US 12,134,547 B2
Hydraulic winch control
Fanping Bu, Sugar Land, TX (US)
Assigned to SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION, Sugar Land, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/785,137
Filed by Schlumberger Technology Corporation, Sugar Land, TX (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 17, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/065771
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 14, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/127288, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 24, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/949,473, filed on Dec. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0014275 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. B66D 1/08 (2006.01); B66D 1/48 (2006.01); E21B 19/084 (2006.01)
CPC B66D 1/485 (2013.01) [B66D 1/08 (2013.01); E21B 19/084 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for controlling a hydraulic winch to move a tool string within a wellbore, the method comprising:
receiving, at a controller, measurements from sensors associated with a variable displacement pump of the hydraulic winch;
estimating, by the controller, based on the received measurements:
an effective drum radius of a drum of the hydraulic winch, wherein the effective drum radius includes a cable at least partially wound around the drum; and
an effective mass of the drum, wherein the effective mass accounts for a portion of the cable that is at least partially wound around the drum;
determining, by the controller, a desired movement profile for the tool string, wherein the desired movement profile includes at least a desired tool depth as a function of time;
generating, by the controller, a control command based on the estimated effective drum radius, the estimated effective mass of the drum, and the desired movement profile; and
providing the control command to the variable displacement pump, wherein the variable displacement pump carries out the control command to cause the drum of the hydraulic winch to raise or lower the tool string according to the desired movement profile.