Automated drilling methods and systems using real-time analysis of drill string dynamics

A method for real-time identification of downhole dynamics of a drill string in a drilling system, the method comprising:

• obtaining a first acceleration measurement from a first sensor, the first acceleration measurement corresponding to a first sensor location in a first two-dimensional reference frame, the first two-dimensional reference frame coincident with a plane orthogonal to a rotational axis of the drilling system and based on a position of the drilling system in the plane, the first acceleration measurement comprising a first radial acceleration measurement aRA along a first measurement axis parallel to a first radius RA and a first tangential acceleration measurement aθA along a second measurement axis orthogonal to the first measurement axis;
• receiving, by a processor, the first acceleration measurement from the first sensor;
• obtaining a second acceleration measurement from a second sensor, the second acceleration measurement corresponding to a second sensor location in the first two-dimensional reference frame, the second sensor location spaced apart from the rotational axis by a second radius RB and spaced apart from the first sensor location in the plane, a second radial acceleration measurement aRB along a third measurement axis parallel to the second measurement axis and a second tangential acceleration measurement aθB along a fourth measurement axis parallel to the first measurement axis;
• receiving, by the processor, the second acceleration measurement from the second sensor;
• identifying, by the processor, a downhole dynamic of the drill string of the drilling system based on the first and second acceleration measurements;
• and
• varying one or more of hook load, surface RPM, mud pressure, top drive quill position and top drive oscillation amount in response to identifying the downhole dynamic of the drill string of the drilling system.