SYNCHRONIZED TELEMETRY FROM A ROTATING ELEMENT

• US 20100214121A1
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: APS Technology Inc
• Original Assignee: APS Technology Inc
• Inventors: Harkawik, Phillip T., Puro, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,525,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/854.600
• 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

Abstract

A top drive assembly may comprise a drive motor that provides rotational torque to a drill string for driving the drill string into the earth. A sensor and a transmitter may be located on a section of the drill string or on a device that can be incorporated into a drill string. The sensor may take measurements of the drill string that is rotating during the drilling operation. If the sensor is located near the top drive assembly, the sensor may take measurements of an upper portion of the rotating drill string during the drilling operation. The transmitter may wirelessly transmit the sensor information in real-time to a coordinator or main radio. The transmitter may also be located near the top drive assembly and during the drilling operation, may transmit from the rotating drill string while located in a position above the earth'"'"'s surface.

Claims

1. A device for wirelessly transmitting uphole information during a drilling operation, the device comprising:

a sensor for measuring uphole information during the drilling operation;

a transmitter, wherein the transmitter is configured to rotate with a portion of a drill string that rotates during the drilling operation, the transmitter further configured to wirelessly transmit the uphole information while the transmitter rotates uphole during the drilling operation.

2. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transmitter is further configured to wirelessly transmit the uphole information over a selected portion of a rotational path of the transmitter.

3. The device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a receiver that is configured to receive control signals from a coordinator for synchronizing the receiver with the coordinator.

4. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transmitter is further configured to wirelessly transmit the uphole information, during the transmitter'"'"'s rotation, when a coordinator is in an RF field of a receiver associated with the device.

5. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to couple to the portion of the drill string that rotates during the drilling operation.

6. The device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a gyro-rate sensor for determining a rotational speed of at least one rotating component of the device.

7. The device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a limited duration power source for the transmitter.

8. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a first end of the device engages a top drive assembly and a second end engages a drill pipe.

9. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensor or the transmitter is mountable to a drill pipe that engages a top drive assembly.

10. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the uphole information associated with the drilling operation comprises at least one of weight, bending, or torque of the drill string.

11. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transmitter is part of a transceiver configured to both transmit and receive.

12. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the device is configured to be incorporated into a top drive drilling system having a top drive motor that provides rotational torque to the drill string to which the transmitter is coupled.

13. The device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a microcontroller that is configured to execute synchronization algorithms based on a beacon signal received from a coordinator for synchronizing transmissions with the coordinator.

14. A device for wirelessly transmitting information during a drilling operation, the device comprising:

a sensor configured for at least one of measuring uphole information or receiving downhole information;

a transmitter located uphole, wherein the transmitter is configured to rotate with a portion of a drill string that rotates during the drilling operation, the transmitter further configured to transmit via a radio frequency at least one of uphole information or downhole information while the transmitter is rotating uphole during the drilling operation.

15. The device in accordance with claim 14, wherein the transmitter is further configured to wirelessly transmit the at least one of the uphole information or the downhole information over a selected portion of a rotational path of the transmitter.

16. The device in accordance with claim 14, further comprising a receiver that is configured to receive control signals from a coordinator for synchronizing the receiver with the coordinator.

17. The device in accordance with claim 14, wherein the transmitter is further configured to wirelessly transmit at least one of the uphole information or the downhole information during the transmitter'"'"'s rotation when a coordinator is in an RF field of a receiver associated with the device.

18. The device in accordance with claim 14, wherein the sensor is configured to couple to the portion of the drill string that rotates during the drilling operation.

19. The device in accordance with claim 14, further comprising a gyro-rate sensor for determining a rotational speed of at least one rotating component of the device.

20. The device in accordance with claim 14, further comprising a limited duration power source for the transmitter.

21. A method of synchronizing a rotating transceiver for transmission during a drilling operation, the method comprising:

receiving rotational measurements of a drill string rotating uphole from a revolutions per minute (RPM) sensor;

receiving a beacon message and a signal strength indicator from a coordinator;

if the signal strength indicator meets a threshold level, selecting an arc of the drill string'"'"'s rotation over which to transmit information associated with the drilling operation, wherein the arc is selected based on the rotational measurements of the rotating drill string and the received beacon message; and

transmitting the information, from an uphole location during the drilling operation, over the selected arc of the drill string'"'"'s rotation.

22. The method in accordance with claim 21, further comprising receiving an indication that the rotational measurements of the drill string have changed.

23. The method in accordance with claim 21, further comprising requesting that the coordinator be put into beacon mode.

24. The method in accordance with claim 21, further comprising timestamping the received beacon message.

25. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the beacon message comprises power-supply information, relative address, location, timestamp, signal strength, available bandwidth resources, temperature and pressure associated with the coordinator.

26. The method in accordance with claims 21, further comprising receiving a second beacon message and a second signal strength indicator from the coordinator, wherein if the second signal strength indicator meets a second threshold level, calculating the arc of the drill string is further based on the second beacon message.

27. A method of transmitting uphole information during a drilling operation from a rotating transmitter, the method comprising:

measuring uphole information associated with the drilling operation;

selecting an arc of a rotational path of the transmitter over which to transmit, wherein the transmitter is coupled to an uphole portion of a drill string that rotates during the drilling operation; and

transmitting the uphole information during the drilling operation, wirelessly, during the selected arc of the transmitter'"'"'s rotational path.

28. The method in accordance with claim 27, further comprising:

synchronizing a receiver to a radio frequency of a coordinator;

transmitting a data packet during the arc of the rotational path of the transmitter, wherein the transmitter is coupled to a rotating drill string configured to drill a subsurface bore; and

receiving a transmission acknowledgement.

29. The method in accordance with claim 27, further comprising receiving a beacon signal from a coordinator.

30. The method in accordance with claim 29, wherein the beacon signal provides at least one of distance of the coordinator from the transmitter or signal strength data of the coordinator.

31. The method in accordance with claim 27, further comprising executing synchronization algorithms using a beacon signal received from a coordinator for synchronizing transmissions with the coordinator.

32. The method in accordance with claim 27, further comprising measuring positioning data of at least one of a receiver, the transmitter, or a sensor that measures drill string information.

33. The method in accordance with claim 27, wherein the uphole information comprises at least one of weight, bending, or torque of the drill string.

34. A drilling system comprising;

a top drive assembly comprising a top drive motor;

a sensor coupled to a drill string, wherein the sensor is configured to take measurements of the drill string;

a transmitter coupled to the drill string, wherein the transmitter is configured to rotate with the drill string and transmit information from an uphole portion of the drill string; and

wherein the top drive motor is configured to provide rotational torque to the drill string to which the transmitter is coupled.

35. The drilling system in accordance with claim 34, wherein the transmitter is further configured to synchronize transmissions of the information, while the transmitter rotates, with a coordinator.

36. The drilling system in accordance with claim 34, wherein the transmitter is further configured to wirelessly transmit the information over a selected portion of a rotational path of the transmitter.

37. The drilling system in accordance with claim 34, wherein the sensor is configured to couple to the uphole portion of the drill string that rotates during a drilling operation and take uphole measurements.

38. The drilling system in accordance with claim 34, further comprising a gyro-rate sensor coupled to and configured to determine a rotational speed of at least one of the sensor, the transmitter, or the drill string.

39. The drilling system in accordance with claim 34, wherein at least one of the sensor or the transmitter is mountable to a drill pipe that engages the top drive assembly.

40. The drilling system in accordance with claim 34, wherein the information comprises at least one of weight, bending, or torque of the drill string.