MATLAB Controller Linked to an ANSYS Structural Model for Directional Drilling Controller

Automation can lead to significant improvements in drilling practices. Maintaining tool face orientation and optimizing rate of penetration during the sliding operation is a challenging directional drilling process to automate. The control challenge arises primarily because of the complicated behavior of the drill string and the constantly changing operating and geological conditions. To develop a robust controller, a drill string structural model of high fidelity is required to simulate multiple scenarios in a realistic and efficient manner. To achieve this objective, a structural model for the drill string developed in ANSYS Mechanical FEA software is networked to a control algorithm based in MATLAB^® in a feedback loop. This technique leverages the strengths of each software (MATLAB for the control algorithm and ANSYS for the structural model) and enables efficient evaluation of different control approaches.