Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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HIGH DEFINITION DRILLING RATE OF
PENETRATION FOR MARINE DRILLING
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The instant disclosure relates to marine drilling. More
specifically, this
disclosure relates to monitoring equipment for marine drilling.
BACKGROUND
[0002] In the marine drilling arena, vessel dynamics have a significant
impact on both
control and monitoring of the crown block. Although it is not strictly the
crown block
position with respect to the drill floor that is of consequence, the crown
block position is an
important consideration. In marine drilling with mobile offshore drilling
units (MODU) the
top drive may be the primary point of attachment of the drill string to the
rig.
[0003] Conventionally, in both marine and land drilling, the instrument for
measuring
block position is a rotary encoder. Various types and attachment
configurations of this
encoder exist. There are at least two parties on the MODU with an interest in
block
position, each for slightly different reasons. The drill floor is a primary
consumer of the
block position information, due to the highly automated nature of drilling
systems. The
automation system monitors the block position for various control loops and
safety
interlocks. The other consumer of the block position data is third party
service companies
on board the MODU, such as mud loggers, measurement while drilling service
providers,
logging while drilling service providers, and directional drillers.
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10005j The encoder's
placement on the drill floor has advantages and
.tradeoffs, The most convenient and reliable location for the encoder is
mounted on the.
shaft of the draw works. The main advantage when mounted on the shaft is that
the
location alio for
easy installation and maintenance, The drawback of this location is=
that 'syst'ematic errors ..may be produced, because the encoder's observation
is an indirect
meas=urement. This placement for the encoder measures the drums.' current
rotation
angle. Calibration is necessary to derive the block position. Calibration may
be
pert:brined by using a direct distance pleasuring device .sueh as a tape
measure or
eleetronic distance measurement (E:DM) to generate a look-up table of block.
position to
rotation increment. Placing .the encoder on the rotary shaft .of the draw
works introduces
a non-linear systematic error. In addition, the steel wire rope may deform,
depending on
temperature :iitt(1 loA Yet another possibility is to USO a string encoder in
place of. a
rotary encoder.
100061 COTIVentionally,
motion reference units OVIR.U.$) and 1,,Q.rtical reference
units (YR.U.$) are. used to provide. measurements for active: compensation for
vessel
heave. These units may be installed on the drill floor, The outputs from these
sensors
drive Con tro H oo p feedback mechanisms srìeh. as. proport i on al- integ ra -
deriv=ative (,PID)
controller loops in the control system in an attempt to 'maintain a constant
weight on the
bit.
SUMMARY
E.0007I According to one
embodiment, a method includes receiving- first
information from =a first sensor located on a drill floor of a marine drill,
The rnethod al=so
rt.t.o.eiving second infOrmation ftoiriî a second SeT1SOr located on a top
drive of the,
marine drill. 'File method further includes calculating a physical parameter
based, in
part, on the first information received from the first sensor and the second
information
received from tbs.:7second sensor,
[00081 According to
another embodim.ent, a computer program product
includes a non-transitoiy computer readable med having
code to receive .first
infOrmation from a first sensor located on a drill floor of a marine drill.
The .medium.
also .inclades code to receive second information from a. second sensor
located on a top
chive of the marine drill. 'The medium further Mel11 3
.C.eS Cade EU calculate a physical
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parameter based, in part, OTI the .first information received from the first
sensor ;And the
second information received from the seeond sensor,
100091 .According to yet another embodiment, an apparatus includes a first
sensor located on a drill floor of a marine drill. The apparatus also includes
a second
sensor located on a top drive of the marine drill. The first sensor and the
second sensor
are set-up in a differential configuration. The apparatus further includes a
processor
coupled to the first and second sensors. 'There is at least one proCessor
configured to
calculate a physical parameter based, in .part, on the first information
received from the
first sensor and the second informatioii rkitei ved from the second sensor.
[00101 The foregoing has outlined rather -broadly the IC-attires and
technical
advantage*. of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description
of the
.disclosure that t011oWs may be better understood. Additional features and
advantaizes of
the disclosure will be described hereinafter \vhich 'forrn the subject of the
claims of the
disclosure. It should be appreciated by those...skilled in the ail that the
conception and
specific. embodiment disclosed .may be readily utilized. as a. basis for
modifying or
designing, other structures for carrying out the .same purposes of the present
disclOSUre.. iì
should .also be realized by those .skilled in the art that such equivalent
constructions do
not depart from the spirit and scope of the. disclosure as. set forth in the
appended claims.
