Drilling Malfunction Detection via MSE and Force Thresholds

The patent segments the malfunction detection process into two distinct indicators: mechanical specific energy (for detecting malfunctions) and drilling force (for characterizing formation properties). By separating these functions into distinct measurement and analysis streams, the system can independently evaluate each indicator and combine them to achieve precise differentiation between formation hardness changes and actual malfunctions, resolving the contradiction between detection capability and measurement precision.

The patent introduces drilling force as an intermediary indicator that mediates between the mechanical specific energy measurement and the determination of specific malfunction type. The drilling force provides additional diagnostic information about the drilling conditions and formation characteristics, which when combined with mechanical specific energy analysis, enables identification of specific malfunction types such as bit balling, bit wear, or formation changes, thereby preventing information loss about the specific nature of detected malfunctions.

The patent achieves multi-functionality by using a unified data processing framework that simultaneously calculates both mechanical specific energy and drilling force indicators from the same set of measured parameters (torque, weight on bit, rate of penetration, etc.). This universal approach allows the system to perform multiple detection functions with a single integrated analysis process, thereby improving precision and accuracy while minimizing the increase in device complexity.