Constant Mass Gas Extraction for Drilling Fluid Evaluation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fluid evaluation systems in oil and gas drilling struggle to maintain a consistent mass flow of drilling fluid, leading to inaccuracies in gas analysis due to variations in pressure and temperature, which affect the reliability of geological formation analysis and hydrocarbon deposit assessment.
Innovation Solution
A system incorporating a downhole drilling tool with a mass flow meter that provides feedback or feedforward signals to adjust pump parameters to maintain a constant mass flow of drilling fluid, coupled with a gas extractor and analytic detector to separate and identify gas characteristics, independent of pressure and temperature fluctuations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional fluid evaluation systems are used without mass flow control, then the system complexity is lower, but the measurement precision of gas analysis deteriorates due to pressure and temperature variations
Solution Approach 1:
The mass flow meter continuously monitors the actual mass flow of drilling fluid and provides feedback signals to the pump control system. This closed-loop feedback mechanism automatically adjusts pump parameters to maintain constant mass flow, thereby ensuring accurate gas analysis measurements while compensating for pressure and temperature variations without requiring overly complex manual intervention systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual or mechanical flow control methods with automated electronic control using mass flow meters and electronic pump control. This substitution enables precise measurement and control of mass flow rate, improving gas analysis accuracy while the automation reduces the need for complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
2Reliability
If mass flow control is implemented to maintain constant fluid flow, then the reliability of geological formation assessment improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional control components
Solution Approach 1:
The mass flow meter provides continuous feedback on actual mass flow to the pump control system, enabling automatic maintenance of constant mass flow. This feedback mechanism ensures reliable geological formation assessment by consistently providing accurate data for gas analysis, while the automated nature of the control reduces the need for complex manual monitoring and adjustment systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to self-regulate mass flow through automated pump control based on mass flow meter readings. The control system automatically adjusts pump parameters to maintain target mass flow without requiring external manual intervention, thereby improving assessment reliability while keeping the control system complexity manageable through self-managing operation.
3Measurement precision
If pressure and temperature variations are not compensated, then the ease of operation is higher, but the measurement precision of gas characteristics deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mass flow meter continuously monitors mass flow and provides feedback to compensate for pressure and temperature variations automatically. This eliminates the need for manual compensation adjustments, maintaining measurement precision of gas characteristics while preserving operational simplicity as the system self-adjusts without requiring user intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically adjusts pump operating parameters based on real-time mass flow measurements and detected pressure/temperature conditions. This dynamic parameter adjustment ensures accurate gas characteristic measurements are maintained despite environmental variations, while the automation keeps the operation simple by eliminating manual parameter adjustment requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a fluid evaluation system, including: a pump configured to receive drilling fluid that includes formational fluid from a drilling tool and pump the drilling fluid downstream within the evaluation system; a mass flow meter coupled to the output of the pump, the mass flow meter configured to provide a feedback signal to the pump to adjust one or more parameters of the pump such that a constant mass of the drilling fluid is pumped through the pump; a gas extractor coupled to the output of the mass flow meter, the gas extractor configured to separate gas from the drilling fluid; and a gas analytic detector coupled to the output of the gas extractor, the gas analytic detector configured to receive the gas and identify one or more characteristics of the gas.