US-12624629-B2 - Adjustable gas spring tuned mass damper

Abstract

Vibration in a drill string is damped with a damping system coupled to the drill string. The damping system includes a chamber, a gas and piston in the chamber, and a mass connected to the piston. The gas defines a spring having a spring coefficient that is dependent on a volume or temperature of the chamber. The damping system is tunable in real-time by varying the volume or temperature of the chamber. In alternatives with multiple chambers interconnected to one another via ports, chamber volume at the existing pressure can be varied by selective actuation of valves between the chambers or the pressure of the gas can be varied by compressing or expanding a connected bellows or by heating or cooling the temperature of the gas. The damping system can selectively damp both radial and torsional vibrations.

Inventors

• Rocco DiFoggio
• Christian Fulda

Assignees

• BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20240718

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method of drilling a wellbore into a subterranean formation, the method comprising: rotating a drill string in the wellbore; damping vibrations of the drill string with a damping system in the drill string, the damping system comprising a gas spring having a spring coefficient; and adjusting, while the drill string and the damping system is in the wellbore, the spring coefficient in response to one or more drilling parameters.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas spring comprises gas in a first chamber having a first volume and wherein the spring coefficient is adjusted in response to a monitored vibration parameter by changing the first volume of the first chamber to a particular volume in real-time.
3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the drill string comprises an actuator configured to adjust the spring coefficient while the drill string is in the wellbore.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas spring comprises a first chamber having a first volume and a second chamber having a second volume, and wherein the method further comprises adjusting the spring coefficient by controlling a valve between the first chamber and the second chamber.
5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas spring further comprises a dashpot, the dashpot configured to damp the vibrations of the drill string.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the drill string vibrations in real-time, wherein the gas spring comprises gas in a chamber and wherein the spring coefficient is adjusted in response to the monitored vibrations by changing a volume of the chamber to a particular volume.
7. 7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising measuring a vibration parameter related to the vibrations of the drill string, wherein the one or more drilling parameters comprise the vibration parameter.
8. 8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the vibration parameter is one of a frequency of the vibrations and an amplitude of the vibrations.
9. 9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the vibration parameter is a frequency of the vibrations and wherein the volume of the chamber is changed so that a resonant frequency of the gas spring is substantially similar to the frequency of the vibrations.
10. 10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the drill string further comprises a controller operatively connected to the gas spring, further comprising harvesting energy from the vibrations of the drill string to power the controller to adjust the spring coefficient in response to the one or more drilling parameters.
11. 11 . A drilling system for drilling a wellbore into a subterranean formation, the drilling system comprising: a drill string configured to rotate within the wellbore; and a damping system in the drill string for damping vibrations of the drill string, the damping system comprising, a mass configured to move relative to the drill string in response to the vibrations; a gas spring connected to the mass and the drill string, the gas spring having a spring coefficient that is adjustable in response to one or more drilling parameters while the drill string and the damping system are in the wellbore.
12. 12 . The drilling system of claim 11 , wherein the gas spring comprises a first chamber having a first volume and wherein the spring coefficient is adjusted by adjustment of the first volume so that a resonant frequency of the gas spring is substantially similar to a frequency of vibration of the drill string.
13. 13 . The drilling system of claim 12 , wherein the damping system comprises an actuator configured to adjust the first volume while the drill string is in the wellbore.
14. 14 . The drilling system of claim 11 , wherein the gas spring comprises: a first chamber having a first volume; and a second chamber having a second volume; and a valve configured to control communication between the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the spring coefficient is adjusted by operating the valve.
15. 15 . The drilling system of claim 11 , wherein the damping system further comprises a controller operatively connected to the gas spring and configured to adjust the spring coefficient in response to the one or more drilling parameters.
16. 16 . The drilling system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is powered by energy that is harvested from the vibrations of the drill string.
17. 17 . The drilling system of claim 11 , further comprising a piston having a first side in communication with the gas and a second side coupled with the mass.
