RIG CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20160290119A1
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Inventors: Tunc, Gokturk, Zheng, Shunfeng
• Granted Patent: US 10,353,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling a drilling rig. The system includes a first layer including a plurality of subsystem controllers coupled with a plurality of rig subsystems, the plurality of subsystem controllers being configured to control operating parameters of the plurality of rig subsystems. The system also includes a second layer configured to receive information from the first layer based on an operation of the plurality of rig subsystems, and to provide control of the plurality of rig subsystems. The system further includes a third layer configured to execute one or more process applications and to provide a task-based command to the second layer.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a drilling rig, comprising:

a first layer including a plurality of subsystem controllers coupled with a plurality of rig subsystems, the plurality of subsystem controllers being configured to control operating parameters of the plurality of rig subsystems;

a second layer configured to receive information from the first layer based on an operation of the plurality of rig subsystems, and to provide control of the plurality of rig subsystems; and

a third layer configured to execute one or more process applications and to provide a task-based command to the second layer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first layer is configured to execute operations of a first complexity, the second layer is configured to execute operations of a second complexity, and the third layer is configured to execute operations of a third complexity, the first complexity being lower than the second complexity, and the second complexity being lower than the third complexity.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a human-machine interface is coupled to the second layer to operate and control one or more of the plurality of rig subsystems.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein a first of the plurality of rig subsystems is modifiable without requalifying others of the plurality of rig subsystems.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the second layer and the first layer interact via one or more supervisor controllers, and wherein the one or more supervisor controllers communicate with the first layer using a deterministic field bus protocol, and with the second layer through a data centric publisher-subscriber mode.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of subsystem controllers are each configured to execute a parameter-based command, fast-loop feedback, a safety feedback loop, or a combination thereof using the respective plurality of rig subsystems.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second layer is further configured to:

determine one or more parameter-based commands based on the task-based command; and

transmit the one or more parameter-based commands to the first layer for execution.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second layer is configured to execute coordinated controls of the plurality of subsystems, to execute a model based controller to provide parameter-based commands to the first layer, to coordinate safety interlocks among subsystems, or a combination thereof.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of subsystem controllers are configured to receive sensor data from the plurality of rig subsystems, and wherein the second layer is configured to aggregate the sensor data from the plurality of subsystem controllers.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second layer is configured to compare redundant sensor data of the sensor data and select a subset of the redundant sensor data based on an accuracy thereof.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first layer or the second layer is configured to provide a clock, wherein the clock provides a uniform timestamp for the sensor data from the plurality of rig subsystems.

12. A system for controlling a drilling rig, comprising:

a plurality of first controllers each configured to control an operating parameter of a respective rig subsystem of a plurality of rig subsystems of the drilling rig and to receive sensor data therefrom, wherein the plurality of first controllers are configured to provide a feedback loop for executing a command related to the operating parameter; and

a second controller configured to receive sensor data from the plurality of first controllers and to coordinate control of the plurality of rig subsystems.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of first controllers is configured to independently control a safety parameter of the respective rig subsystems.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of first controllers are adjustable to control different types of rig subsystems, and wherein the second controller is configured to execute software that is adjustable based on the different types of rig subsystems.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of third controllers each coupled with a respective one of the plurality of first controllers, wherein the plurality of third controllers are configured to determine exposable data from the sensor data.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising a process network configured to execute a process application, wherein the process network is configured to generate one or more task-based commands based on the execution of the process application and to transmit the one or more task-based commands to the second controller.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising an interface between the process network and the second controller, wherein the interface is configured to log data received from the process network, or to log data related to the operation of the second controller, or both, such that the interface is configured to provide forensic data.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the second controller is configured to determine one or more parameter-based commands from the one or more task-based commands, and coordinate execution of the parameter-based commands among the plurality of rig subsystems.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the second controller is configured to cause a uniform timestamp to be applied to the sensor data from the plurality of rig subsystems.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the second controller is configured to provide a uniform user interface for controlling the plurality of rig subsystems.

21. A method for controlling a drilling rig, comprising:

controlling operating parameters of a plurality of rig subsystems using a plurality of subsystem controllers in a first layer, wherein each of the plurality of subsystem controllers controls one of the plurality of rig subsystems independently of the others of the plurality of subsystem controllers;

generating feedback information using the first layer, based on the operation of the plurality of rig subsystems;

receiving the feedback information from the first layer, at a second layer; and

coordinating operation of the plurality of rig subsystems using the second layer.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

executing a well planning application, a well simulation application, a simulation application, or a combination thereof, using a process network of a third layer, to generate one or more task-based commands;

transmitting the one or more task-based commands to the second layer;

generating one or more parameter-based commands based on the one or more task-based commands received from the third layer, using the second layer; and

transmitting the one or more parameter-based commands to the plurality of subsystem controllers of the first layer.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

providing a clock by operation of the second layer, the third layer, or both; and

applying a uniform timestamp to the feedback information generated at the first layer.