In-bit strain measurement for automated bha control

Abstract

A bottom hole assembly of a drilling apparatus is configured for drilling a borehole through a formation, the bottom hole assembly comprising a drill bit assembly coupled to one or more bottom hole devices, wherein the drill bit assembly comprises one or more sensors located within the drill bit assembly, and wherein the one or more bottom hole devices comprises a controller configured to receive one or more sensor output signals, and to control one or more parameters of the drilling operations based at least in part on the received sensor output signals.

1 . A system comprising:
 a bottom hole assembly of a drilling apparatus configured for drilling a borehole through a formation, the bottom hole assembly comprising a drill bit assembly;   wherein the drill bit assembly comprises a drill bit configured to advance the borehole through the formation and one or more sensors located within the drill bit assembly and built into a drill bit shaft of the drill bit, the one or more sensors configured to sense one or more parameters indicative of a bending-on-bit direction and force level occurring at the drill bit during a drilling operation being performed by the drill bit assembly, and to provide one or more sensor output signals based on the sensed one or more parameters, and   a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors, the controller configured to receive the one or more sensor output signals and to process the one or more sensor output signals in order to generate in real time one or more output control signals configured to control the operation of a steering system in order to correct and/or provide control parameter to the steering system in order to direct a drilling direction of the drilling operation being performed by the drill bit.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the steering system comprises a rotary steerable system comprising one or more steering device actuators, the rotary steerable system configured to receive the one or more output control signals, and to provide one or more steering control signals to the one or more steering device actuators to control steering of the drill bit assembly. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensor output signals comprise a signal indicative of a sensed torque-on-bit force occurring at the drill bit assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensor output signals comprise a signal indicative of a sensed weight-on-bit occurring at the drill bit assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is part of the bottom hole assembly. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is coupled to receive the one or more sensor output signals from the one or more sensors located within the drill bit assembly over a wired communication link. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is located within a rotary steerable system of the bottom hole assembly, the rotary steerable system comprising the controller coupled to one or more steering device actuators, the controller configured to receive the one or more sensor output signals, and to provide one or more steering control signals to the one or more steering device actuators to control steering of the drill bit assembly, the one or more steering control signals based at least in part on the one or more sensor output signals. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the drill bit assembly further comprises one or more of a bent motor, a thruster, a torque compliant tool, an adjustable stabilizer, and a friction reduction tool. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a controller, one or more sensor output signals from one or more sensors located within a drill bit assembly of a bottom hole assembly positioned within a borehole, wherein the drill bit assembly comprises a drill bit configured to advance a borehole through a formation, and one or more sensors located within the drill bit assembly and built into a drill bit shaft of the drill bit, the one or more sensors configured to sense one or more parameters indicative of a bending-on-bit direction and force level occurring at the drill bit during a drilling operation being performed by the drill bit assembly, and to provide one or more sensor output signals based on the sensed one or more parameters;   generating, by the controller and in real time, one or more output control signals based at least in part on the one or more sensor output signals from the one or more sensors, the one or more output control signals configured to control the operation of a steering system in order to correct and/or provide control parameter to the steering system in order to direct a drilling direction of the drilling operation being performed by the drill bit; and   outputting, from the controller and in real time, the one or more output control signals to the steering system to control the operation of the steering system.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is part of the bottom hole assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more output control signals include one or more steering control signals configured to control steering of the drill bit assembly,
 the method further comprising provide the one or more steering control signals to one or more steering device actuators to control steering of the drill bit assembly.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more sensor output signals comprise a signal indicative of a sensed torque-on-bit force occurring at the drill bit assembly. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more sensor output signals comprise a signal indicative of a sensed weight-on-bit force occurring at the drill bit assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein one or more bottom hole devices included in the drill bit assembly comprise one or more of a bent motor, a thruster, a torque compliant tool, an adjustable stabilizer, and a friction reduction tool. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is coupled to receive the sensor output signals from the one or more sensors located within the drill bit assembly over a wired communication link. 
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, at the processor, one or more sensor output signals from one or more sensors located within a drill bit assembly of a bottom hole assembly positioned within a borehole wherein the drill bit assembly comprises a drill bit configured to advance a borehole through a formation, and one or more sensors located within the drill bit assembly and built into a drill bit shaft of the drill bit, the one or more sensors configured to sense one or more parameters indicative of a bending-on-bit direction and force level occurring at the drill bit during a drilling operation being performed by the drill bit assembly, and to provide the one or more sensor output signals based on the sensed one or more parameters;   generating, by the processor and in real time, one or more output control signals based at least in part on the one or more sensor output signals from the one or more sensors, the one or more output control signals configured to control the operation of a steering system in order to correct and/or provide control parameter to the steering system in order to direct a drilling direction of the drilling operation being performed by the drill bit; and   outputting, from the processor and in real time, the one or more output control signals to the steering system to control the operation of the steering system.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the processor is part of the bottom hole assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more sensor output signals comprise a first signal indicative of a sensed torque-on-bit force occurring at the drill bit assembly or a second signal indicative of a sensed weight-on-bit force occurring at the drill bit assembly.