Adjustable Gas Spring Tuned Mass Damper for Drill String Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drilling systems struggle to effectively dampen a broad spectrum of vibrational frequencies in drill strings, leading to potential damage and reduced drilling efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A tunable gas spring damping system is integrated into the drill string, allowing for real-time adjustment of the gas volume and pressure to match the dominant vibrational frequency of the drill string, thereby providing effective damping across a wide range of frequencies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional tuned mass damper with fixed spring and damper parameters is used, then it can dampen vibrations at a specific resonant frequency, but it cannot effectively dampen vibrations across a broad spectrum of frequencies (50 Hz to greater than 500 Hz)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the damping system可调 (adjustable) in real-time. The gas spring's pre-load force can be dynamically adjusted by controlling gas pressure, and the damper coefficient can be adjusted by controlling fluid flow through the damper. This allows the system to adapt to different vibrational frequencies encountered during drilling operations, transforming a static damping system into a dynamic one that can handle a broad frequency spectrum.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters of the damping system to achieve broad-frequency damping. Specifically, it varies the gas pressure in the gas spring to adjust the pre-load force, and adjusts the fluid flow resistance in the damper to change the damping coefficient. These parameter changes enable the system to match different resonant frequencies of the drill string under varying operating conditions, resolving the contradiction between frequency adaptability and system complexity.
2Productivity
If the drill string operates at higher weights on bit and rates of penetration, then drilling efficiency is improved, but vibrational forces and magnitudes increase, raising the probability of damaging the drill string and its subcomponents
Solution Approach 1:
The damping system is installed on the drill string to provide preliminary anti-action against vibrational forces. By positioning the active damping system on the drill string before vibrations cause damage, the system can continuously counteract harmful vibrations during high-weight-on-bit operations. The adjustable nature of the damping system allows it to be optimized for different drilling conditions, providing protective action before vibrational damage can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping system incorporates feedback mechanisms through its adjustable control system. Sensors detect vibrational frequencies and magnitudes during drilling operations, and this information feeds back to the control system which adjusts the gas spring pre-load and damper coefficient in real-time. This closed-loop feedback enables the system to automatically adapt to changing vibrational conditions during high-productivity drilling, counteracting harmful vibrations while maintaining efficient drilling operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a gas spring with adjustable volume and pressure is used, then the effective spring coefficient can be tuned to match dominant vibrational frequencies, but the system requires multiple chambers and valves for real-time adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The gas spring is segmented into multiple chambers that can be independently controlled. Each chamber can be adjusted in volume and pressure separately, allowing the overall spring coefficient to be fine-tuned for different vibrational frequencies. This segmentation enables precise control of the damping characteristics while distributing the complexity across multiple manageable components rather than requiring a single complex adjustment mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses pneumatic principles by employing a gas spring with controllable gas pressure and volume. The gas chambers can be adjusted through pneumatic control systems that regulate gas flow and pressure to each chamber independently. This pneumatic approach provides smooth, continuous adjustment of the spring coefficient without mechanical linkages, reducing the complexity of the adjustment mechanism while maintaining high adaptability for matching different vibrational frequencies.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively reduces vibrational damage to the drill string and its components, enhancing drilling efficiency and prolonging equipment lifespan by damping vibrations across a broad frequency spectrum.
Implementation Method 1
a gas spring that includes a gas contained within multiple chambers that are connected by valves that can be rapidly opened or closed to change the total volume of gas in the gas spring and, thereby, change the effective spring coefficient of the gas spring
Implementation Method 2
the valves can be as simple as a sliding valve over a small, one-millimeter diameter orifice to permit rapid opening and closing of that valve within a fraction of a second for real-time control
Implementation Method 3
Disclosed herein is an example of a method of operations in a wellbore that includes rotating a drill string in the wellbore, monitoring the vibrations of the drill string, and damping those vibrations, in part, by compressing a gas
Data Source
AI summary
Vibration in a drill string is damped with a damping system coupled to the drill string. The damping system includes a chamber, a gas and piston in the chamber, and a mass connected to the piston. The gas defines a spring having a spring coefficient that is dependent on a volume or temperature of the chamber. The damping system is tunable in real-time by varying the volume or temperature of the chamber. In alternatives with multiple chambers interconnected to one another via ports, chamber volume at the existing pressure can be varied by selective actuation of valves between the chambers or the pressure of the gas can be varied by compressing or expanding a connected bellows or by heating or cooling the temperature of the gas. The damping system can selectively damp both radial and torsional vibrations.