Gyroscopic steering tool using only a two-axis rate gyroscope and deriving the missing third axis

• US 7,234,540 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2004
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Riggs, Randell, Bynum, Jonathan R., Epplin, David M., Estes, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, HOANG C
• Application Number:
  US10/911,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20050056461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 175/45, 175/61, 333/13, 333/04, 702/9
• US Class Current: 175/45
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/022 of the borehole, e.g. using geomagnetism
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/00 Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects

Abstract

A two-axis gyroscope used on a bottom hole assembly can be used for determining a rate of rotation about the rotational axis of a BHA. The method takes advantage of possible misalignment of at least one axis of the two axis gyroscope from orthogonality with respect to the rotational axis of the BHA, resulting in the misaligned gyro being sensitive to BHA rotation.

Claims

1. A method of drilling a borehole comprising:

(a) conveying a bottomhole assembly (BHA) on a drilling tubular into said borehole, said BHA including a drillbit for drilling said borehole;

(b) making measurements with a gyroscope having at least one sensitive axis with an angle of misalignment from orthogonality relative to an axis of rotation of said drilling tubular;

(c) determining from said measurements a toolface angle of said BHA; and

(d) drilling said borehole based on said determined toolface angle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said angle of misaligmnent is less than 100 milliradians.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said angle of misalignment is greater than 1 milliradian.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining said toolface angle comprises integrating a determined rate of rotation about said axis of rotation of said drilling tubular.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein determining said rate of rotation comprises using a relation of the form:

$R_x=\frac{S_x}{F_x}-B_x-B_{\mathrm{xg}}-M_x<br><br>R_z$

where R_x is a rotation rate about said at least one sensitive axis, S_x is an output of said gyroscope corresponding to said at least one sensitive axis, F_x is a calibration scale factor for said at least one axis, B_x is a bias for the at least one axis, B_xg is a bias term for said at least one axis that is gravity related, M_x is a misalignment term.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising determining said misalignment term from measurements outside said wellbore.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising correcting said measurements for a bias.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising determining said bias by making measurements at a plurality of rotational angles of said gyroscope.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising correcting said measurements at said plurality of rotational angles for a time dependent drift.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one axis comprises two axes.

11. An apparatus for drilling a wellbore comprising:

(a) a bottomhole assembly (BHA) conveyed on a drilling tubular into said borehole, said BHA including a drillbit for drilling said borehole;

(b) a gyroscope on said BHA, said gyroscope having at least one sensitive axis with an angle of misalignment from orthogonality with an axis of rotation of said drilling tubular; and

(c) a processor which determines from measurements by said gyroscope a toolface angle of said BHA.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a processor which controls a direction of drilling of said borehole based on said determined toolface angle.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said angle of misalignment is less than 100 milliradians.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said angle of misalignment is greater than 1 milliradian.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein determining said toolface angle comprises integrating a determined rate of rotation about said axis of rotation of said drilling tubular.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said processor determines said rate of rotation using a relation of the form:

$R_x=\frac{S_x}{F_x}-B_x-B_{\mathrm{xg}}-M_x<br><br>R_z$

where R_x is a rotation rate about said at least one sensitive axis, S_x is an output of said gyroscope corresponding to said at least one sensitive axis, F_x is a calibration scale factor for said at least one axis, B_x is a bias for the at least one axis, B_xg is a bias term for said at least one axis that is gravity related, M_x is a misalignment term.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said misalignment term is determined from measurements outside said wellbore.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said processor corrects said measurements for a bias.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said processor determines said bias by making measurements at a plurality of rotational angles of said gyroscope.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said processor further corrects said measurements at said plurality of rotational angles for a drift that is at least one of (i) time-dependent, and, (ii) temperature-dependent.

21. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said at least one axis comprises two axes.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising a temperature sensor which provides a plurality of temperature measurements corresponding to said plurality of rotational angles.