Abstract:
Methods and systems for detecting a condition within a component of a process plant, including obtaining a first and second set of parameter measurements from a first and second plurality of sensor locations along a first dimension of an outside surface of a component, processing the first and second set of parameter measurements to develop a continuous surface condition profile of the component using a predetermined model. The predetermined model includes a forward solution to an equation describing the condition and is linearly separable in at least two dimensions corresponding to the first and second dimension. The model includes an inverse solution to the equation to provide a set of coefficients corresponding to a set of basis functions of the forward solution based on the first and second set of parameter measurements.
Abstract:
Methods and systems for controlling drilling operations include using a statistical model to identify at least two controllable drilling parameters having significant correlation to one or more drilling performance measurements. The methods and systems further generate operational recommendations for at least two controllable drilling parameters based at least in part on the statistical model. The operational recommendations are selected to optimize one or more drilling performance measurements.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for actuating a downhole tool in wellbore includes acquiring a CCL data set or log from the wellbore that correlates recorded magnetic signals with measured depth, and selects a location within the wellbore for actuation of a wellbore device. The CCL log is then downloaded into an autonomous tool. The tool is programmed to sense collars as a function of time, thereby providing a second CCL log. The autonomous tool also matches sensed collars with physical signature from the first CCL log and then self-actuates the wellbore device at the selected location based upon a correlation of the first and second CCL logs.
Abstract:
Systems and method for identifying an unstable subset of burners from among a plurality of burners in a furnace are also disclosed. At least one measurement is obtained from each of the plurality of burners. An instability associated with the furnace is detected. An unstable signal matrix associated with the instability is computed based on the at least one measurement from each of the plurality of burners. An unstable subset of burners is identified based at least in part on the unstable signal matrix.
Abstract:
A computer implemented method for the detection of features such as faults or channels in seismic images. First, edges are detected in a smoothed seismic image (106). To detect a fault line, an image intensity of the edges is projected in multiple spatial directions, for example by performing a Radon transform (118). The directions of maximum intensity are used to define a fault line (124c). To detect channels, smooth curves are identified within the detected edges (810). Sets of parallel smooth curves (812a) are then identified and used to define channels (812).
Abstract:
A method is described for partitioning the mobile stations occupying each of a plurality of cells of a wireless communication network between an overlay and an underlay. Within each cell, each of that cell's mobile stations is assigned to the overlay if the mobile station's corresponding path loss exceeds a path-loss threshold, and to the underlay if its corresponding path loss lies below the path-loss threshold. The path-loss threshold for each cell is determined according to a procedure that seeks to drive network capacity up while satisfying a rule that relates to intercell interference.
Abstract:
A method for operating a wireless telecommunications system whereby communication channels are efficiently allocated to cells of the system is provided. In accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present method, call demand information is obtained for each cell in the wireless system and converted to a channel demand. Once the channel demand for each cell is known, a tentative channel allocation is performed. Call demand information can be obtained as frequently as desired to update channel allocation throughout the wireless system. In some embodiments, the method for channel allocation described herein can be used alone to allocate channels. In other embodiments, the present method for channel allocation can be used on an hourly, daily, or other temporal basis, as appropriate, to provide a channel allocation which is then updated on a substantially continuous basis by any conventional dynamic channel allocation scheme. To allocate channels, an "interference graph" that relates interfering cells to one another is defined. When nearest-cell interference is considered, an initial step is performed wherein three channels are iteratively allocated to all cells in the system to remove all groupings within the interference graph comprising three mutually-interfering cells. During the initial step, the allocation of three channels reduces channel demand by one in every cell. Once the interference graph is free of such three-membered groupings, channel demand is reduced more efficiently wherein no more than five channels are allocated to satisfy two units of channel demand. To do so, a decomposition/reconstruction operation is performed wherein the interference graph is segregated into groupings of cells to which channels are allocated. The operation for allocating channels to cells when nearest- and next-to-nearest-cell interference is considered does not use the initial step of allocating three channels. It does, however, proceed in a manner analogous to the decomposition/reconstruction process mentioned above, although the operation is performed on a cell-by-cell basis, rather than with groupings of cells.
Abstract:
Methods of drilling a wellbore within a subsurface region and drilling control systems that perform the methods. The methods include accessing an objective map and calculating a plurality of critical points of the objective map. The methods also include scoring each critical point and selecting a selected critical point of the plurality of critical points. The selected critical point describes an estimated value of at least one drilling performance indicator for a selected value of at least one independent operational parameter. The methods further include operating the drilling rig at the selected value of the at least one independent operational parameter and, during the operating, determining an actual value of the at least one drilling performance indicator. The methods also include updating the objective map to generate an updated objective map and repeating at least a portion of the methods.
Abstract:
Selectively actuated plungers and systems and methods including the same are disclosed herein. The methods include flowing a wellbore fluid stream in fluid contact with a plunger and in an uphole direction within a wellbore conduit while the plunger is located within a target region of the wellbore conduit. The methods further include maintaining the plunger in a low fluid drag state while a variable associated with the wellbore fluid stream is outside a threshold range and transitioning the plunger to a high fluid drag state responsive to the variable associated with the wellbore conduit being within the threshold range. The methods further include conveying the plunger in the uphole direction within the wellbore conduit. The systems include the plungers and/or hydrocarbon wells that include the plungers.
Abstract:
Systems and methods for multi-channel detection of an instability in a furnace comprising a plurality of detectors are disclosed. Each of a plurality of detectors provides a first measurement related to the plurality of burners when the furnace is operating in a stable condition. A stable signal component representation is determined based on the first measurement from each of the plurality of detectors. Each of a plurality of detectors provides a second measurement related to the plurality of burners when the furnace is operating in an unknown state. An unstable signal component representation is determined based on the stable signal component representation and a second measurement from each of the plurality of detectors. An instability is detected based on the unstable signal component representation and an instability threshold.