18. 18 . The drilling system of claim 11 , further comprising a vibration parameter measurement device in the drill string configured to measure a vibration parameter related to the vibrations of the drill string, wherein the one or more drilling parameters comprise the vibration parameter, the vibration parameter comprises a value selected from the group consisting of a frequency of the vibrations and an amplitude of the vibrations.
19. 19 . The drilling system of claim 11 , wherein the mass is configured to move relative to the drill string in response to the vibrations in a direction that is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the drill string.
20. 20 . The drilling system of claim 11 , wherein the gas spring comprises a gas and a controller configured to control a temperature of the gas.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/514,498, filed Jul. 19, 2023, the full disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and for all purposes. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of Invention The present disclosure relates to a wellbore drilling system that includes a drill string equipped with a damping system having a gas spring that is tunable in real-time. 2. Description of Prior Art Drilling systems employed for excavating hydrocarbon producing wellbores in a subterranean formation, and which typically include a drill string made up of a pipe string, a drill bit, and a collar connecting the drill bit to the pipe string. The pipe string is generally made up of joints of drill pipe connected in series by engaging threads on their opposing ends. Usually, the drill string is rotated by a top drive or rotary table provided in a drilling rig on surface while drilling mud is circulated within the drill string to remove cuttings formed by rotating the drill bit in the formation. Reactive forces from the bit rotating against the subterranean rock formations generate vibrations of the drill string. Depending on the forces and physical characteristics of the drill string and the formation, the vibrations are in directions that are radial, torsional, axial, and combinations. Recent advancements in drilling technology have increased rates of penetration through the formation as well as weight on bit, and in turn increased magnitudes of vibrational displacement, force, and/or acceleration in drill strings, thereby increasing a probability of damaging the drill string and its subcomponents, such as electronics, actuators or pumps, and/or power storage devices such as batteries or capacitors. Vibrational frequencies often encountered during drilling range from about 50 Hz to greater than 500 Hz. One approach to counter the effect of drill string vibrations is use of a tuned mass damper. Tuned mass dampers usually include a small mass, a spring, and a damper attached to a larger mass whose vibrations are being damped. The small mass typically weighs less than the object, and its oscillation frequency is tuned to be substantially similar to the resonant frequency of the larger mass that is being damped. One drawback with presently known systems for damping vibrations in drill strings is the inability to provide damping over the broad spectrum of vibrational frequencies. Drill string damping is important because vibrations can cause the bit to bounce against the sides or bottom of the bore hole resulting in premature failure of the bit or drill string as well as low rates of drilling penetration. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Disclosed herein is an example of a method of operations in a wellbore that includes rotating a drill string in the wellbore, monitoring the vibrations of the drill string, and damping those vibrations, in part, by compressing a gas. Optionally, the volume, and therefore the effective spring coefficient, of the gas, which is the basis of the gas spring, is adjusted based on a frequency of the vibrations of the drill string. Note that, even when the gas pressure in all the chambers is the same, actuating valves between these chambers to change total connected gas volume, changes the effective spring coefficient because it changes the rate at which the pressure changes with volume. Optionally, the pressure of the gas in the gas spring (and corresponding gas spring coefficient) is varied by varying the volume of a connected flexible bellows. Optionally, the pressure of the gas in the gas spring (and corresponding gas spring coefficient) is varied by varying the temperature of the gas in the gas spring through heating or cooling of the gas. In the hot downhole environment, resistive heating of the gas above borehole temperature is much easier to engineer than trying to cool the gas below borehole temperature. In an example, radial, axial, and torsional vibrations are being damped. Varying an amount of the gas alternatively includes adjusting a volume of a vessel containing the gas. In an embodiment, the vessel includes multiple chambers and valves between the chambers, the method further includes that when, in an open configuration, there is communication between the chambers, and when, in a closed configuration, communication is blocked between the chambers. The valves are optionally actuated with an actuator, such as a stack piezo actuator, a piezo linear actuator, an electroactive polymer, an electrostrictive polymer, and combinations. The valves can be as simple as a sliding valve over a small, one-millimeter diameter orifice to permit rapid opening and closing of that valve within a fraction of a second for real-time control. The gas is optionally included in a damping system that includes a vessel in which the gas is contained and that is coupled with the drill string, a piston