an electrical characteristic unique to the tracer spheres. The micro sphere tracer can also contain electronic components capable of sensing, storing or transmitting data which can be detected by a down hole device.
Choke controller 425 receives commands and sends commands which control choke 442 for restricting mud flow for modulating the mud pressure for sensing by a down hole pressure detection device 444, well known in the art. Motor controller 427 receives commands and sends commands which control mud pumps 452 for restricting mud flow for modulating the mud pressure for sensing by a down hole mud pressure sensor device 454, well known in the art. Each sensor 426, 432, 438, 444 and 454 can be associated with but separate from down hole equipment. Each sensor 426, 432, 438, 444 and 454 sends a command 413, 417, 419, 421 and 423 to the down hole equipment.
In an alternative embodiment, the down hole sensors 426, 432, 438, 444 and 454 are contained in a central sensor assembly 446 (shown as a dotted line in
Turning now to
The command generator selects a command based on the system state stored in the processor memory 201. For example, if an equipment for causing a change in rotation, an equipment for causing a change in mud pressure, an equipment for causing a change in bit weight, an equipment for sending an acoustic pulse down hole and an equipment for changing tracer presence are all available in the system state, then a command using all of these available physical parameters can be sent down hole. The command sensed by the down hole device can be a combination of all available physical influences perceptible down hole. If only a subset of equipment is available to cause changes in physical parameters, then the commands sent down hole comprise only those physical parameters which can be generated by the available equipment.
The command generator generates a command, which comprises one or more physical influences such as for example changes in pressure, weight on bit, tracer concentration, acoustic pulse generation and rotation speed to represent a command detected and, understood by a particular equipment located down hole. Additional physical influences can also be used as commands. The command generator, via the system state knows the type of equipment available, the equipment manufacturer and the type of sensor associated with the down hole equipment. The command generator looks at what physical parameters the down hole device can sense and sends and appropriate equipment command to equipment controllers 518, which correspond to controllers 420, 421, 423, 425 and 427 in
In the present example there are five primary detectable physical influences (weight on bit variation, drill string rpm variation, variation in the presences or type of acoustic signal or a tracer, and mud pressure variation.). These physical influences are physically perceptible by down hole detectors 413, 417, 419, 421 and 423. Thus there are five primary influences that can be present or not present to represent a total of thirty-two commands or states in which these five primary influences appear. These five primary influences are used to represent thirty-two command states which can be transmitted to and perceived by down hole equipment. Additional physical influences can be added. Thus, if there are M available primary physical influences, some of which may not be known today, there are 2M−1 command states or command available which can be derived from M on off state physical influences, when the physical influences are used concurrently. With each of these primary command states there are numerous additional secondary command states represented by perceptible differences within a primary physical influence. For example, within a single primary influence such as rotation speed (rpm), a down hole equipment can be signaled with a different command for each secondary state of a primary influence of 10 rpm, 20 rpm, 30 rpm and 40 rpm. Also, if the M physical influences are performed serially, then numerous additional commands are available according to various sequences of physically perceptible parameters.
Turning now to
Turning now to
For example, the user interface for a user inputting commands to the system and for a user receiving feed back from the system can be distributed between 100, 101 and 109. The user commands and feed back can be graphical, textual or aural. A user can issue a command, such as change the steering angle of a down hole device by 40 degrees. Another task that can be distributed between the processors 100, 101 and 109 is the collection of system status. System status comprises system configuration and operational states, such as a speed at which a motor is running, how many motors are assigned, what kind of tracer or concentration is being used, what kind of acoustic signal is available, and what kind of top drive is attached to the system. This system status is communicated either directly or indirectly to the user. The direct communication to the user comprises aural, graphical or textual output to the user from 101, 100 and/or 109. Indirect communication to the user comprises notifications that a command cannot be performed because of system states, which inherently includes system state information.
System configuration is distributed between user input processors 100, 101, 109 and also distributed to third party configuration processor 103. Static configuration is normally performed from user input terminal processors 100, 101 and 109, whereas dynamic configuration is usually performed from third party configuration processor console 103. Static configuration is usually performed by setting system parameters such as minimum and maximum rpm rates for all operations states. Dynamic configuration is performed for temporarily setting and usually temporarily changing a system parameter such as minimum and maximum rpm rate for a specific and temporary condition.
For example, a static rpm operating range specified as a minimum and maximum might be set from user input processors 101, 100 or 109. For example a maximum of 400 psi mud pressure is set as a static configuration parameter. Thus a command can be issued that would raise the mud pressure to 300 psi to signal a down hole device. This command is allowed by the processor because the 300 psi does not exceed the maximum mud pressure psi of 400 psi. A third party at 103 can change the static maximum mud pressure configuration from 400 psi to a dynamic mud pressure maximum of 250 psi. Such a change would override the static maximum and set the mud pressure maximum temporarily to 250 psi. Once the dynamic mud pressure maximum of 250 psi is entered, the command that would raise the mud pressure to 300 psi to signal a down hole device could no longer be performed because it exceeds the dynamic mud pressure maximum of 250 psi. The user would be notified that the requested command cannot be performed. The processor, however, may change the command from a mud pressure command to another physical influence such as tracer, rpm, acoustic or weight on bit in order to perform a command that will accomplish the same thing as the mud pressure command without exceeding the mud pressure maximum. For example, if a steer 40 degrees command can be implemented with a mud pressure pulse of 400 psi or a rpm pulse of 400 rpm, if the mud pressure pulse violates the system maximum, an rpm command would be used to command a steer 40 degrees command.
The present invention has been described as a method and apparatus operating in an oil rig environment in the preferred embodiment, however, the present invention may also be embodied as a set of instructions on a computer readable medium, comprising ROM, RAM, CD ROM, Flash or any other computer readable medium, now known or unknown that when executed cause a computer to implement the method of the present invention. While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown by the above invention, it is for purposes of example only and not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims.
This patent application is related to and takes priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/454,066 filed on Mar. 12, 2003 entitled “A Motor Pulse Controller” by Mallappa Guggari and Keith Womer and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/499,240 filed on Aug. 29, 2003 entitled “A Motor Pulse Controller” by Mallappa Guggari and Keith Womer.
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