The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure,
both as to its.
organiz.ation and method of operation, together with further objects and
advantages will
be 'better understood from the following description when considered in
connection with
the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each
of the
fiatares is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and
is not intended
as a definition of the limits of the pre,sent clisclosure,
MEE DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING S
100 I 11 For a more complete understanding of the disclosed system and
methods,. reference i now made to the following descriptions taken in
conjunction with
the accompanying d fa ings.
MI 21 FIGURE I is a block diagram illustrating, a .marine drill with two
sensors according to one embodiment of the disclosure
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1001.31 FIGURE 2 is a block diagram illustrating a communications system
for coupling to sensors on a marine drill according to otle embodiment of the
disclosure,
[00141 FIGURE 3 is a flow chart illustrating a .method fbr operating two
sensors .on:.a marine drill according to one embodiment of the disclosure,
(00151 FIGURE 4 is a block diagram illustrating mechanization of receiving
information from two. SensorS 011 a marine drill according to one embodiment
of the
disclosure:,
100161 FIGURE 5 is a block diagram illustrating an atypical error state
Kalman filter loop according to one embodiment of the disclosure.
[00171 FIGURE 6 is a block diagram illustrating a computer system
accordinr4 to one embodiniOnt of the disclosure.
:DETAILED DESCRIPTION
100181 A second sensor may .be installed on a marine drill, such as on a
top
'block, to itnprove measurements used for monitoring and operating the marine
drill.
FIGURE, 1 is a block diagram. illustrating a. marine drill with two sensors
according to
one embodiment of the disclosureõk marine drill 100, such as a mobile offshore
drilling
unit (MODU.)., .may include a drill floor 104. A first sensor 114 may be
located on the
drill 'floor 104. The first sensor 114 may include onc or .more of an
accelerometer, a
gyroscope, and a compass. According to one embodiment, the .first sensor 11.4
may be
appropriately rated for explosively hazardous areas.. The marine drill 100
ma.y also
include a top block 102.
100191 A second sensor 112 inay be located .,on the top block 102. The
second sensor 112 may include one or more of an acceleroineter, a gyroscope,
and a
compass.. According, to one .embodiment, the second sensor 112 is mounted on
the top
block 102. The first sensor 114 and the second sensor 112 may be .set-up in a
differential
.configuration. For example, measurements may be =taken from the first sensor
114 and
the second sensor 112 nearly simultaneously., well that moven-tent of the
drill floor 104
detected by the: first sensor 114 may be subtracted from the movement of the
top block
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102 detected by the second sensor 112. The first sensor 114 and the second
sensor 112
may be coupled to a processor (not yet shown) for calculating physical
parameters of the
marine drill 100.
[0020] FIGURE 2 is a block diagram illustrating a communications system 200
for
coupling two sensors on a marine drill according to one embodiment of the
disclosure. A
processor 240 may receive information from a first sensor 214. such as a
sensor located
on a drill floor, through a communications bus 224. The processor 240 may
further
communicate with the first sensor 214 through a command bus 234, such as a RS-
232 or
RS-422 serial bus. The processor 240 may also receive information from a
second sensor
212, such as a sensor located on a top block, through a communications bus
232. A
positioning data system 216, such as global positioning system (GPS) or global
navigation
satellite system (GNSS), may be coupled to the second sensor 212 to provide
position
information through a communications bus 222, such as a RS-232 or RS-422
serial, bus.
The processor 240 may receive information from the first sensor 214 and the
second
sensor 212 such as, for example, heave, surge, and/or sway values. The
processor 240
may then calculate physical parameters based on, in part, the information
received from
the .first sensor 214 and the second sensor 212. The processor 240 may provide
the
calculated physical parameters to an external device (not shown) through a
communications bus 242. According to one embodiment, a time synchronization
message
and pulse may be provided to the first sensor 214 and the second sensor 212 to
coordinate measurement by the two sensors 212 and 214.
