Modeling and simulation of complete drill strings

• US 10,227,857 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes, a GE Company, LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Herbig, Christian, Reckmann, Hanno, Meyer-Heye, Bernhard, Schuberth, Frank, Jain, Jayesh Rameshlal, Hanson, Jonathan Mackey, El Hakam, Carmel Zouheir, Spencer, Reed W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alhija, Saif A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moll, Nithya J.
• Application Number:
  US13/220,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20130054203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,752 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 47/12 Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 20/00 Geomodelling in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/66 Subsurface modeling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models

Abstract

A method of predicting behavior of a drilling assembly includes: generating a mathematical representation of a geometry of each of a plurality of components of a drilling assembly, the plurality of components including a plurality of cutters and one or more additional components configured to at least one of: support the plurality of cutters and operably connect the plurality of cutters to the drill string, the one or more additional components including a drill bit crown; simulating one or more operating conditions incident on the drilling assembly representation, and simulating an interaction between the plurality of components and an earth formation; and predicting physical responses of the drilling assembly representation to the one or more conditions.

Claims

1. A method of predicting behavior of a drilling assembly including a drill bit, comprising:

generating a mathematical representation of a drill bit, the representation including a geometry of each of a plurality of cutters and a geometry of one or more non-cutting components of the drill bit, the one or more non-cutting components including at least a portion of a drill bit crown;

simulating, by a processor, one or more operating conditions incident on the drilling assembly, and simulating contact between the drill bit and at least one of a borehole wall and an earth formation, wherein simulating contact includes;

simulating interaction between the plurality of cutters and at least one of a borehole wall and an earth formation using a first interaction parameter associated with forces experienced by the plurality of cutters, wherein the plurality of cutters are simulated as a first component to which the first interaction parameter is applied;

simulating interaction between the one or more non-cutting components of the drill bit and at least one of a borehole wall and an earth formation using a second interaction parameter associated with different forces experienced by the one or more non-cutting components, the second interaction parameter associated with frictional forces experienced by surfaces of the one or more non-cutting components due to rubbing against at least one of the borehole wall and the formation, wherein the non-cutting components of the drill bit are simulated as a separate component to which the second interaction parameter is applied, the first interaction parameter and the second interaction parameter including different rates of formation material removal;

predicting physical responses of the drilling assembly to the one or more operating conditions and the simulated contact; and

controlling the drilling assembly based at least in part on the predicted physical responses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the drill bit crown has the cutters attached thereto.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mathematical representation is a finite element model, and generating the mathematical representation includes generating a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes representing the geometry.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more non-cutting components includes a drill bit body.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the drill bit body includes at least one of a drill bit gage, a gage pad, a drill bit shank, a gage trimmer, a Tracblock, an ovoid and a wear knot.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more operating conditions includes at least one of a drilling parameter, a force, a load, a moment, and a torque.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical responses include dynamic behavior of the drill string and drilling assembly, a static solution of the drill string and drilling assembly, a build-up rate of the drill string and drilling assembly in a formation due to the dynamic behavior, and a build-up rate of the drill string and drilling assembly in the formation due to the static solution.

8. A computer program product for predicting behavior of a drill string assembly including a drill bit, the computer program product including a non-transitory tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:

generating a mathematical representation of a drill bit, the representation including a geometry of each of a plurality of cutters and a geometry of one or more non-cutting components of the drill bit, the one or more non-cutting components including at least a portion of a drill bit crown;

simulating one or more operating conditions incident on the drilling assembly, and simulating contact between the drill bit and at least one of a borehole wall and an earth formation, wherein simulating contact includes;

simulating interaction between the plurality of cutters and at least one of a borehole wall and an earth formation using a first interaction parameter associated with forces experienced by the plurality of cutters, wherein the plurality of cutters are simulated as a first component to which the first interaction parameter is applied;

simulating interaction between the one or more non-cutting components of the drill bit and at least one of a borehole wall and an earth formation using a second interaction parameter associated with different forces experienced by the one or more non-cutting components, the second interaction parameter associated with frictional forces experienced by surfaces of the one or more non-cutting components due to rubbing against at least one of the borehole wall and the formation, wherein the non-cutting components of the drill bit are simulated as a separate component to which the second interaction parameter is applied, the first interaction parameter and the second interaction parameter including different rates of formation material removal;

predicting physical responses of the drilling assembly to the one or more operating conditions and the simulated contact; and

controlling the drilling assembly based at least in part on the predicted physical responses.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the mathematical representation is a finite element model and generating the mathematical representation includes generating a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes representing the geometry.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the one or more non-cutting components includes a drill bit body.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the drill bit body includes at least one of a drill bit gage, a gage pad, a drill bit shank, a gage trimmer, a Tracblock, an ovoid and a wear knot.

12. A system for estimating a behavior of a drilling assembly including a drill bit during a drilling operation, the system comprising:

a drilling assembly including at least a drill bit connected to a drill string, the drilling assembly configured to be disposed in a borehole;

a plurality of sensors operatively associated with the drilling assembly; and

a processor in communication with the plurality of sensors, the processor configured to perform;

generating a mathematical representation of a drill bit, the representation including a geometry of each of a plurality of cutters and a geometry of one or more non-cutting components of the drill bit, the one or more non-cutting components including at least a portion of a drill bit crown;

simulating one or more operating conditions incident on the drilling assembly, and simulating contact between the drill bit and at least one of a borehole wall and a formation, wherein simulating contact includes;

simulating interaction between the plurality of cutters and at least one of a borehole wall and an earth formation using a first interaction parameter associated with forces experienced by the plurality of cutters, wherein the plurality of cutters are simulated as a first component to which the first interaction parameter is applied;

simulating interaction between the one or more non-cutting components of the drill bit and at least one of a borehole wall and an earth formation using a second interaction parameter associated with different forces experienced by the one or more non-cutting components, the second interaction parameter associated with frictional forces experienced by surfaces of the one or more non-cutting components due to rubbing against at least one of the borehole wall and the formation, wherein the non-cutting components of the drill bit are simulated as a separate component to which the second interaction parameter is applied, the first interaction parameter and the second interaction parameter including different rates of formation material removal;

predicting physical responses of the drilling assembly to the one or more operating conditions and the simulated contact; and

controlling the drilling assembly based at least in part on the predicted physical responses.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the mathematical representation is a finite element model, and generating the mathematical representation includes generating a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes representing the geometry.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more non-cutting components includes a drill bit body.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to measure downhole parameters associated with the drilling assembly, and the processor is configured to input the downhole parameters to simulate the physical responses of the drilling assembly representation.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to measure downhole parameters associated with the drilling assembly, and the processor is configured to receive the downhole parameters and compare the downhole parameters to the physical responses to validate the mathematical representation.