MUD PULSER TELEMETRY SYSTEM FOR

DOWN HOLE MEASUREMENT-WHILE-DRILLING

Paulo Tube1
Clark Bergeron
Sam Bell
DEVELCO, INC.
7000 Hollister
Houston, TX 77040
Abstract
Measurement While Drilling (MWD) is a service developed for including directional and geological formation parameters is
the oil and gas industry to provide efficient, safe, and accurate transmitted to the surface during the drilling operation utilizing
drilling of wells. MWD systems perform the acquisition, mud pulse telemetry as a transmission medium. The surface
processing and transmission in real time of downhole information equipment receives, decodes, processes, and displays the data,
related to drilling angles and geological formation parameters. which is also stored for purposes of further analysis if desired.
The basic MWD system is composed of a pressure pulser, A typical downhole directional and formation evaluation MWD
directional and geological formation evaluation sensors, data system is comprised of a power source, directional sensors, a
acquisition and processing hardware, and power source. The most formation gamma ray detection system, and an electromagnetic
common information acquired downhole for the search of transmitter/receiver system, used for formation resistivity
hydrocarbons is a natural gamma ray and formation resistivity. measurements, housed in a non-magnetic collar (See Figure 1).
Inclination, azimuth, and tool high-side information is used for The following optional sensors can be integrated in the MWD tool
navigation of the drilling system. smng:
This paper describes a mud pulser telemetry system used for the Cesium 137 gamma source and gamma detector system used
control and transmission of data from inside a borehole to the for formation bulk density determination,
surface during drilling operations. The system modulates the Americium-beryllium neutron source with epithermal and/or
drilling mud circulating in the well, creating pressure pulses which thermal neutron and gamma ray detectors,
are decoded at the surface into digital serial data. torque and weight-on-bit strain gauge detectors.
The mud pulser is composed of a mechanical mud flow controller, The power and directional system consists of the following:
a microprocessor-based pulser driver system, and a
high-temperature electronics mud flow detector. The functions Mud modulation telemetry system,
performed by the electronics system are outlined and the A power source, either a mud-operated electrical turbine gen- .
performance specification are described. The qualification tests erator or a battery pack,
for operation in high-temperature, shock, and vibration Directional sensor package with three magnetometers, three
environments are also discussed. accelerometers, and a temperature sensor.
In addition, the paper covers future requirements for The directional package provides the inclination, azimuth, and
high-temperature electronics and downhole communication in the toolface angles used for determination of the position of the drill
Measurement While Drilling services. New transmission bit in the bore hole. The data acquired downhole is transmitted to
technologies are also addressed. the surface by using a pulser to create a pressure increase due to a
flow resmction of the injected mud column inside the drill stem.
Introduction
Measurement While Drilling (MWD) is a service for providing
information from inside a borehole during well drilling operations.
The purpose of MWD is to acquire and process data related to the
direction of drilling, and to the types of geological formations
being traversed by the drill string.
The concept of MWD was created in response to the need for
real-time data for steering the drill bit. The early MWD systems
used a mud pulse telemetry developed by J. J. Arps in 1969 [l]. A
real-time, inclination-only MWD system was introduced by B.J.
Hughes in 1970.
The first full-service, directional-measurement MWD system was
marketed by Teleco Oilfield Services in 1978. The system
provided real-time inclination, azimuth, and tool face high-side
information. A multi-sensor system providing directional,
geological formation, and drilling parameters data was introduced
in 1980 [2]. I

