METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING ELECTRICAL POWER TO TWO OR MORE TECHNICAL DEVICES

Abstract

Disclosed are a method and a device for supplying electrical power for two or more technical systems, which are connected to an electrical supply line with a feed point, arranged in a connecting rod, and for data transmission between the feed point and the technical systems, supplying power to the technical systems is done with essentially constant current intensity. Data transmission from the feed point to the technical systems is done by modulating the current intensity, and data transmission from the technical systems to the feed point is done by modulating the voltage.

Claims

1. Method for supplying electrical power for two or more technical systems, which are connected to an electrical supply line with a feed point, arranged in a connecting rod, and for data transmission between the feed point and the technical systems, wherein supplying power to the technical systems is done with essentially constant current intensity, wherein data transmission from the feed point to the technical systems is done by modulating the current intensity, and wherein data transmission from the technical systems to the feed point is done by modulating the voltage.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein data transmission from two or more technical systems to the feed point is done serially.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a simultaneous data transmission from two or more technical systems to the feed point is done by varying modulation of the voltage.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the voltage present at at least one technical system is defined by means of a constant-voltage two-terminal device on the supply line.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the modulation of the voltage is done by means of a controllable constant-voltage two-terminal device, which is connected in series to the constant-voltage two-terminal device used for voltage supply.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein simultaneous data transmission from the feed point to two or more technical systems is done by varying modulation of the current intensity.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein all technical systems are equivalent receivers for the modulated data.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the technical systems have a resistor that is connected in series to the constant-voltage diode, via which the modulation of the current intensity is evaluated.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fed current intensity is electronically limited to a maximum permissible short-circuit current.

10. Device for supplying electrical power for two or more technical systems, which are connected to an electrical supply line with a feed point, arranged in a connecting rod, and for data transmission between the feed point and the technical systems, characterized by a constant-current source for supplying power to technical systems, a system for modulating current intensity in order to transmit data from the feed point to the technical systems, and a system for modulating voltage in technical systems in order to transmit data from the technical systems to the feed point.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein at least one technical systemic has a constant-voltage two-terminal device, in order to define the voltage present at the technical system.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein at least one technical system has a controllable constant-voltage two-terminal device, which is connected in series to the constant-voltage two-terminal device used for voltage supply in order to modulate the voltage.

13. The device according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the technical systems have a resistor connected in series to the constant-voltage diode, via which the modulation of the current intensity is evaluated.

14. The device according to claim 10, comprising an electronic system in order to limit the fed current intensity to a maximum permissible short-circuit current.

15. A drill rig comprising the device according to claim 10.

16. A rig for conveying gaseous or liquid mineral deposits, comprising the device according to claim 10.

17. The method of claim 4, wherein the constant-voltage two-terminal device is a constant-voltage diode or Z-diode.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein all of the technical systems have said resistor connected in series to the constant-voltage diode.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein the constant-voltage two-terminal device is a constant-voltage diode or Z-diode.

20. The method according to claim 2, wherein the voltage present at at least one technical system is defined by means of a constant-voltage two-terminal device on the supply line.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Additional features and advantages of the invention are derived from the subsequent description of preferred embodiments of the invention that are not limited to the scope of protection with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here:

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic depiction of a drill rig,

[0045] FIG. 2 shows diagrammatically the supply line of a connecting rod of the drill rig,

[0046] FIG. 3 shows a circuit for evaluating the modulated current,

[0047] FIG. 4 shows a circuit for modulating voltage,

[0048] FIG. 5 shows a circuit for terminating the supply line,

[0049] FIG. 6 shows a circuit for modulating current and limiting the short-circuit current,

[0050] FIG. 7 shows a first option for modulating current intensity,

[0051] FIG. 8 shows another option for modulating current intensity,

[0052] FIG. 9 shows a diagram relating to the determination of the available data rate,

[0053] FIG. 10 shows a diagrammatic depiction of a serial data transmission, and

[0054] FIG. 11 shows a diagrammatic depiction of a parallel data transmission.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] In the drawings, embodiments of the invention are depicted, which embodiments, however, are intended only as examples, and, aside from the features according to the invention as defined in the claims, can also be implemented and/or combined differently within the scope of this invention as regards many components, without this requiring special mention below.

