# US 10,871,063 B2 · Toolface control with pulse width modulation

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- Number: US 10,871,063 B2
- Document ID: US10871063B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/531,472
- Filed: 2014-12-29
- Published: 2017-09-14
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2014-12-29
- Assignees: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
- Applicants: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
- Inventors: Ravi P. Nanayakkara
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871063B2

## CPC

- E21B 44/005: {Below-ground automatic control systems}
- E21B 4/02: Fluid rotary type drives
- E21B 7/04: Directional drilling
- E21B 21/10: Valve arrangements in drilling-fluid circulation systems
- E21B 47/024: of devices in the borehole (determining slope or direction of the borehole E21B47/022)
- E21B 47/20: by modulation of mud waves, e.g. by continuous modulation
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS

## Abstract

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods for a toolface control system is disclosed. The system includes, a rotating drill string of a drilling tool, an assembly located within the rotating drill string representing a current toolface of the drilling tool, and a controller configured to use pulse width modulation to adjust a rotational speed of the assembly to maintain the current toolface at a desired toolface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A drilling system comprising:
a rotating drill string of a drilling tool;
an assembly located within the rotating drill string representing a current toolface of the drilling tool, the assembly rotating opposite the rotating drill string during a drilling operation; and
a controller configured to use pulse width modulation to control a flow of fluid across a turbine, the turbine adjusting a rotational speed of the assembly to be approximately equal and opposite the rotating drill string in order to maintain the current toolface at a desired toolface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The drilling system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is located within the wellbore.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The drilling system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the flow of fluid across the turbine by diverting a portion of the flow of fluid to a bypass channel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The drilling system according to claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the portion of the flow of fluid to the bypass channel by adjusting a valve within the bypass channel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The drilling system according to claim 4, wherein the valve is a shear valve.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The drilling system according to claim 4, wherein the valve is an axial cutter.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The drilling system according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor coupled to the assembly, wherein the controller is further configured to use a measurement from the sensor to determine the current toolface.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The drilling system according to claim 1, wherein the pulse width modulation represents a variation in at least one of an amplitude, a duration, and a duty of a control signal.

### Claim 9

A method of forming a wellbore comprising:
determining a desired toolface of a rotating drilling tool;
calculating a toolface error by determining a distance between a current toolface and the desired toolface of the rotating drilling tool;
rotating an assembly located within a rotating drill string of the rotating drilling tool opposite the rotating drill string, the assembly representing the current toolface of the rotating drilling tool;
using a pulse width modulation to control a flow of fluid across a turbine, the turbine adjusting the rotational speed of the assembly to be approximately equal and opposite the rotating drill string to minimize the toolface error; and
drilling a wellbore with a drill bit coupled to the rotating drilling tool.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the pulse width modulation occurs within the wellbore.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the pulse width modulation adjusts the flow of fluid into the turbine by diverting a portion of the flow of fluid into a bypass channel.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the pulse width modulation controls the flow of fluid into the bypass channel by adjusting a valve within the bypass channel.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the valve is a shear valve.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the valve is an axial cutter.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the current toolface of the rotating drilling tool is determined by a measurement from a sensor coupled to the rotating drilling tool.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the pulse width modulation represents a variation in at least one of an amplitude, a duration, and a duty of a control signal.