Drilling Rig Gateway Control for Multi-Vendor Command Translation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of interfacing different rig control systems from various manufacturers without extensive customization, which hinders automation integration in drilling rigs.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that includes a supervisory system generating message-based commands, a gateway associating these commands with system-specific commands, and a system-specific controller to execute these commands on rig equipment, allowing for standardized control across diverse rig systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If different rig control systems from various manufacturers are used, then device versatility is improved, but device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates due to extensive customization needs
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway is designed with a universal database that associates message-based commands with system-specific commands across multiple rig control systems. This allows a single gateway interface to support diverse manufacturers' systems without requiring custom integration for each, thereby improving versatility while reducing overall complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway acts as an intermediary layer between the supervisory system and various system-specific controllers. It translates high-level message-based commands into manufacturer-specific commands, eliminating the need for direct customization between the supervisory system and each different rig control system
2Ease of operation
If message-based commands are used at the supervisory system level, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for command translation at the gateway
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway database pre-associates message-based commands with their corresponding system-specific commands before execution is needed. This preliminary mapping structure allows the translation mechanism to operate automatically without complex real-time processing, reducing the operational complexity despite the translation requirement
3Manufacturing precision
If system-specific controllers are used to execute commands, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates due to the need for multiple specialized controllers
Solution Approach 1:
The command translation function is extracted from the system-specific controllers and placed in the gateway. This allows the controllers to remain specialized and precise for their specific functions while the gateway handles the complexity of interfacing with multiple manufacturers' protocols, improving ease of manufacture
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for controlling a drilling rig, of which the method includes receiving a first message-based command from a supervisory system at a first gateway, determining a first system-specific command based on the first message-based command using the first gateway, and transmitting the first system-specific command from the first gateway to a first system-specific controller. The first system-specific controller is configured to execute the first system-specific command by controlling first rig equipment, but is not configured to execute the first message-based command.