INTELLIGENT CONTROL OF DRILL PIPE TORQUE

• US 20170030181A1
• Filed: 07/26/2016
• Published: 02/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wellbore Integrity Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Inventors: Voden, Gerre S. Jr., Deshpande, Sneha, Thomas, John Allen, Nair, Vineet V., Neelgund, Rohan V., Li, Fei
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/16 Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints E21B19/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/166 Arrangements of torque limiters or torque indicators
• 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 44/04 in response to the torque of the drive ; Measuring drilling torque E21B44/06 takes precedence; measuring stresses in a well bore pipe E21B47/007
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/06 Measuring temperature or pressure

Abstract

Tools and method for automatically controlling torque when making-up and/or breaking-down threaded connections between downhole assets such as drill pipe, drill collars, and BAH components. An iron roughneck may be controlled by, for instance, automatically monitoring and adjusting the fluid pressure of cylinders that ultimately provide the torque to the downhole assets. The torque may further be automatically controlled by automatically identifying the downhole assets and selecting a corresponding torque profile or target torque. Clamping force may also be controlled, and is optionally proportional to the target torque.

Claims

1. A torque control system, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more fluid pressure sensors;

one or more torque sensors; and

computer-readable media including computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to automatically control torque of an torque application device.

2. The torque control system of claim 1, the control of torque including considering geometry of a downhole asset.

3. The torque control system of claim 2, the control of torque including a torque arm based on a width or diameter of the downhole asset.

4. The torque control system of claim 1, the control of torque including considering type of a downhole asset.

5. The torque control system of claim 1, the control of torque including reviewing deviations in seal loss or friction.

6. The torque control system of claim 1, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causing the one or more processors to automatically control clamping force of the torque application device.

7. The torque control system of claim 6, the clamping force being proportionally controlled relative to the torque.

8. The torque control system of claim 1, the torque application device including concavely curved pads, wherein automatically controlling torque of an torque application device includes controlling torque as applied through the concavely curved pads.

9. The torque control system of claim 1, the torque application device including an iron roughneck.

10. The torque control system of claim 1, the control of torque including controlling at least one of make pressure or clamp force based on target torque.

11. The torque control system of claim 1, the control of torque including detecting pipe slip during torqueing and identifying grip wear or maintenance.

12. The torque control system of claim 11, wherein automatically controlling torque includes using an encoded device reader to identify a target torque, a torque profile, or a type of downhole asset.

13. The torque control system of claim 12, the encoded device reader including an RFID reader.

14. The torque control system of claim 1, wherein automatically controlling torque includes storing torque values with associated downhole asset identifiers, in a remote data store, or on a downhole asset.

15. A method for automatically controlling torque on connections of downhole assets, comprising:

measuring fluid pressure to one or more cylinders of a torque application device;

automatically adjusting fluid pressure of the one or more cylinders based on a target torque;

measuring a force applied by the torque application device to a downhole asset, the force being used to directly or indirectly determine torque on the downhole asset; and

reducing fluid pressure when the determined torque on the downhole asset reaches the target torque.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

automatically identifying a geometry, type, or target torque of the downhole asset.

18. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

automatically adjusting fluid pressure to control clamping force of the torque application device.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein determining torque on the downhole asset includes determining a torque arm based on a diameter or width of the downhole asset.

20. A method for automatically controlling torque and clamping force on connections of downhole assets, comprising:

determining a torque arm of the downhole asset by identifying a diameter or width of the downhole asset;

determining a torque profile associated with the downhole asset, the torque profile including a target torque;

applying a torque to the downhole asset according to the torque profile, wherein applying the torque includes controlling fluid pressure to one or more cylinders of a torque application device and thereby controlling clamping force on, and rotation of, the downhole asset, wherein the torque is dependent on the determined torque arm and wherein the clamping force is proportional to the torque;

reducing fluid pressure of the one or more cylinders when the applied torque on the downhole asset reaches the target torque; and

monitoring health of the downhole asset in real-time.

17. The method of claim 20, using an RFID reader or optical identification system to automatically identify a geometry, type, or target torque of the downhole asset.