Model-based robust control of directional drilling systems

Journal article (2016)

Authors

Niek Antonius Henricus Kremers Eindhoven University of Technology
Emmanuel Detournay University of Minnesota System
N. van de Wouw University of Minnesota System, Team Bart De Schutter - Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering , Eindhoven University of Technology
Research Group
Team Bart De Schutter (Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering) (TU Delft)
Robust control Directional drilling Output feedback Delay differential equations (DDEs)
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Published Date

2016

Language

English

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Faculty

Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering

Department

Delft Center for Systems and Control

Research Group

Team Bart De Schutter

Abstract

To enable access to unconventional reservoirs of oil and (shale-) gas, geothermal energy and minerals, complex curved boreholes need to be drilled in the earth's crust. Directional drilling techniques, incorporating down-hole robotic actuation systems called rotary steerable systems, are used to generate these curved boreholes. In practice, however, boreholes drilled with such systems often show instability-induced borehole spiraling, which negatively affects the borehole quality and increases drag losses while drilling. As a basis for controller synthesis, we present a directional drilling model in terms of delay differential equations. Next, the problem of curved well-bore generation is formulated as a tracking problem and a model-based robust control strategy is developed, solving this tracking problem while guaranteeing the prevention of borehole spiraling. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is illustrated by representative case studies for the generation of curved boreholes.