IADC/SPE-199576-MS

Using Model-Based Design for Digital Twins to Predict the Real-Time

Performance of Surface Equipment

Weston Johnson, Renoir Consulting; Samvith Rao, MathWorks

Copyright 2020, IADC/SPE International Drilling Conference and Exhibition

This paper was prepared for presentation at the IADC/SPE International Drilling Conference and Exhibition held in Galveston, Texas, 3–5 March 2020.

This paper was selected for presentation by an IADC/SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s).
Contents of the paper have not been reviewed by the International Association of Drilling Contractors or the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction
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its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the International Association of Drilling
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Abstract
A digital twin of the above ground electro-mechanical and control systems for a drilling rig was created
using a model-based software. Using a library of pre-built software models, reduced the development time
of the digital twin using traditional software development methods from over a year with a team of experts,
to less than 4 months for a single developer. In addition to a significant time savings, the resulting simulation
was able to predict performance of the top drive, draw works and mud pumps with an error of less than
3% for most conditions.
Physics-based twins were built to describe the physical properties of devices (motors, pumps, bus
parameters), including material properties, using pre-built block from libraries. These blocks describe
mathematics and dynamics of systems. Using sensor data from 3 sensors (Speed, Torque and Current), 16
motor parameters were estimated and calibrated to field data.

Introduction
The complexity of the rig can make it challenging to insure safe, reliable operations when developing new
features and products. The complexity of the system also means that it takes longer for new engineers and
operators to fully comprehend the nuances and interconnectedness of the rig's systems. So, in an effort
alleviate these issues a detailed simulation of the above ground electro-mechanical and control systems
was created using the software Simulink® and associated device libraries. The simulation was designed to
approximate the physical equipment and certain control aspects of the primary electrical components. The
primary advantage to building a high-fidelity simulation of a process, commonly called a "digital twin",
using model-based software is the time and financial cost savings. Using pre-built software models allows
the designer/engineer to rapidly move from building a simulation to testing and validation and minimizes
the need for a expert in every technical discipline. This simulation did not include any of the downhole
drilling conditions although this information could easily be integrated.
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Development
The electrical control systems of a rig can be broadly categorized into the three main areas of (1) Power
Generation, (2) Distribution and (3) Loading. Typically, power generation on a rig starts with the genset, a
diesel engine that turns the rotor of an electrical generator so as to produce clean, 60Hz electrical power to
operate the rig's equipment. Numerous transformers, cables, disconnects etc. are then used to distribute the
power to the various equipment loads (e.g. motors, lights, etc.). The largest of these loads (by an order of
magnitude or more) will be the variable frequency drives (VFDs) which control and operate the top drive,
draw works and mud pump motors. To provide a variable frequency, which is required to precisely control
the speed of the motor, and to control the field currents of the motors which is needed to independently
control the torque of the motors, the 60Hz power from the gensets is rectified and filtered by the VFD in
order to create clean DC power supply. This DC power is then fed to an inverter, whose pulse pattern is
regulated by the speed algorithm of the rig. Typically, this rectification, filtering, inversion and control of
the VFD are bundled into a single device.
Figure 1 shows a simple diagram for the model-based simulation. It also shows that additional real-world
data that is not otherwise recreated within the simulation, such as loading conditions for the motors or other
rig control parameters, can be brought into the simulation by linking an external Excel file containing the
necessary equipment data and timesteps.

