Control systems and methods to enable autonomous drilling
| DWPI Title: Method for autonomously controlling autonomous percussive drilling system for oil and gas exploration and geothermal wells in downhole environment, involves decreasing target weight on bit by amount determined by barrier function configured to respond rapidly to material changes |
| 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 downhole environment. |
| Advantage: The method enables improving performance by allowing rapid adjustment to varying conditions based on measurement of drilling parameters on models of drilling, increasing drilling speed, reducing equipment failure and providing better energy efficiency in drilling process. The method enables allowing a drilling system control architecture to effectively identify and mitigate drilling dysfunctions, so that combination of downhole sensing and active mitigation can be maintained by downhole actuation to address non-drilling time caused by sub-optimal drilling conditions. |
| Novelty: The method (70) involves applying a predetermined force set point and a predetermined rotary speed to two controllers. Two controller outputs are applied to a drilling process module. A set of rock parameters associated with a rock type is estimated. The estimated rock parameter is compared with a database of rock profiles. Determination is made to check whether a change in outcome parameters is occurred. The database rock profile for optimal operating conditions is searched in response when a change in material drilling is indicated. An updated set of drilling parameters is generated. Target weight on bit is decreased by an amount determined by barrier function configured to respond rapidly to material changes. |
| Filed: 3/18/2022 |
| Application Number: US17698213A |
| Tech ID: SD 15663.1 |
| 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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