Patent ID: 6968905

Claim:
A method for distributed control of a coiled tubing unit comprising: operating an input device at a control station to transmit control signals from the control station across a non-real-time network to a local control panel (LCP); converting and transmitting the control signals from the control station across a real-time network to at least one distributed control unit (DCU); transmitting the control signals from the at least one DCU to the at least one piece of coiled tubing unit equipment; sensing sensor data from at least one piece of coiled tubing unit equipment and transmitting the sensor data across the real-time network from at least one DCU to the LCP; converting and transmitting the sensor data from the LCP across a non-real-time network to at least one output device at the control station; wherein the LCP bridges communication between the non-real-time network and the real-time network; and wherein the at least one DCU comprises a power pack DCU, coiled tubing reel DCU, and an injector head/BOP DCU, the method further comprising: sensing a non-real-time network signal failure; and transmitting control signals to one or more of the power pack DCU, the coiled tubing reel DCU, and the injector head/BOP DCU when the non-real-time network signal failure is sensed.