System and method for testing drilling control systems

Abstract

A device for the testing of an integrated control system ( 1 ) wherein said integrated control system ( 1 ) is arranged for controlling a drilling unit ( 2 ), said drilling unit ( 2 ) arranged for drilling operations, said integrated control system ( 1 ) * a drilling control system DCS ( 3 ) for controlling a drilling system ( 7 ), * said DCS ( 3 ) arranged for receiving sensor signals ( 31 ) related to said drilling operations and for providing control signals ( 33 ) to said drilling system ( 7 ) so as for conducting the desired drilling operations, * said DCS ( 3 ) arranged for controlling a plurality of drilling operations and comprising a plurality of control subsystems, * said device arranged for the testing for errors in said integrated control system ( 1 ) resulting from failures in one or more control subsystems within said integrated control system or from failures in the interactions between control subsystems within said integrated control system ( 1 ) or from a combination thereof.

1 . A device for the testing of an integrated control system ( 1 ) wherein said integrated control system ( 1 ) is arranged for controlling a drilling unit ( 2 ), said drilling unit ( 2 ) arranged for drilling operations, said integrated control system ( 1 ) comprising
 a drilling control system DCS ( 3 ) for controlling a drilling system ( 7 ),   said DCS ( 3 ) arranged for receiving sensor signals ( 31 ) related to said drilling operations and for providing control signals ( 33 ) to said drilling system ( 7 ) so as for conducting the desired drilling operations,   said DCS ( 3 ) arranged for controlling a plurality of drilling operations and comprising a plurality of control subsystems,   said device arranged for the testing for errors in said integrated control system ( 1 ) resulting from failures or faults in one or more control subsystems within said integrated control system or from failures or faults in the interactions between control subsystems within said integrated control system ( 1 ) or from a combination thereof.   
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said integrated control system ( 1 ) further comprises a power management system ( 4 ) for controlling a power plant ( 6 ), wherein said DCS ( 3 ) is arranged for receiving sensor signals ( 31 ) related to said drilling operations and providing control signals ( 32 ) to said PMS ( 4 ) stating the energy requirements of said drilling system ( 7 ), for testing said integrated control system ( 1 ) for errors resulting from interactions between said drilling control system DCS ( 3 ) and said power management system PMS ( 4 ). 
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein said integrated control system ( 1 ) further comprises a dynamic positioning control system DP ( 5 ), wherein said DP control system ( 5 ) is arranged for providing DP power control signals ( 51 ) to a PMS ( 4 ), said DP control system ( 5 ) arranged for controlling the positioning of said drilling unit ( 2 ) by furnishing positioning control signals ( 52 ) to actuators ( 21 ) of said drilling unit ( 2 ), said DP power control signals ( 51 ) stating the energy requirements of said actuators ( 21 ), said actuators ( 21 ) arranged for receiving power from said power plant ( 6 ), said device for testing said integrated control system ( 1 ) for errors resulting from interactions between said drilling control system DCS ( 3 ), said power management system PMS ( 4 ), and/or said DP ( 5 ). 
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said integrated control system ( 1 ) further comprises a dynamic positioning control system DP ( 5 ), wherein said DP ( 5 ) is arranged for controlling the position of said drilling unit ( 2 ), and wherein said device is arranged for testing said integrated control system ( 1 ) for errors resulting from interactions between said drilling control system DCS ( 3 ) and said DP ( 5 ). 
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said integrated control system ( 1 ) is disconnected from the vessel ( 2 ) and connected to a vessel simulator ( 100 ) such that said system is tested in a hardware-in-the-loop configuration. 
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one or more of the signals received by said integrated control system ( 1 ) are real and wherein one or more of said real signals are modified in a signal modifying computer ( 80 ) before being furnished to said integrated control system ( 1 ), for the failure mode and functional mode testing of said integrated control system ( 1 ). 
   