[0021] FIGURE 3 is a flow chart illustrating a -method for operating two
sensors on a
marine drill according to one embodiment of the disclosure. A method 300
begins at block
302 with receiving first information from a first sensor on a drill floor of a
marine drill. The
method 300 continues to block 304 to receive second information from a second
sensor on
a top drive of a marine drill. The method 300 the continues to block 306 to
calculate a
physical parameter based, in part, on the first and second information
received at blocks
302 and 304, respectively. Additional details of the calculation process are
presented in
FIGURES 4 and 5. FIGURE 4 is a block diagram illustrating mechanization of
receiving
information from two sensors on a marine drill according to one embodiment of
the
disclosure. FIGURE 5 is a block diagram
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lustrating an atypical error state Kalman filter loop according to one
embodiment of the
disclosure
1.0022.1 According to one embodiment, the calculation at bloCk 306 may
include calculatiu a high definition rate of penetration .(HDROP)õ HDROP
refers to an
accurate and precise pose estimation of the top drive andlor top block. The
calculation
of HIDROP may use a .proportional-integral-derivative (PID) loop and/or an
optimal
c..stimator such as an. Ermr State K.alman Eilter (ESKF), The results of the
PID loop may
be compared to the ESKF for a simple single state solution of noisy heave.:
During the
design and. development of the algorithm, dynamic SiintilatiOnS May be used to
emulate
the observables based on :known models. In another solution, calculations may
start with
true dynamics and then model the sensc.òr outputs and additional errors to
.form new
discretiz-ed data sets fed to the .optimal .estimator, The current block
position calculation
may be based on configurations having a draw works rotary encoder on a
lac:hip, having
a draw works rotary encoder on a floating .drilling platform Moater). with
.passive
compensation .and riser tensioners, having a draw works rotary encoder on a
floater with
active heave tom pensation,
[00231 According to another einbodiment, the calculation at block 306 may
include calculating a digital visualization of drilling level bubble. The
drilling level
bubble may 'be displaye.d on a scroll to pro-vide a driller andlor a rig
captain a ViStlai
indication of an ideal orientation fc-yr leveling, to reduce the likelihood
binding of .the
tubular in the rotary table, According to one embodiment, systemic errors,
'web as
angular offsets, may be removed during the calculation: The calculation for a
drilling
level bubble may leverage inertial measurement unit (MU) data, but may be
perfOrmed
without an error state .Kalman filter and/or accurate time tagging.
[002.41 According to yet another embodiment, -the calculation at block 306
niay include (a..iculating an out-of-straightness tiODS.) value. The
information from the
two. sensors Or a Ingle sensor for a lackup) may be monitored to determine any
mechanical binding of the top drive .011 the rails due to deformation -as the
top drive
transitions .from the rotary table to the crown. A difference in orientation
along the
length of the rails may be calculated based on information from the two
sensors. This
diffi...rence may serve as a baseline measurement to compare with .future
measurements to
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determine if deformatiOn of the rails has occurred. An accurate instantaneOUS
posi.t.ion of
the top block may be calculated for 005 monitoring from am ESICF.
[00251 According to a further embodiment,. the calculation at block 306 may
include condition-based monitoring... Sensors, such as .aceelerometers, placed
on
machinery on a marine dr.ill may measure vibrations for that machinery.
Sensors on the
top drive may measure a wide spectrum of components in the frequency doniain,
ineluding IOW frequency vibrations due to Vessel motion and high frequency
vibratiOns
due to motor operations. By nearly simultaneously measuring vibrations at
another
10CatiOn, such as the drill floor, the sensor inputs may be differentially
combined to
calculate the actual motion of the top drive. :By accomplishing .this, vessel
motion and
drill floor vibrations may be removed or reduced from the .top drive:
vibrations.
100261 Other applications for differential sensor configurations on a
Marine
drill .include seismic while drilling (SWD) and drill-break detection by
determining bit
movement andfor vibration returns, and fine motion control on the marine
drill. The use
of differential inertial sensors as described above improve the aecuracy of
measurements
fro.m a .marine drill and improve the operation of the marine drill, For
example, vhen
differential sensors are placed on the top block and the drilling floor,
measurements may
be taken from the sensors .and used to calculate a variety of physical
parameters used in
monitorinci. or operating the marine drill.
100271 One application for a differential Sen SO r contigura.tion on a
marine
drill include precision motion control. Once an act tirate sp.rttiai. location
of the bl 0 C k and
the block's dynarnics are knovai fine motion control applications may be
implemented.
This provides more .accurate dynamic inforMation than what is inferred by the
rotar:y.'
-encoder,
100281 FIGURE 6 illustrates a computer system 600 adapted acCording to
certain embodiments. AS. a 'server and/or a user interface device for
procesSing -andlor
displaying data frorn the differential senSors of FIGURE I and FlOURI: 2. The
central
1ìrocessin2; unit ("CPU") 602 is coupled to the. system has 604, The CPU 602
may be a
general purpose CPU or microprocessor,. graphics processing unit ("GPIY'.)
and/or
microeontroller. The present embodiments are not restricted by .the
architecture of the
CPU 602 so long as the CPU 602, %,t,hether directly or indirectly, supports -
the modules
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and operations as described herein. The CPU 602 may execute the various
logical
instructions according to the present embodiments, such as the method
illustrated in
FIGURE 3.
