Evaluation of sensors based on contextual information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11248463-B2
Application number	US-201615204089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2016
Priority date	Jul 7, 2016
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

An embodiment of a method of performing aspects of a downhole operation includes receiving a measurement value from a first sensor configured to measure a parameter related to the downhole operation, receiving measurement data from a different sensor, the measurement data related to the downhole operation, and performing, by a sensor evaluation module, an evaluation of the first sensor. The evaluation includes determining a condition of the first sensor based on the measurement data from the different sensor, selecting a rule that prescribes a set of one or more measurement values of the parameter that are plausible if the condition is met, and determining whether the measurement value from the first sensor is plausible based on comparing the measurement value to the prescribed set of one or more measurement values.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of performing aspects of a downhole operation, the method comprising:
receiving a first measurement value from a first sensor configured to measure a first parameter related to the downhole operation;
receiving measurement data from a different sensor, the measurement data related to the downhole operation; and
performing, by a sensor evaluation module, an evaluation of the first sensor, wherein the evaluation includes:
determining a condition of the first sensor based on the measurement data from the different sensor;
selecting a rule that prescribes a set of one or more reference values of the first parameter based on the measurement data from the different sensor;
comparing the first measurement value from the first sensor to the prescribed set of one or more reference values; and
based on comparing the first measurement value from the first sensor to the prescribed set of one or more reference values, performing at least one of:
testing the first sensor, calibrating the first sensor, receiving a second measurement value from a second sensor configured to measure the first parameter, flagging the first measurement value, presenting information, performing a self-check procedure, performing a self-repair procedure, correcting the first measurement value, excluding the first measurement value, and adjusting a parameter of the downhole operation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the downhole operation is a drilling operation, and the first sensor is configured to be disposed in a borehole during the downhole operation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the rule and comparing the first measurement value to the prescribed set of one or more reference values is performed at one or more pre-selected times during the downhole operation, and/or in response to at least one of the first measurement value from the first sensor, the measurement data from the different sensor, and measurement values from a third sensor that is different than the first sensor and the different sensor.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor, the different sensor, and the sensor evaluation module are disposed downhole during the downhole operation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the first sensor and the different sensor is disposed at a surface location, and another of the first sensor and the different sensor is disposed downhole.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first measurement value from the first sensor is indicative of a rate of change of the first parameter, and the prescribed set of one or more reference values includes rates of change of the first parameter.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first measurement value from the first sensor is considered to be plausible based on the first measurement value from the first sensor corresponding to the prescribed set of one or more reference values.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
determining whether the first measurement value from the first sensor is plausible based on comparing the first measurement value from the first sensor to the prescribed set of one or more reference values.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the comparing the first measurement value from the first sensor to the prescribed set of one or more-reference values is performed in response to a trigger.

10. A system for performing aspects of a downhole operation, the system comprising:
a first sensor configured to measure a parameter related to the downhole operation;
a different sensor configured to generate measurement data related to the downhole operation; and
a sensor evaluation module configured to receive a first measurement value from the first sensor and the measurement data from the different sensor, the sensor evaluation module configured to perform an evaluation of the first sensor, wherein the evaluation includes:
determining a condition of the first sensor based on the measurement data from the different sensor;
selecting a rule that prescribes a set of one or more reference values of the first parameter based on the measurement data from the different sensor;
comparing the first measurement value from the first sensor to the prescribed set of one or more reference values; and
based on comparing the first measurement value from the first sensor to the prescribed set of one or more reference values, performing at least one of:
testing the first sensor, calibrating the first sensor, receiving a second measurement value from a second sensor configured to measure the first parameter, flagging the first measurement value, presenting information, performing a self-check procedure, performing a self-repair procedure, correcting the first measurement value, excluding the first measurement value, and adjusting a parameter of the downhole operation.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the downhole operation is a drilling operation, and the first sensor is configured to be disposed in a borehole during the drilling operation.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein selecting the rule and comparing the first measurement value to the prescribed set of one or more reference values is performed at one or more pre-selected times during the downhole operation, and/or in response to at least one of the first measurement value from the first sensor, the measurement data from the different sensor, and measurement values from a third sensor that is different than the first sensor and the different sensor.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first sensor, the different sensor, and the sensor evaluation module are disposed downhole during the downhole operation.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein one of the first sensor and the different sensor is disposed at a surface location, and another of the first sensor and the different sensor is disposed downhole.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first measurement value from the first sensor is indicative of a rate of change of the first parameter, and the prescribed set of one or more reference values includes rates of change of the first parameter.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first measurement value from the first sensor is considered to be plausible based on the measurement value from the first sensor corresponding to the prescribed set of one or more reference values.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the sensor evaluation module is configured to further perform determining whether the first measurement value from the first sensor is plausible based on comparing the first measurement value from the first sensor to the prescribed set of one or more reference values.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the comparing the first measurement value from the first sensor to the prescribed set of one or more reference values is performed in response to a trigger.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the different sensor is configured to measure a different parameter than the first parameter measured by the first sensor.

20. The system of claim 10 , wherein the different sensor is configured to measure a different parameter than the parameter measured by the first sensor.

Assignees

• Forstner Ingo
• Fulda Christian
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Forstner Ingo
• Fulda Christian

Classifications

• G01V13/00

  Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices covered by groups G01V1/00 – G01V11/00 · CPC title

• G01V1/00

  Seismology; Seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting · CPC title

• G01V2200/14

  Quality control · CPC title

• E21B49/005 Primary

  Testing the nature of borehole walls or the formation by using drilling mud or cutting data · CPC title

• E21B47/00 Primary

  Survey of boreholes or wells (monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08) · CPC title