SMART SHAKER ROOM

• US 20160090799A1
• Filed: 06/16/2014
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: M-I LLC (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: M-I LLC (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Geehan, Thomas, Jones, Bradley, Cady, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 9,915,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 33/03 with vibrating filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 33/804 integrally combined with devices for controlling the filtration
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/065 Separating solids from drilling fluids
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

This disclosure is generally drawn to systems, devices, apparatuses, and/or methods, related to monitoring a shaker used for separating solids from fluid. Specifically, the disclosed systems, devices, apparatuses, and/or methods relate to controlling an actuated arm to inspect, remove, replace, repair, clean, and/or install screen assemblies based on monitoring the shaker and its screen assemblies. In some examples, a system may include an actuated arm, a monitoring tool, and a controller. The actuated arm may be adjacent a shaker for separating one or more solids from a fluid. The monitoring tool may be coupled to the actuated arm and may monitor a screen assembly in the shaker. The controller may be in electrical communication with the actuated arm and the monitoring tool, and may control the actuated arm based on the monitoring of the screen assembly.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring, using a monitoring tool, an amount of fluid containing one or more solids in a shaker;

determining one or more solids property, including at least one of a quantity, a texture, a color, a size, a physical property, a chemical property, and a mineralogical property of the one or more solids;

determining one or more fluid property, including at least one of a quantity, a color, a size, a physical property, and a chemical property of the fluid;

controlling, via a controller, an actuated arm to adjust a screen assembly in the shaker based at least in part on the one or more solids property and the one or more fluid property.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the actuated arm includes at least one of:

removing the screen assembly from the shaker;

replacing the screen assembly;

inspecting the screen assembly for damage; and

adjusting an angle of the screen assembly in the shaker.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

emitting light through the screen assembly; and

identifying damage to the screen assembly based on an amount of emitted light through the screen assembly.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the actuated arm occurs without intervention of a human operator.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting a portion of the one or more solids prior to the one or more solids being discharged from the shaker; and

rinsing the collected portion of the one or more solids with a liquid.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, using an x-ray fluorescence device, an amount of low gravity solids and an amount of high gravity solids in the fluid.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing an amount of low gravity solids and an amount of high gravity solids in the fluid entering the shaker with an amount of low gravity solids and an amount of high gravity solids in the fluid exiting the shaker.

8. A system, comprising:

an actuated arm adjacent a shaker for separating one or more solids from a fluid;

a monitoring tool coupled to the actuated arm, the monitoring tool adapted to monitor a screen assembly in the shaker;

a controller in electrical communication with the actuated arm and the monitoring tool, the controller adapted to control the actuated arm based on the monitoring of the screen assembly.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a light source adapted to emit light through a mesh of the screen assembly; and

wherein the monitoring tool is further adapted to measure the light emitted through the mesh of the screen assembly.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the monitoring tool identifies damage to the mesh of the screen assembly based on an amount of light emitted through the mesh.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the monitoring tool identifies a hole in the mesh of the screen assembly based on a relative increase in light being emitted through the mesh.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the monitoring tool includes at least one of a camera, a video camera, and a sensor.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is adapted to control the actuated arm based on an amount of fluid on the screen assembly.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the amount includes at least one of a beach location and a pool depth of the fluid.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller causes the actuated arm to replace the screen assembly in the shaker.

16. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

an analyzer adapted to analyze a property of at least one of the fluid and the one or more solids, the property including at least one of a physical property, a chemical property, and a mineralogical property.

17. A system, comprising:

a control terminal adapted to control an actuated arm adjacent a shaker for separating solids from a fluid; and

a camera operatively coupled to the actuated arm and in electrical communication with the control terminal, the camera adapted to produce a real-time image of the shaker and transmit the real-time image to the control terminal;

wherein the control terminal controls the actuated arm to replace a screen assembly in the shaker based at least on the real-time image, the control terminal being at least one of controllable by a human operator and autonomous.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

an analyzer in electrical communication with the control terminal, the analyzer adapted to determine a solids property and a fluid property and transmit data representative of the solids property and the fluid property to the control terminal;

wherein the control terminal controls the actuated arm based on the solids property and the fluid property.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a light box adapted to emit light through the screen assembly,

wherein the control terminal controls the actuated arm to monitor an amount of the light emitted through the screen assembly at multiple portions of the screen assembly.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the monitoring tool transmits data associated with the real-time image to a human operator located outside of a room enclosing the shaker.