Smart load pin for draw-works

Abstract

A smart load pin may be configured to measure a load on a hook of a draw-works system. The smart load pin may also include circuitry to convert the measured load to a digital value representative of the measured load, wherein the digital value represents the value of the measured load in engineering units and to transfer the digital value representative of the measured load to a control system located at a derrick. The data from the smart load pin may be used in adjusting, with a control system, operation of the draw-works system based, at least in part, on the received digital value representative of the measured load.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling a draw-works system, comprising:
 measuring, with a load pin, a load on a hook of a draw-works system;   converting, with the load pin, the measured load to a digital value representative of the measured load, wherein the digital value represents the value of the measured load, the converting including:
 converting, with a gauge of the load pin, the measure load to an analog representation of the measured load, 
 converting, with an analog-to-digital converter of the load pin, the analog representation to a digital value, and 
 compensating, with an MCU of the load pin, the digital value to account for variations in the measuring of the load; and 
   transferring the digital value from the load pin to a control system located at a derrick.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting, with the control system, operation of the draw-works system based, at least in part, on the digital value. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gauge is a transducer strain gauge. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the measured load is represented as a tension value. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the load pin is coupled to at least one of a traveling block, a drilling hook, or a top drive of the draw-works system. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transferring includes transferring the digital value via at least one of a physical communications bus or a wireless communication system. 
     
     
         7 . A load pin, comprising:
 a sensor configured to measure a load on a hook of a draw-works system; and   electronic circuitry coupled to the sensor and configured to:
 convert a measured load generated by the sensor to an analog representation of the measured load, 
 convert the analog representation to a digital value, 
 compensate the digital value to account for variations in the measured load to produce a compensated digital value, and 
 transfer the compensated digital value to a control system located at a derrick. 
   
     
     
         8 . The load pin of  claim 7 , wherein the electronic circuitry further comprises:
 an operational amplifier coupled to the sensor; and   an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the operational amplifier.   
     
     
         9 . The load pin of  claim 8 , wherein the electronic circuitry is further configured to scale and offset conversion of an output of the analog-to-digital converter (ADC). 
     
     
         10 . The load pin of  claim 7 , wherein the load pin is configured to be coupled to at least one of a traveling block, a drilling hook, and a top drive of the draw-works system. 
     
     
         11 . The load pin of  claim 7 , wherein the transferring includes transferring the digital value via at least one of a physical communications bus or a wireless communication system 
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to be executed by a processor, the code comprising code to cause the processor to:
 receive data associated with a measured load on a hook of a draw-works system;   convert the measured load to an analog value representative of the measured load;   convert the analog value to a digital value;   transfer the digital value to a control system that is located at a derrick.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory processor-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the measured load is represented as a tension value. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory processor-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the tension value is measured from at least one of a traveling block, a drilling hook, or a top drive of the draw-works system. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory processor-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein code to cause the processor to transfer includes code to cause the processor to transfer the digital value via at least one of a physical communications bus or a wireless communication system. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory processor-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the code further comprises code to cause the processor to scale and offset conversion of the measured load.