Retractable Cuttings Trap for At-Bit Drilling Measurements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drilling operations lack real-time data on drill bit condition and formation characteristics, leading to increased stress on drill bits and higher drilling costs due to non-productive time and invisible lost time.
Innovation Solution
A cuttings collection system is deployed at the drill bit, featuring a cuttings catcher with retractable mesh and sensors to analyze cuttings in real-time, providing data on drill bit condition and formation characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If manual collection and identification of cuttings is used, then real-time data acquisition is achieved, but the task becomes tedious and unfeasible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical collection and identification of cuttings with an automated sensor-based system. Sensors installed in the stabilizer body automatically detect and identify cuttings characteristics in real-time, eliminating the need for manual intervention while maintaining real-time data acquisition capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by having the stabilizer and sensors automatically collect, detect, and analyze cuttings without human intervention. The automated detection system performs the identification function that would otherwise require manual operations, making the process feasible and efficient.
2Reliability
If current processes for identification of sub-optimal equipment performance are used, then equipment monitoring is achieved, but the processes are unreliable and inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous feedback through sensors that constantly monitor cuttings characteristics and provide real-time data on drill bit condition. This ongoing feedback loop enables reliable and consistent identification of equipment performance issues, replacing unreliable periodic monitoring with continuous automated detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces unreliable manual or conventional monitoring processes with automated sensor-based detection. The sensors provide objective, consistent measurements of cuttings characteristics, eliminating the variability and unreliability associated with previous monitoring methods.
3Loss of information
If real-time drill bit information is made available, then drill bit condition monitoring is improved, but drilling operations currently lack this capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the drill bit monitoring function with the existing stabilizer component. By installing sensors in the stabilizer body, the system combines structural support functionality with real-time cuttings detection, enabling drill bit condition monitoring without adding separate complex monitoring equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizer is given multi-functionality by integrating sensor capabilities into it. The stabilizer not only provides structural support but also simultaneously performs cuttings detection and drill bit condition monitoring, reducing overall system complexity while enabling real-time information availability.
Data Source
AI summary
A cuttings collection system includes a drill bit at the end of a toolstring, a stabilizer connected to the drill bit, a cuttings catcher arranged around the stabilizer with apertures having a size less than an average size of cuttings generated by the drill bit and retractability, and sensors installed in a body of the stabilizer. A cuttings catcher includes a housing with recesses and a retractable mesh installed in each of the recesses. A method of operating an at-bit cuttings catcher system includes providing a toolstring with a drill bit, a stabilizer, a cuttings catcher, and a measurement-while-drilling tool, where the cuttings catcher includes a housing with recesses and a mesh installed in the recesses, drilling a formation using the drill bit, producing cuttings of the formation, extending the mesh from the housing of the cuttings catcher, catching cuttings in the cuttings catcher, and analyzing the cuttings using sensors.