Independent Sampling Collectors for Continuous LWD Data Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current oil drilling systems face challenges in efficiently collecting and processing large amounts of sensor data from Logging-While-Drilling (LWD) and Measuring-While-Drilling (MWD) instruments, as existing methods require data requests to interrupt data collection, leading to inefficiencies in data transmission from the bottom hole assembly to the surface.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize a data acquirer in the drill string to transmit sampling collector identification signals, select and enable specific sampling collectors, and store and transmit completed sensor data pages to a surface computing system, allowing continuous data collection and processing without interruption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a device requests data from another device in existing systems, then data can be obtained for processing, but data collection is interrupted and efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-allocates dedicated data buffers in the memory of each sampling collector before data collection begins. These buffers are prepared in advance to store sensor data without requiring interruption for memory allocation or data request handling, thereby maintaining continuous data collection operations.
Solution Approach 2:
A dedicated data buffer acts as an intermediary between the sampling collector and the processing device. The buffer temporarily holds sensor data, allowing the sampling collector to continue collecting data without interruption while the processing device retrieves data from the buffer at its own pace, decoupling the data collection and processing operations.
2Productivity
If data is continuously collected and processed without interruption, then data collection efficiency improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The memory of each sampling collector is divided into multiple dedicated buffers, with each buffer assigned to store data from a specific sensor or data type. This segmentation allows independent management of different data streams, enabling continuous collection without requiring complex coordination mechanisms while maintaining organizational structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Each sampling collector autonomously manages its own dedicated buffers, filling them with sensor data without requiring external intervention or complex arbitration. The system allows continuous operation by enabling each component to independently write to its assigned memory space while the processing device independently reads from these buffers.
Data Source
AI summary
A data sampling and collection system in an oil drilling system includes a data acquirer installed in the measurement sub to transmit a sampling collector identification signal to one of a plurality of sampling collectors coupled to the data acquirer. Each sampling collector includes a sensor and a plurality of random access memory (RAM) pages to store sensor data received from the sensor. When one of the sampling collectors receives the enable signal from the data acquirer, a current RAM page currently receiving sensor data from the sensor continues to receive sensor data without interruption and an immediately preceding RAM page storing a last completed page of received sensor data is transmitted from the one sampling collector to a memory of the data acquirer and from there to a surface computing system. As such, recent data is retrieved and transmitted for processing without interrupting the continuous collection of sensor data.