Virtual brake system
AssigneeThe Charles Machine Works, Inc.
InventorsJoseph G. Greenlee, Aleksander S. Wolfe, Jarred R. Callaway, Max A. Metcalf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A brake system for maintaining an angular position of a spindle assembly. A pump-powered motor drives rotation of a spindle on the machine. When no rotation is desired, the spindle will slow, then stop at a desired angular orientation. A rotational sensor will determine the clock position, and a controller compares that to a desired angular orientation. If an error tolerance is exceeded, the motor will rotate the spindle back to the desired orientation.
Claims20
A drilling system, comprising:
- a spindle coupled to a drill string, wherein the drill string includes a downhole tool at its terminal end;
- a processor configured to control the spindle;
- and
- a sensor configured to monitor an actual rotational orientation of the downhole tool and send a rotational orientation signal to the processor;
- and
- wherein the processor is configured to:
- receive the rotational orientation signal;
- detect a discrepancy between the actual rotational orientation and a desired rotational orientation of the downhole tool using the rotational orientation signal;
- adjust the rotational orientation of the spindle based on the detected discrepancy;
- and
- maintain the desired rotational orientation of the downhole tool by continuously adjusting the rotational orientation of the spindle during a drilling operation.
A drilling system, comprising a processor, a spindle, and a drill string attached to the spindle, the drill string including a downhole tool;
- wherein the spindle is configured to rotate and advance the drill string;
- further comprising:
- a rotational sensor in communication with the processor and configured to send a signal indicative of an actual downhole tool rotational orientation;
- and
- wherein the processor is configured to continuously adjust the spindle to maintain the downhole tool in a desired rotational orientation during a drilling operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.