Control systems and methods to enable autonomous drilling
| DWPI Title: Method for autonomously controlling drilling system, involves adding new relationships between drilling process inputs and process outcome parameters to database of drilling medium profiles through machine learning process |
| Abstract: A system or method for drilling includes autonomously controlling a rotary or percussive drilling process as it transitions through multiple materials with very different dynamics. The method determines a drilling medium based on real-time measurements and comparison to prior drilling data, and identifies the material type, drilling region, and approximately optimal setpoint based on data from at least one operating condition. The controller uses these setpoints initially to execute an optimal search to maximize performance by minimizing mechanical specific energy. Near-bit depth-of-cut estimations are performed using a machine learning prediction deployed in an embedded processor to provide high-speed ROP estimates. The sensing capability is coupled with a near-bit clutching mechanism to support drilling dysfunction mitigation. |
| Use: Method for autonomously controlling an autonomous percussive drilling system for oil and gas exploration and geothermal wells in a wellbore environment. |
| Advantage: The method enables improving performance by allowing more rapid adjustment to varying conditions based on measurement of drilling parameters and on models of drilling, where the models are based on scientific principles, thus increasing drilling speed, reducing equipment failure, and providing greater energy efficiency in the drilling process. The method allows a drilling system control architecture to effectively identify and mitigate drilling dysfunctions in an order of magnitude faster than current drilling systems, so that a combination of downhole sensing, active mitigation by downhole actuation, and data processing is a novel and unique approach to address non-drilling time (NDT) caused by sub-optimal drilling conditions. |
| Novelty: The method involves applying a predetermined force setpoint and a predetermined rotary speed to two controllers, and applying two controller outputs to a drilling process module. A set of outcome parameters of the module is measured, and drilling process inputs and process outcome parameters estimating a set of rock parameters associated with a rock type are received. The estimated rock parameters are compared with a database of rock profiles, and a determination is made whether a change in the outcome parameters have occurred, which indicate that the change in a drilled material has occurred. The database rock profiles are searched for optimal operating conditions. |
| Filed: 1/25/2021 |
| Application Number: US17157614A |
| Tech ID: SD 15663.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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