Simulator for an oil well circulation system
First Claim
1. In an apparatus for simulating the circulating of a fluid in the circulation system of an oil well extending from the surface of the earth to a point intersecting an underground formation, which apparatus is used in conjunction with a programmable digital calculator programmed to calculate fluid pressure at a plurality of points in the circulation system, wherein the apparatus includes:
- manually adjustable means for indicating the pump rate of a pump in the circulation system;
manually adjustable means for indicating the density of the fluid being pumped;
manually adjustable means for indicating the relative opening of a choke in the circulation system;
manually adjustable means for indicating the opened and closed positions of a blowout preventer in the circulation system;
manually adjustable means for indicating the opened and closed positions of a valve controlling fluid communication between the choke and the oil well annulus in the circulation system; and
,display means for displaying a plurality of fluid pressures calculated by the programmable calculator in response to the indicated pump rate, density of the fluid being pumped, the relative opening of the choke, the position of the blowout preventer, and the position of the valve, wherein the display includes at least the fluid pressure in a standpipe and the fluid pressure in an oil well casing in the circulation system;
the improvement comprising;
first circuit means, responsive to changes in the manually adjustable pump rate indicating means, for providing to the digital programmable calculator at least periodically a digital representation of the pump rate and a digital repesentation of a sum of pumping strokes for the pump in the circulation system; and
,second circuit means, responsive to changes in the manufally adjustable relative choke opening indicating means, for providing to the digital programmable calculator at least periodically a digital representation of the choke opening.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus is presented which simulates the circulation system through which a fluid is circulated in an oil well. The apparatus includes manually adjustable control means which simulate the circulation system controls used in the circulation of fluid through the oil well. The controls are interfaced with, and drive a digital programmable calculator which calculates the pressure and volume of fluid at a plurality of points in the oil well. The calculator in turn is interfaced with display means which simulate the circulation system instrumentation during the simulated circulation process. The apparatus additionally includes means for calculating a formation pressure which is randomly higher than the fluid pressure at the depth of the formation. Responsive to this increased formation pressure, the apparatus simulates the invasion of formation fluid into the well bore and simulates the reaction of the circulation system as the formation fluid is circulated to the surface. If the formation fluid is gas, the apparatus simulates the expansion of the gas as it is circulated to the surface. The apparatus further includes means for automatically, randomly changing a characteristic of the circulation system such as when a failure occurs at a point in the circulation system, thus simulating the action of the circulation system during such a failure. A time multiplier means is included to compress the time required to effect circulation of the fluid in the oil well. Audio means are provided to simulate the sound of the fluid pump, gas escaping from the circulation system, and to sound an error alarm in the event a pressure limit of the circulation system has been exceeded, or a blowout condition exists. An apparatus results which is particularly useful in training oil well personnel in the circulation of a fluid in an oil well, control of an oil well during drilling, circulating out a kick of formation fluid while preventing a blowout, and in recognizing a failure of a component of the circulation system during circulation of a drilling fluid.
92 Citations
45 Claims
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1. In an apparatus for simulating the circulating of a fluid in the circulation system of an oil well extending from the surface of the earth to a point intersecting an underground formation, which apparatus is used in conjunction with a programmable digital calculator programmed to calculate fluid pressure at a plurality of points in the circulation system, wherein the apparatus includes:
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manually adjustable means for indicating the pump rate of a pump in the circulation system; manually adjustable means for indicating the density of the fluid being pumped; manually adjustable means for indicating the relative opening of a choke in the circulation system; manually adjustable means for indicating the opened and closed positions of a blowout preventer in the circulation system; manually adjustable means for indicating the opened and closed positions of a valve controlling fluid communication between the choke and the oil well annulus in the circulation system; and
,display means for displaying a plurality of fluid pressures calculated by the programmable calculator in response to the indicated pump rate, density of the fluid being pumped, the relative opening of the choke, the position of the blowout preventer, and the position of the valve, wherein the display includes at least the fluid pressure in a standpipe and the fluid pressure in an oil well casing in the circulation system;
the improvement comprising;first circuit means, responsive to changes in the manually adjustable pump rate indicating means, for providing to the digital programmable calculator at least periodically a digital representation of the pump rate and a digital repesentation of a sum of pumping strokes for the pump in the circulation system; and
,second circuit means, responsive to changes in the manufally adjustable relative choke opening indicating means, for providing to the digital programmable calculator at least periodically a digital representation of the choke opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for simulating the circulating of a fluid in a circulation system for an oil well extending from the surface of the earth to a point intersecting an underground formation comprising:
