Mobile Robot Mud Control for Real-Time Drilling Fluid Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wellbore drilling operations, managing drilling fluid properties dynamically to maintain structural integrity and respond to unexpected events like stuck pipes or loss of circulation is challenging due to the need for real-time adjustments and the hazardous nature of drilling environments, which can put human operators at risk.
Innovation Solution
Deploying autonomous mobile robots capable of navigating the drilling site, using sensors and machine learning models to adjust drilling fluid composition, predict additive consumption, and perform maintenance tasks, thereby reducing human intervention and improving operational efficiency and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If human operators manually manage drilling fluid properties and respond to drilling events, then operational flexibility and decision-making can be performed, but the risk of human injury increases due to the hazardous drilling environment
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile robot autonomously performs drilling fluid management tasks including monitoring fluid properties, selecting additives, and adjusting composition without human intervention. The system uses onboard sensors and machine learning models to make decisions independently, removing operators from hazardous environments while maintaining operational capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces human operators with an autonomous mobile robot equipped with sensors, computational modules, and additive dispensing mechanisms. The robot navigates the drilling site autonomously and performs fluid management tasks that were previously performed manually by human workers in hazardous conditions
2Adaptability or versatility
If real-time adjustments to drilling fluid composition are made to respond to unexpected events, then wellbore integrity and operational adaptability are improved, but the complexity of monitoring and control increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile robot continuously monitors drilling fluid properties using onboard sensors and compares them against target parameters. When deviations are detected or drilling events occur, the system automatically adjusts fluid composition by dispensing appropriate additives, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains wellbore integrity through real-time feedback
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an autonomous mobile robot as an intermediary between the drilling operation and fluid management. The robot navigates to monitoring locations, analyzes fluid properties, and returns to dispensing locations to make adjustments, serving as a mobile intermediary that simplifies the control architecture while enabling real-time adaptability
3Productivity
If mobile robots autonomously navigate and perform drilling fluid management tasks, then operational efficiency and safety are improved, but the device complexity and navigation requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile robot is designed as a multi-functional platform that combines navigation, fluid monitoring, additive selection, and dispensing capabilities in a single autonomous system. This universal robot performs multiple tasks that would otherwise require separate systems or human operators, improving productivity while consolidating complexity into an integrated platform
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile robot is disclosed herein. The mobile robot may include a frame, a propulsion module, a navigation module designed to navigate the mobile robot along a target pathway, and a computational module. The mobile robot may obtain a composition reading of the drilling fluid and a pressure reading of the drilling fluid. The robot may determine, using the computational module, an additive to add to a drilling fluid reservoir based on the composition reading and the pressure reading. The mobile robot may then retrieve the additive from an inventory and deposit the additive into the drilling fluid reservoir.