Patent ID: 7230625
Filing Date: 2007-06-12
Classification: G05B

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a controllable multi-variable well- or shaft-drilling process, comprising steps of; deriving a multi-dimensional display representation of drilling process variables of the drilling process according to individual coordinate axes; defining one of bounds or envelopes for prospective operation of the drilling process, said bounds or envelopes being defined in accordance with sets of values for drilling process variables accumulated respectively from previous multiple operations of the drilling process; indicating current values of the drilling process variables on respective axes of the display representation, the current values of the drilling process variables comprising real-time values of the drilling process variables, and one or more of the drilling process variables being drilling process variables that are directly controllable in performance of the drilling operation; calculating for each drilling process variable according to current values of other drilling process variables, a viable range of values for that individual drilling process variable consistent with operation of the drilling process within said bounds or envelopes; demarcating the calculated viable ranges of the drilling process variables on their respective axes of the display representation; detecting a condition in which the current value of any said drilling process variable is outside a viable range calculated for that drilling process variable; responding to said condition to adjust the value of one or more of the directly controllable drilling process variables towards maintaining the current values of all said variables within their respective viable ranges; and wherein the accumulated sets of values used for defining the one of bounds or envelopes, are changed during course of operation of the process for other sets of values for the drilling process variables accumulated respectively from the previous multiple operations of the drilling process, accumulated sets of values used for defining the one of bounds or envelopes being changed for other sets of values in dependence upon the rate at which the condition is detected.