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Electrical controller for Anti-stall tools for downhole drilling assemblies

Inactive Publication Date: 2012-04-26
WWT NORTH AMERICA HLDG
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]Briefly, the invention comprises an electrical controller for an anti-stall tool for use in a downhole assembly near the bottom of the tubing adjacent a positive displacement motor (PDM) and the drill bit. In one embodiment, the tubing comprises a coiled tubing, although the invention also can be used in rotary drilling applications. The electrical controller controls the force applied to the drill bit during drilling to prevent the drill bit from stalling under load. A working pressure range of the PDM is sensed during use by a hydraulic valve control system and is used as an input to the controller. The controller alters weight-on-bit (WOB) if the downhole pressure goes beyond either end of a preset working pressure range of the system. The controller keeps the drill bit rotating by (1) maintaining WOB during normal drilling operations, (2) increasing WOB if sensed PDM working pressure indicates that drill bit loading is low, and (3) reducing WOB which reduces PDM back-pressure to retract the drill bit from the bottom if excessive working pressure is sensed due to increased torque at the PDM.
[0013]Another embodiment of the invention comprises a spring-operated anti-stall tool adapted for use in a downhole assembly which comprises a tubing for extending downhole, a drill bit carried on the tubing, and a positive displacement motor (PDM) adjacent the drill bit for rotating the drill bit during drilling operations. A spring-operated anti-stall tool is carried on the tubing and positioned adjacent the PDM for preventing stalling of the PDM due to excessive loads on the drill bit. The spring-operated anti-stall tool comprises at least one piston in a cylinder having a forward piston area and a reverse piston area, and an electrical controller comprising electronics and a hydraulic valve system for controlling operation of the piston. The forward piston area receives hydraulic fluid to produce a force in the downhole direction. The reverse piston area contains a load spring adapted to apply an upward spring force on the piston. The electrical controller adjusts WOB in response to sensed PDM sets operating pressure. The controller inputs a desired range of operating pressures for the PDM, including an upper limit and a lower limit. The controller operates a valve system to: (1) supply hydraulic fluid to the forward piston area to increase WOB force in the downhole direction when operating pressure in the PDM surpasses the lower limit; this compresses the load spring as the cylinder moves in the downhole direction; (2) vent the piston volume in the forward piston area so the compressed spring will push the tool uphole, to reduce WOB when operating pressure in the PDM exceeds the upper limit; and (3) optionally lock the piston in a passive state when the PDM is operating within its normal operating pressure range.

Problems solved by technology

If the resistance increases to a condition which prohibits the PDM from rotating (i.e. excessive WOB), a motor stall is encountered.
During a motor stall, the motor stops turning, the downhole fluid path is severely restricted, and the surface pump pressure dramatically increases.
This event can eventually cause a motor failure, which requires the drilling process to be stopped, and the coiled tubing to be fatigue-cycled as the bit is pulled off bottom and run back into the hole to start drilling again.

Method used

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  • Electrical controller for Anti-stall tools for downhole drilling assemblies
  • Electrical controller for Anti-stall tools for downhole drilling assemblies
  • Electrical controller for Anti-stall tools for downhole drilling assemblies

Examples

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example

Specifications for One Embodiment AST Illustrated in FIGS. 6-8

[0076]

DescriptionCharacteristicTool OD3.00inTool ID.75inLength - Expanded8.1ftLength - Collapsed7.4ftStroke9inMax Temp300°F.Tensile Strength50,000lbsMax Motor Torque2,000ft-lbsMax Dog Leg25° / 100ftTool Joint2⅜PAC

[0077]The design of an electrically controlled AST is flexible in that the pressure settings may be changed to fine tune the AST. Programmable pressure settings may be changed on surface or while in operation. Current available communication techniques include mud pulse telemetry, fiber optic and wireline.

[0078]If a large increase in WOB is needed, then the shaft of the AST can be replaced to allow the installation of additional pistons.

Total DownholePressure ControlMax WOB from# of PistonArea (sq. in)Valve Setting (psi)AST (lbs)14.86503,05527.96505,135311.06507,150

[0079]Features and Benefits:

The following illustrates features of an electrically controlled AST:

[0080]Active WOB: The tool will attempt reset into the ...

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Abstract

An anti-stall tool in an oil well drilling assembly that controls reciprocation of the drill bit by an electrical controller that alters weight-on-bit (WOB) depending upon measured downhole pressure or torque at the downhole motor. The electrical controller receives preset high and low working pressure limits for the downhole motor and activates a hydraulic valve system to keep the drill bit rotating by maintaining WOB during normal drilling operations, increasing WOB if sensed working pressure indicates that drill bit loading or torque is undesirably low, and reversing WOB by retracting the drill bit if excessive working pressure or torque is sensed.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 405,066, filed Oct. 20, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND[0002]The present invention provides an improvement in anti-stall tool controllers, and more specifically is an electrical controller to operate an anti-stall tool (AST) for controlling weight-on-bit during drilling operations.[0003]Coiled tubing drilling requires the use of a downhole positive displacement motor (PDM) to rotate the drill bit. During drilling operations, the unloaded PDM rotates at a constant RPM and achieves a “freespin” motor pressure, with respect to the fluid flow rate. As the drill bit encounters the bottom of the hole and force is transferred to the bit, referred to as weight-on-bit (WOB), the motor will sense an increase in torque. This increase in torque is a result of increased resistance to rotating at the constant RPM (assuming a constant flow rate). In turn...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): E21B47/00E21B7/00E21B19/08E21B44/06
CPCE21B44/06E21B4/02E21B44/02E21B44/04
Inventor MOCK, PHILIP WAYNE
Owner WWT NORTH AMERICA HLDG
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