Wellbore Pressure Control via Physics-Based Actuator Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual control of pressure in well intervention operations often leads to equipment damage, inconsistent pressure application, and safety hazards due to inadequate training and lack of standardization, resulting in potential hydrocarbon releases.
Innovation Solution
A physics-based control system that uses electro-hydraulic valves and sensors to automatically adjust stripper hydraulic pressure, incorporating feedback signals and statistical learning models to calculate safe pressure ranges, reducing manual intervention and enhancing safety and cost-effectiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual control of pressure is used in well intervention operations, then operational flexibility is maintained, but equipment damage occurs and safety hazards arise due to inadequate training and lack of standardization
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors actual pressure during well intervention operations and compares it against target pressure ranges. When pressure deviates from the target range, the system automatically adjusts the hydraulic actuator force to bring pressure back into the safe operating range, preventing equipment damage while maintaining operational simplicity through automated closed-loop control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical pressure control with an automated electromechanical system that uses sensors, controllers, and hydraulic actuators. This substitution eliminates the need for operator experience and judgment, providing consistent, reliable pressure control that prevents equipment damage while reducing the skill level required for operation
2Reliability
If manual pressure control is used, then operational simplicity is maintained, but pressure application becomes inconsistent and safety hazards occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses pressure sensors to continuously monitor actual wellhead pressure and feeds this information back to the controller. The controller compares actual pressure against the target pressure range and automatically adjusts the hydraulic actuator accordingly, ensuring consistent pressure application without requiring complex manual control procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is designed to automatically regulate pressure without requiring constant operator intervention. The closed-loop system self-corrects pressure deviations and maintains consistent operating conditions, making the system self-regulating and reducing the complexity of manual control requirements
3Reliability
If automated pressure control using physics-based models is implemented, then equipment damage is prevented and safety is enhanced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex manual control procedures with a standardized automated system based on physics-based models. The system uses established physical principles to calculate required pressure and automatically adjusts hydraulic actuators accordingly, reducing operational complexity while improving reliability through consistent, model-based control
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts control parameters such as target pressure ranges, actuator force, and feedback gain based on real-time well conditions and the physics-based models. This allows the system to adapt to varying operational conditions while maintaining consistent, reliable pressure control through automated parameter optimization rather than complex manual adjustments
Data Source
AI summary
A system for controlling pressure applied in a well intervention operation using a physics-based model is provided. The system can include a stripper element that includes a pressure retention element for sealing a wellbore during an intervention operation that uses coiled tubing; a stripper circuit that includes a hydraulic actuator to apply a pressure to the pressure retention element; a processing device coupled to the hydraulic actuator that can receive, from the stripper circuit, a feedback signal. The processing device may receive a physical characteristic of a component and then determine, using data from the feedback signal and the physical characteristic, a minimum pressure level to contain wellhead pressure. The processing device may then output a command to cause the hydraulic actuator to change the pressure on the pressure retention element to be the minimum pressure level or within a pre-set deviation of the minimum pressure level.