[0056] In FIG. 1, a drill rig 1 with an oil rig tower 2 is depicted diagrammatically, with which drill pipes 4 that are connected to a drill string are driven in rotation via a drive 3, a so-called top drive, in order to produce a borehole 5. It is understood that the design of the drill rig 1 is intended only as an example and can also be implemented in various other ways known from the state of the art.

[0057] The drill pipes 4 are connected via couplings 6 to a connecting rod, wherein electrical conductors 7 are arranged in the drill pipes 4, which are depicted and described, for example, as in WO 2013/126936 A and can run inside the drill pipes 4. The couplings 6 make possible in principle a galvanic connection of the electrical conductors 7 that run in the individual drill pipes 4 and can be designed, for example, as depicted and described in WO 2010/141969 A. Another path of the electrical conductor 7 inside the drill pipe and another design of the couplings 6 are, of course, also possible as long as a galvanic connection of the electrical conductor 7 is created in the area of the couplings 6.

[0058] At the end of the lowest drill pipe 4 of the connecting rod, there is a drill head 8. In the drill head 8 and, moreover, also on or in several or optionally also all drill pipes 4, there are electrical consumers, sensors, modules, or the like, which are referred to as technical systems 9 and are connected to the electrical conductors 7, which form a supply line 7a in the assembled state.

[0059] On the surface, i.e., over the bottom 11 or, for example, a platform of an offshore rig on which the drill rig 1 is arranged, there is in a protected area, for example, a building 12, a container, or the like, a feed point 13 for electrical energy, which can be fed via a connecting line 14 into the electrical conductor 7 of the uppermost drill pipe 4 and thus into the supply line 7a.

[0060] The connection of the connecting line 14 to the conductor 7 of the uppermost drill pipe 4 can be done, for example, in the top drive 3 by means of a device, as it is described in the Austrian Patent Application No. A 100/2020.

[0061] The feed point 13 is arranged in a control unit 15, in which there is a voltage-controlled constant-current source 16 and an electronic control and evaluation unit 17. It goes without saying that the constant-current source 16 and the control and evaluation unit 17 must not be located as depicted as physically proximate or in a single control unit 15.

[0062] In FIG. 2, a simple embodiment of the invention is depicted with a supply line 7a that is formed by the electrical conductor 7 and that forms with the connecting line 14 a closed conductor loop. A direct-current source 18 generates a direct current U, and the constant-current source 16 generates a constant current I. The resistors 19 represent the resistors of the connecting line 14 and the electrical conductor 7 in the individual drill pipes 4. Any number of technical systems 91 to 9n are connected to the supply line 7a, specifically parallel to the diodes 211 to 21n, which in each case generate a voltage drop U1 to Un, which in each case defines the supply voltage of the technical systems 9. Because of the current supply via a constant-current source 16 and the defined voltage drop via the diodes 21, a constant and stable power supply of the technical systems 9 is ensured.

[0063] In FIG. 3, a circuit for evaluating the modulated current for data transmission from the feed point 13 to a technical system 91 to 9n is depicted, in which the technical systems 91 to 9n evaluate this change in current via in each case a series-connected resistor 22, on which the current changes can be measured as the change in voltage U1 superimposed on the voltage drop U at the resistor. The modulation of the current can be performed by, for example, the constant-current source 16 and is detected, evaluated, andif systems 91 to 9n recognize that they are being addressedprocessed by all technical systems 91 to 9n that are equipped with such a suitable circuit or else another suitable circuit.

