Automated Drill Pipe Tripping Controller for Precision Stick-Up
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for tripping pipe in the well drilling industry are inefficient, requiring manual control of multiple machinery systems to achieve precise stick-up height and clearance distances, leading to time-consuming, costly, and error-prone operations with potential operator injuries.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system and method that utilizes a controller to automate the tripping process by calculating and adjusting the vertical position of drill pipes to achieve predetermined clearance distances and stick-up heights, eliminating the need for manual intervention in aligning and engaging drill pipes using a torque-making machine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual control is used to adjust stick-up height and clearance distance, then operational flexibility is maintained, but operational time increases and error probability rises
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses automated sensors and controllers to measure and adjust stick-up height and clearance distance without human intervention. The hoisting device automatically positions the drill pipe at the correct height, and the torque-making machine automatically aligns and engages with the pipe, enabling the system to service itself and eliminate manual measurement and adjustment operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical control operations are replaced with an automated control system that uses electronic sensors to detect pipe position and a controller to command the hoisting device and torque-making machine. This substitution of manual mechanical control with an automated electromechanical system achieves both high speed and high precision simultaneously.
2Loss of time
If automated positioning is implemented, then operational time is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller serves multiple functions: it processes sensor data, calculates required positioning adjustments, commands the hoisting device for vertical positioning, and controls the torque-making machine for alignment and engagement. By consolidating these multiple control functions into a single universal controller, the system achieves automation without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary between the sensors that detect pipe position and the actuators (hoisting device and torque-making machine) that perform positioning actions. This intermediary component coordinates the complex interactions between multiple subsystems, managing the automation process while keeping the control architecture organized and manageable.
3Manufacturing precision
If precise automated alignment is used, then engagement accuracy improves, but operator intervention requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary automated actions by positioning the drill pipe at the correct stick-up height using the hoisting device before the torque-making machine needs to engage. The sensor detects when the pipe is properly positioned, and the controller automatically commands the torque-making machine to move to the correct location and engage with the pipe, eliminating the need for operator intervention in the alignment and engagement process.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are for tripping pipe on a rig floor that is positioned over a well. A measuring device is operated to measure a length characteristic of a first drill pipe in a plurality of separated drill pipes. The length characteristic is inputted into a controller configured to control machinery to hoist the first drill pipe above the drill string, to connect the first drill pipe to the uppermost drill pipe in the drill string, and to operate the drill string to drill into the well. The controller is operated to calculate a first vertical position into which it is necessary to hoist the first drill pipe so that a predetermined clearance distance exists between the lower end of the first drill pipe and the upper end of the uppermost drill pipe in the drill string.