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manually adjustable means for indicating the pump rate of a pump in the circulation system; manually adjustable means for indicating the density of the fluid being pumped; manually adjustable means for indicating the relative opening of a choke in the circulation system; manually adjustable means for indicating the opened and closed positions of a blowout preventer in the circulation system; manually adjustable means for indicating the opened and closed positions of a valve controlling fluid communication between the choke and the oil well annulus in the circulation system; a programmable digital calculator means for receiving signals from said pump rate indicating means, said fluid density indicating means, said relative opening of choke indicating means, said blowout preventer position indicating means, said valve position indicating means, and for generating digital signals, responsive to said received signals, representative of the value of fluid pressure at a plurality of points in the circulation system; digital calculating means, in said programmable digital calculator for subtracting a value of a fluid pressure for the bottom of the oil well, which is generated by said programmable digital calculator responsive to said received signals, from a value representing the pressure of the formation, and for multiplying the resultant times the product of a value representing the rate of penetration of a bit in the oil well and the number 10 raised to the power of -4, thereby determining the value of fluid volume invading the well bore, and for providing a digital signal representing a value of pressure in a standpipe and a casing in the oil well responsive to said received signals and said determined value of invading fluid volume; and
,display means, responsive to said digital signals for displaying said fluid pressure values, including at least the fluid pressure in said standpipe and the fluid pressure in said casing of the oil well circulation system. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An apparatus for simulating the circulation of fluids through a circulation system of an oil well extending from the surface of the earth to a point intersecting an underground formation comprising:
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a plurality of data register means for storing digital values representing the volume of fluids in said oil well; digital calculating means for determining and storing in one of said data register means a value representing the volume of formation fluid in said oil well determined responsively to a value of fluid pressure at the bottom of the oil well, a value of pressure of the formation and the depth of formation fluid; manually adjustable pump rate indicating means for determining and storing in one of said data register means a value representing the volume of drilling fluid being introduced into said oil well responsive to the adjustment of said pump rate indicating means; said digital calculating means further including means for determining a value representing the volume of fluid being displaced from said oil well by the values of said formation fluid volume and said introduced drilling fluid volume; and
,display means for displaying said volume of fluid displaced from said oil well by said formation fluid in said oil well thereby simulating the circulation of fluids through said oil well. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of simulating the circulating of a fluid in the circulation system of an oil well extending from the surface of the earth to a point intersecting an underground formation comprising the steps of:
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generating a first train of pulses, responsive to a manually adjustable pump rate indicating means, whose frequency varies with the adjustment of said pump rate indicating means; generating a second train of pulses, responsive to a manually adjustable choke opening and closing indicating means and a manually adjustable choke rate indicating means, wherein the frequency of said pulse train varies with the adjustment of said choke rate means and the sign of the pulses varies with the adjustment of said choke opening and closing means; counting, during a set period of time, the pulses in said first train of pulses whereby the number counted represents the number of pulses generated during the period; counting the pulses in said second pulse train whereby the number is increased when the pulses are of one sign, and the number is decreased when the pulses are of a second sign; transmitting the numbers counted in said counting steps, at least periodically, to a programmable digital calculator programmed to calculate fluid pressures at a plurality of points in said circulation system responsive to said transmitted numbers; transmitting from said programmable digital calculator to a display means at least the values of standpipe pressure and casing pressure calculated by said calculator responsive to said transmitted numbers; and
,displaying the values of said standpipe pressure and said casing pressure. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method of simulating the circulation of fluids through a circulation system of an oil well extending from the surface of the earth to a point intersecting an underground formation comprising the steps of:
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storing in a plurality of data register means, digital values representing the volume of fluids in said oil well; determining a value representing the volume of formation fluid in said oil well, with a digital calculating means responsively to a value of fluid pressure at the bottom of the oil well, a value of pressure of the formation, and the depth of the formation fluid; storing said value of formation fluid volume in one of said data register means; determining a value representing the volume of drilling fluid being introduced into said oil well responsive to the adjustment of a manually adjustable pump rate indicating means; storing said volume of drilling fluid in one of said data register means; determining a value representing the volume of fluid being displaced from said oil well, with said digital calculating means responsive to said values of formation fluid volume and drilling fluid volume introduced in the well; and
,displaying said volume of fluid displaced from said oil well by said formation fluid in said oil well, thereby simulating the circulation of fluids through said oil well. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
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45. In an apparatus having a manually adjustable rate indicating means;
- manually adjustable polarity means;
circuit means for generating a train of pulses whose frequency varies with the adjustment of said rate indicating means, and whose polarity varies with the adjustment of said polarity indicating means;
the method of simulating a circulation system in an oil well comprising;counting the pulses in said train of pulses by counting up when counting pulses of one polarity, and counting down when counting pulses of a second polarity; and
,calculating the value of fluid pressure at a plurality of points responsive to the number counted in the counting step where said number counted by said counter represents one of;
the relative opening of a choke in the circulation system, the relative position of a drill string in the circulation system, and the pump rate of a pump in the circulation.
- manually adjustable polarity means;
Specification