   
       7 . The device of to  claim 1 , wherein said DCS ( 3 ) is arranged for controlling at least one or more of the following units for drilling operations:
 top drive equipment,   draw work equipment,   mud pump equipment,   pipe handling equipment,   drill string heave compensating equipment,   riser heave compensating equipment, and   blow-out preventer valve equipment.   
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said DCS ( 3 ) is arranged for controlling an anti-collision system, said anti-collision system comprising one or more of the following:
 a crown saver   a floor saver   pipe handling equipment.   
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said DCS ( 3 ) is arranged for controlling an active heave compensating system. 
   
   
       10 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the testing device comprises a plurality of subsidiary test devices. 
   
   
       11 . A method for testing an integrated control system ( 1 ), said integrated control system ( 1 ) for controlling a drilling unit ( 2 ) during drilling operations, said integrated control system ( 1 ) comprising
 a DCS ( 3 ) arranged for receiving sensor signals ( 31 ) related to said drilling operations and for providing control signals ( 33 ) to a drilling system ( 7 ) so as for conducting the desired drilling operations,   said DCS ( 3 ) arranged for controlling a plurality of drilling operations and comprising a plurality of control subsystems,   said testing comprising providing erroneous, simulated, real or modified signals, or a combination thereof, to said integrated control system ( 1 ) for testing for errors in said integrated control system ( 1 ) resulting from failures or faults in one or more control subsystems within said integrated control system or from failures or faults in the interactions between control subsystems within said integrated control system ( 1 ) or from a combination thereof.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said integrated control system ( 1 ) further comprises a power management system PMS ( 4 ) controlling a power plant ( 6 ), said power plant ( 6 ) providing power to said drilling system ( 7 );
 said DCS ( 3 ) receiving sensor signals ( 31 ) related to said drilling operations and providing control signals ( 32 ) to said PMS ( 4 ) stating the energy requirements of said drilling system ( 7 ), for testing said integrated control system ( 1 ) for errors resulting from interactions between said drilling control system DCS ( 3 ) and said power management system PMS ( 4 ).   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein said integrated control system ( 1 ) further comprises a dynamic positioning control system DP ( 5 ), wherein said DP control system ( 5 ) provides DP power control signals ( 51 ) to said PMS ( 4 ), said DP control system ( 5 ) for controlling the position of said drilling unit ( 2 ) by furnishing positioning control signals ( 52 ) to actuators ( 21 ) of said drilling unit ( 2 ), said DP power control signals ( 51 ) stating the energy requirements of said actuators ( 21 ), said actuators ( 21 ) receiving power from said power plant ( 6 ), for errors resulting from interactions between said drilling control system DCS ( 3 ), said power management system PMS ( 4 ), and/or said DP ( 5 ). 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said integrated control system ( 1 ) further comprises a dynamic positioning control system DP ( 5 ), wherein said DP ( 5 ) is arranged for controlling the position of said drilling unit ( 2 ), for testing said integrated control system ( 1 ) for errors resulting from interactions between said drilling control system DCS ( 3 ) and said DP ( 5 ). 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said integrated control system ( 1 ) is disconnected from the drilling unit ( 2 ) and connected to a vessel simulator ( 100 ), replacing real sensor signals  0  with simulated sensor signals ( ) using a desired initial state of said vessel simulator ( 100 ), said vessel simulator ( 100 ) responding to control signals from said integrated control system ( 1 ), such that said integrated control system ( 1 ) is tested in a hardware-in-the-loop configuration. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one or more of the signals received by said integrated control system ( 1 ) are real and wherein one or more of said real signals are modified in a signal modifying computer ( 80 ) before being furnished to said integrated control system ( 1 ), for the failure mode and functional mode testing of said integrated control system ( 1 ). 
   
   
       17 . The method of to  claim 11 , wherein said DCS ( 3 ) controls at least one or more of the following units for drilling operations:
 top drive equipment,   draw work equipment,   mud pump equipment,   pipe handling equipment,   drill string heave compensating equipment,   riser heave compensating equipment.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said DCS ( 3 ) is arranged for controlling an anti-collision system, said anti-collision system comprising one or more of the following:
 a crown saver   a floor saver   pipe handling equipment.   
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said DCS ( 3 ) is arranged for controlling an active heave compensating system. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said drilling unit ( 2 ) is a fixed or floating drilling unit arranged for drilling wells on- or offshore.