100291 The computer system 600 also may litchi:de random access memory
.608,. which may be synchronous RAM (SR...i.NM), dynamic RAM (DRAW.,
and/or synchronous dynamic RAM (SD RAM). The computer system 600 may utilize
RAM 608 to store the various data structures used by a software application,
.such as
information received from the first and second sensors. The computer system
600 may
aIso include read only .memory (ROM) 606 which may be PR'OM, EPROM, EEPROM,
optical storage, or the :like. The ROM may store configuration intbrmation for
booting
the computer syste.m 600. The RAM 608 and the ROM 606 hold user and system
data.
[0030] The computer system 600 may also include an input/output 0/0)
adapter .610, a communications adapter 614, a .user interface adapter 616, and
a display
adapter 622. The 110 adapter 610 and/or the user interface adapter 616 rnay,
iri certain
embodiments, :0:Pable a user to interact with the computer system 600. In a
further
embodiment, the display adapter 622 may display a graphical user interface
(GUI)
associated with a software or web-based application on a display device 624,
such as a
monitor or touch. screen.
100311 The, I/0 adapter 610 may couple one or more storage devices (It12,
such as.one or more of a hard drive, a flash drive, a compact disc (CD) lrive,
=a. floppy
disk drive, and a tape drive, to the computer system 600. The communications
adapter
614 may be. adapted. to couple the computer system 600 to a networkõ Which may
be one
or more of a LAN. WAN, and/or the Internet. The communications adapter 614.
may
also be adapted to ek.m.iple the computer system 600 to other networks such as
a global
positioning system (GP) or a. Bluetooth network. The user interface ad.apter
616
couples user input -devices, such as a keyboard 620, a pointing device 618,
and/or a touch
Screen (not shown) to the computer System 600. The keyboard 620 may be an on-
screen
keyboard displayed on a touch panel.. Additional devices (not shown) such as a
camera,
microphone, video camera, aceelerometer compass, and or a gyroscope may be
coupled
to the user interfke adapter 616, The display adapter 622 may be driven by the
CPU
602 to control the display on the display. device 624,
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10032) The applications of the present (.1ise1osure are not limited to the
architecture of computer .system 600. Rather the computer system 600 is
provided as an
example of one type of computing device that may be adapted to perform the
fimetions
of a server andlor a user interface device. For -example, any suitable
processor-based
device may be utilized including, without limitation, personal. data
asSistants (PD,As),
tablet computers, smartphonese computer µ,4aIric COTISC)les, and .mUlti-
processor se.rvers,
Moreover-, the systems and methods of the present disclosure ina../ be
implemented on
.applieation specific integrated eircuits WIC), Very :large scale integrated
(VLSI)
circuits, or other circuitry. In 'fact, persons of ordinary skill in the art
may utilize any
.number of suitable structures capable of executing logical operations
according to the
described ernbudiments.
[0033] If implemented in firmware and/or software, the functions described
above m.ay be stored as one or more instructions or code on a .computer-
readable
medium. Examples .inc I tide non-transitory computer-readable -media encoded
'with a data
structure and computer-readable media encoded .with a computer .program.
Computer-
readable media includes physical eomputer storage media. A storage medium may
be
any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. 13y way of example,
and not
limitation,: such computer-readable media can comprise PeAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-
ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic
storage
devices, Or any other medium that ean be used to sto.re desired program code
in the form
of instructioi s. or data structures and that can be accessed by a .computer,
disk and disc,
as used herein, includes compact disc (CD), laser diseõ..optical disc, digital
.versatile disc
(DVD), floppy disk and blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data
maLjnetically,
while disesleproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the abOve
.should also
be included NVithin the scope of computer-readable media..
[00341 In additiori to storage on computer :readable medium, instructions
and/or data may be provided as signals on transmission media included in a
-cornmunication apparatus. For example., a communication. apparatus .may
include a
transceiver having signals indicative of instructions and data. The
'instructions and data
are configured to cause one or more processors to implement the functions
outlined. in
the claims.
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[00351 Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been
de.seribed in detail, it should be understood that various changes,
substitution's and
.alterations can be .made herein without departing -from the spirit and scope
of the
disclosure as. defined by the appended .claims. Moreover, the scope of the
present
application is not intended to be liatited to the particular embodiments of
the process,
machine, manufacture,. composition of matter, means, methods and steps
described in the
specification. As one tyf ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate
from the present
filselosure, machinesõ inanufactureõ compositions of .matter, means, methods,
or steps,
presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the
same function or
achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments
described herein
may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the
.appended claims
are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines,
manufacture,
emtriQsitions of matter, means, methods,. or steps.
