Drilling Mud Gas Extraction Feedback Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing gas extraction devices for drilling mud face challenges in maintaining consistent reliability and precision due to varying gaseous content, leading to fluctuations in transit time and potential blockages, especially when the mud is rich or poor in hydrocarbons.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a pressure sensor downstream of the regulating device to control the carrier gas flow based on the pressure difference with a specified extraction pressure, ensuring precise regulation of gas extraction conditions regardless of the mud's gaseous content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a specified flow of carrier gas is admitted into the enclosure, then the transit time for extracted gases can be regulated to an acceptable value, but the extraction rate is affected when the mud contains considerable quantities of gas, and the transit time varies during analysis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system where a pressure sensor continuously monitors the pressure in the enclosure, and this information is fed back to a control means that adjusts the carrier gas flow rate through the regulating device. This closed-loop feedback mechanism maintains constant pressure despite variations in gas content, ensuring reliable and consistent transit time for gas extraction analysis.
2Loss of time
If a specified flow of carrier gas is admitted into the enclosure, then the transit time can be regulated, but when the quantity of gas contained in the mud is small, the flow of gases extracted is not entirely offset by the carrier gas flow, causing mud to be sucked through the extraction pipe and the device to become blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback control system monitors pressure continuously and adjusts carrier gas flow in real-time. When gas content is low, the system increases carrier gas flow to maintain positive pressure and prevent mud from being sucked into the extraction pipe, thereby preventing blockages while maintaining acceptable transit time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system takes preliminary anti-action by maintaining a minimum carrier gas flow rate that exceeds the maximum possible gas extraction rate from the mud. This preliminary counteraction prevents the harmful effect of mud suction and blockage before it can occur, ensuring continuous operation without interruptions.
3Productivity
If the gaseous content of drilling mud varies during drilling, then the extraction rate is affected by the presence of carrier gas, but maintaining constant carrier gas flow causes transit time variations that affect quality
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback control system resolves this contradiction by continuously monitoring pressure and adjusting carrier gas flow to maintain constant pressure conditions. This ensures that transit time remains constant (maintaining analysis quality) while the extraction rate automatically adapts to varying gas content in the mud, thereby maintaining productivity.
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
This solution maintains constant gas extraction conditions, prevents blockages, and ensures accurate quantification of gases in drilling mud, regardless of the mud's gaseous content, enhancing the reliability and precision of the extraction process.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor for measuring the instantaneous pressure at a point located downstream of the regulating device
Implementation Method 2
means for controlling the regulating device which are connected to the sensor in order to control the flow of carrier gas injected through the regulating device at any moment in time as a function of the difference between the pressure measured by the sensor and a specified gas extraction pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A device (53) comprises an enclosure (63) and means (65, 67) for circulating a drilling mud in the enclosure (63). The inventive device is also provided with means (69) for introducing a gas carrier into the enclosure (63), which comprises a pipe (113) provided with a unit (121) for adjusting the gas carrier flowrate. The device (53) comprises a gas extracting pipe (71) open into the enclosure (63). The gas introducing means (69) comprise a sensor (123) for measuring a pressure at a point located downstream of the adjusting unit (121) and means (117) for controlling the flowrate of the gas carrier injected through said adjusting unit (121) according to the difference between a pressure measured by the sensor (123) and a determined gas extraction pressure.