Radio frequency identification system for mineral extraction equipment

• US 10,087,750 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2015
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cameron International Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Cameron International Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Baxter, Daniel B., Scalzo, John D., Ram, Jonatan, Sitar, Adam, Das, Ritabrata
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burgdorf, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US14/879,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20160032716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 166 64, 175 40, 235175, 340 58, 340 101, 340 1041, 34053913, 34053932, 3405721, 3408541, 3408542, 3408546, 709217
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 44/00 Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/09 Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells , e.g. the position of an extending arm; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/13 by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/002 Details, e.g. power supply systems for logging instruments, transmitting or recording data, specially adapted for well logging, also if the prospecting method is irrelevant means for transmitting well survey signals E21B47/12; signal transmission systems in general G08C; transmission in general H04B
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

A system including, a first component of a mineral extraction system, and a first radio frequency identification (RFID) module coupled to the first component, wherein the first RFID module comprises first component data relating to the first component, and first location data relating to a first location of the first component.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a component of a mineral extraction system, the method comprising:

coupling a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) module to the component, the RFID module comprising an active RFID unit and a passive RFID unit;

storing component data relating to the component in the RFID module;

storing location data relating to a location of the component relative to the mineral extraction system in the RFID module;

transmitting a communication from the RFID module to a RFID reader, the communication comprising the component data and the location data;

mapping the location of the component on a real-time image of the mineral extraction system based upon the location data stored in the RFID module;

powering up the active RFID unit in response to the first communication from the RFID reader to the RFID module;

powering down the active RFID unit in response to a second communication from the RFID reader to the RFID module; and

wherein the first communication comprises a first communication frequency and the second communication comprises a second communication frequency different from the first communication frequency.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the passive RFID unit is directly coupled to the active RFID unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID module comprises an active RFID unit having a battery and a power control feature, the method further comprising conserving energy in the battery via the power control feature.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the component data and the location data on an asset management system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the location data relating to the location of the component with a global positioning system (“

GPS”

) unit in the RFID module.

6. A method for monitoring components of a mineral extraction system, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) modules on the components, the RFID modules configured to communicate with each other and/or to a data acquisition system;

acquiring component data and location data stored in the plurality of RFID modules via the data acquisition system comprising at least one RFID reader configured to simultaneously communicate with the plurality of RFID modules to acquire the component data and the location data;

mapping the locations of the plurality of RFID modules on a real-time image of the mineral extraction system based upon the location data stored in the plurality of RFID modules via a data mapping system comprising an augmented reality system configured to map locations of the plurality of RFID modules on the image of the mineral extraction system in real-time; and

wherein the plurality of RFID modules are configured to communicate with each other on a different frequency than a frequency used for communication with the data acquisition system.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the data mapping system and/or at least one of the RFID modules comprises a global positioning system (“

GPS”

) unit.

8. A method for monitoring a component of a mineral extraction system, the method comprising:

coupling a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) module comprising an active RFID unit to the component;

transmitting a first communication from a RFID reader to the active RFID unit while the active RFID unit is in sleep mode;

waking the active RFID unit in response to the first communication;

transmitting a second communication from the active RFID unit to the RFID reader, the second communication comprising component data relating to the component and location data relating to a location of the component relative to the mineral extraction system;

transmitting a third communication from the RFID reader to the active RFID unit to direct the active RFID unit to re-enter sleep mode; and

wherein the first communication, the second communication, and the third communication occur on different frequencies.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising mapping the location of the component on a real-time image of the mineral extraction system based upon the location data via an asset management system.