Figure 1

As mentioned, the primary benefit of a model-based simulation is the time savings, which comes through
the use of pre-built models that describe a vast number of industrial components including VFDs and
induction motors. Figure 2 shows the standard pre-built model for a VFD and induction motor combination,
and its internal model having a 3-phase rectifier, filter/chopper, field controller and induction motor.
IADC/SPE-199576-MS 3

Figure 2

However, a high power rated VFD, such as those used on a drilling rig, may separate certain tasks (i.e.
rectification, DC bus filter and/or chopper and inversion) into discrete devices in order to improve electrical
efficiency, reduce space requirements and simultaneously improve the maintenance features of the devices
– because they can be replaced discretely. For this reason, the pre-built model no longer matches the real-
world device, but because of the module-based design features, the original model can be easily re-worked
to match the real devices.
Additionally, a VFD design using modular components for the DSP control unit, rectifier, inverter and
DC link gives the VFD a variable power rating by simply replacing a particular component. This unique
design also allows all of the VFDs to draw from one DC bus and, because the VFDs are in parallel, allows
the DC link filter capacitance of each VFD to work together, effectively making one large filter capacitor,
rather than numerous stand-alone devices. Figure 3 shows the standard VFD design with integrated features,
while Figure 4 shows a VFD with discrete modules allowing components to be replaced if they fail, or
upgraded should the load requirements change.

Figure 3
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Figure 4

Figure 5 below, shows a modified VFD model that incorporates the novel features of the real-world
devices. The new VFD model utilized the fundamental components of the original pre-built model, but
places them into a new arrangement or configuration to reflect the physical implementation. The ability to
begin a new simulation with high level software modules that closely approximate the real-world devices
is clearly a time saver.

Figure 5

Every induction motor is different, but the physics behind the motor is well defined. Again, using a
pre-built induction motor software model allows motors with unique operating parameters to be quickly
incorporated into the simulation. (Off-line testing and/or consultation with OEMs may be needed to obtain
a motor's parameters.) Figure 6 shows an example of the parameters required by the prebuilt block.
IADC/SPE-199576-MS 5

Figure 6

Simulink has a vast library of pre-built component modules from which to start a simulation. It also allows
new software modules to be created and combined to in order to model complete control systems including
parasitic losses, which are typical on drilling rigs with long motor power cables. Figure 7 shows how these
models, representing physical devices, unintended parasitic losses as well as software control algorithms,
can all be combined to recreate a complete system, thus forming a digital twin of the real-world system.

Figure 7

Validation of a digital twin is achieved when its able to predict the performance of the system within
a predefined limit, generally within 5% error. For this particular example, command speed, actual speed,
command torque, actual torque and RMS motor current were recorded every 100ms for several hours. The
command speed and command torque data were then used as an input to the simulation, from which the
simulated control parameters were adjusted and tuned until a close fit between the actual and predicted
speed, torque and motor current was achieved. Figure 8 shows the primary parameters used to validate the
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digital twin. Figure 9 shows the recorded RMS current (bold blue) of a top drive motor and that which was
predicted by the digital twin (thin brown).

Figure 8

Figure 9

After a rig has moved to a new site, its top drive motors are run through a "chirp test", where the motor is
commanded to run forward, then in reverse at ever increasing speeds up to 2.5Hz without a drill string load
on the motor. This chirp test helps to identify vibration modes that may have inadvertently been created
during the construction of the rig. Figures 10 shows the commanded torque and speed as well as the actual
(field recorded) and digital twin predicted response. The error between the actual and predicted values is
below 3%, suggesting that the digital twin has appropriately modeled both the physical system and software
control algorithm of the rig.
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Figure 10

Using the validated digital twin, it becomes easy to test "what if" changes to the physical system, such a
doubling of the inertia of the top drive motor. Figure 11 shows this "what if" condition during a chirp test.
As anticipated, Figure 11 shows that higher torque is required to control a larger inertia.

Figure 11

Conclusion
Modeling the above ground electrical and control systems of a commercial drilling rig requires a solid
foundation in performance analytics as well experience with the equipment and their controls. However, the
development of a high-fidelity simulation can be expedited using pre-built model-based software modules,
such as those provided with Simulink®. The pre-built models, including those from on-line forums from
others consumers, allows many of the technical hurdles, including those concerning model-based software
modules and technical appropriateness of the module for an application, to be resolved quickly.