[0064] FIG. 4 shows a circuit for modulating the voltage for data transmission from a technical system 9 to the feed point 13. The technical system in this embodiment of the invention has a DC/DC converter 23 in order to reduce the supply voltage on the line 7a to a lower voltage for supplying a module, sensor or the like. In addition, the technical system in this embodiment of the invention has the circuit, already described with reference to FIG. 3, for evaluating the modulated current for data transmission from the feed point 13 to the technical system 9. In addition, the circuit has a voltage-controlled voltage source 24, with which the voltage in the supply line 7a can be modulated for data transmission, which can be measured and evaluated at the feed point 13 as a modulated received voltage UE.

[0065] In FIG. 5, an example for the termination of the line 7a is depicted with an RC network, which consists of a resistor 25 and a series-connected condenser 26. The resistor 27 represents the resistance or the impedance of the line 7a. On the left side of the circuit diagram of FIG. 5, the feed-side end of the connecting line 14 that is connected to the supply line 7a is depicted with the constant-current source 16.

[0066] In FIG. 6, the circuit for modulating current and limiting the short-circuit current is depicted in detail. The direct-current source 18 makes available an adjustable or modulatable direct current Ve, which is limited by a Zener diode 28 to a maximum voltage Ve_max. Via the voltage Ve, which is present at an input 30 of an operational amplifier 29, the adjustable or modulatable direct current I is controlled at the output 31 of the operational amplifier 29, wherein the current is I=Ve/R andin the case of a short circuitthe maximum current is Imax=Ve_max/R. In connection with its resistor 35, a FET 34 forms a voltage-controlled two-terminal-device current as a feedback loop. The FET already has a high differential output resistance per se. The precision is controlled by the more precise adjustment of the gate voltage on the operational amplifier 29.

[0067] In FIG. 7, a first option for modulating current intensity is depicted, in which various technical systems 9 with highly variably-modulated current intensities can be addressed or controlled. For example, a first technical system 91 with a lower modulated current intensity I1, a second technical system 92 with an average modulated current intensity I2, and a third technical system 93 with a higher modulated current intensity I3 can be controlled.

[0068] FIG. 8 shows another option for modulating current intensity, in which in the variant depicted on the left in the diagram, as in FIG. 7, a so-called non-return-to-zero (NRZ) modulation is applied, and in the variant depicted on the right in the diagram, a so-called return-to-zero (RZ) modulation is applied in order to control various technical systems 9.

[0069] The two options of FIGS. 7 and 8 can, of course, be combined and are optionally combined with other types of modulations.

[0070] FIG. 9 shows in the form of a diagram how the determination of the available data rate can be carried out. For example, a change in current in the form of rectangular signals 32 can be fed into the line 7a. Due to the attenuation of the line 7a, the rectangular signals are deformed and appear at the lower end of the line 7a on the drill head 8 in the form marked 33. When the signals logical 0 and logical 1 can be clearly distinguished, the maximum data rate is achieved.

[0071] In FIG. 10, a serial data transmission from the lowest technical system 9n, e.g., in the drill head 8, via the technical systems 93, 92, and 91 up to the control unit 15 is depicted diagrammatically. The individual signals Sn, S3, and S2 are transmitted to the control unit 15 serially or sequentially in time.

[0072] FIG. 11 shows diagrammatically a parallel data transmission from the lowest technical system 9n via the technical systems 93, 92, and 91 to the control unit 15. The individual signals Sn, S3, and S2 are transmitted in parallel or simultaneously to the control unit 15. The data or signals must in this case be modulated differently in the voltage domain, so that they can be correctly assigned by the control unit to the individual technical systems 91 to 9n and evaluated.

[0073] The circuits depicted in connection with FIGS. 2 to 11 and their individual components can be combined randomly and can also be replaced or supplemented by other circuitry components both with respect to their number and their design based on the requirements that are set by the technical systems. The same also applies for the described modulation method, which can be combined randomly both with one another and with the described circuits and their individual components.