A Measurement While Drilling system consists of downhole and

surface data equipment. Data acquired by downhole sensors,

U9
$3.000 1992 IEEE
0-7803-0640-6/92

T

Positive puke Standpipe pressure increases due to flow resaiction
through the M W D system.
Negative pulse Standpipe pressure decreases due to directing the mud
flow to the annulus of the borehole.
Mud Siren ’Ihe mud column pressure contains a carrier frequency
which shifts with different data values.
Figure 2. Well Clusters,Build and Target Technique
Two methods are used for drilling a well: rotary and directional.
The rotary drill string has a drill bit at the lower end of the string,
followed by MWD drill collars, stabilizers, and drill stem. The
complete assembly is rotated from the surface to drill the borehole.
Drilling mud is pumped from the surface through the inside of the
drill stem, to the drill bit, returning to the surface through the
outside of the drill string (annulus). The mud functions as a bit
lubricant and as a carrier of the formation cuttings from the bottom
to the surface of the borehole.
A low-speed, high-torque motor can be placed between the drill bit
and the MWD system for directional drilling applications. The
mud flow through the drill string provides the power required for
the operation of the downhole motor. The drilling is accomplished
by the rotation of the bit by the downhole motor. The drill stem
and MWD collars do not rotate during a directional drilling
operation.
220
Pulser System
The main sections of the pulser system are:
Pulser actuator and main valve assembly,
Pilot valve,
Pulser driver electronics module,
Flow detection system.
+5v R.1
V
Figure 3. Pulser Driver Block Diagram
The pulser actuator and main valve assembly are the flow
restricting components of the pulser system that create pressure
pulses. The actuator is a stepper-motor- based device that drives a
pilot valve. The position of the pilot valve causes the main valve
to either open or close. The system is capable of providing a
pressure differential of 80 psi for actuation of the main valve.
The Pulser Driver Module (PDM) is a microcontroller-based
electronic module capable of providing system control functions.
The main tasks performed by the PDM are to drive the stepper
motor, interface to the data acquisition electronics, monitor the
battery power source voltage, and system reset.
The components of the PDM consist of
Power supply with precision reference,
Voltage monitor,
Microcontroller & logic section,
2-phase “ H bridge power section,
Current regulator,
Data acquisition unit power and U 0 control,
Power regulator
The low-voltage monitor is used in system power-up and as an
indicator to the microcontroller that primary or backup power is
present. During normal operation, a power loss or low-battery
indication to the PDM causes it to pulse a reset pulse message to
the surface.
The microcontroller and logic section controls the stepper motor
acceleration, constant velocity, and deceleration to move the pilot
valve into the required position to create a pulse in the mud flow.
The logic section provides the necessary steering current to drive
the stepper motor both clockwise and counterclockwise. The
programmable logic of the MOSFET “ H bridge controls noise
and misfire to optimize the torque profile of the motor. When
batteries are in use as a power source, this will also insure
maximum life out of the battery by reducing energy losses.
Additionally, the logic section provides control of crossover
currents in the motor windings, invalid logic lockout, and dead
time logic to provide locking torque for the motor between pulse
commands from the microcontroller. Due to the fast switching
nature of “ Hbridge MOSFET’s, positive bridge lockout is
essential to protect the drive circuit from damage during system
power-up.
The power drive section consists of 2 “ H bridge configurations.
The “ H bridge is configured using power MOSFET’s to direct
motor current in response to motion commands from the
microcontroller. The MOSFET is the ideal for motor control
because of its low “on resistance”, quick switching, and high
current carrying capability. MOSFET’s for this reason are able to
also meet the 150 “Ctemperature requirement.
The system uses a feedback amplifier for controlling bridge
current Shunt resistors are used for sensing the bridge current in
Environmental Qualification
The objectives of the environmental testing program are to
determine the vibration, thermal life, and shock characteristics of
MWD components and systems and qualify their suitability for
downhole applications. To determine component fatigue
parameters, the vibration tests are performed in 3 axis at 25 G’s,
150’ C, and a frequency of 30 HZ to 300 Hz.
Thermal life tests (See Figure 5.) are performed at 150’ C for 500
hours. These tests are to check for physiochemical reactions
induced by deep thermal saturations, thus giving insight to the life
expectancy of the component or system being tested.[S]

a
*?
each leg of the “H” bridge and fed back into the logic section
where they are seen as digital data. Any invalid sequence is Prescreen Components
recognized and locked out as being a valid step command, thus
preventing damage to the MOSFET’s.
Build Prototype
A power control circuit allows the microcontroller to reset the

L
entire data acquisition system in response to a watchdog timer 0 Cycles
-5$2COlSO%
fault. When pulse commands are absent from the data acquisition Eliminate
10 perminute marginal
unit for a pre-determined period of time, the PDM starts a system 30 Minutes per cycle components&
rext of the data acquisition unit. Powered workmanship
No Vibration
The mud flow detection module, (flow switch) determines the
presence of drilling mud flow through the downhole tool. When
500 hour cycle
the mud pumps are turned off for longer than 60 seconds, the Saturation Search for
Ambient lo 155 % maximum thermal
absence of a signal from the flow switch is interpreted by the stress point
3OC per minute
sensor electronics as a mud-flow-off indicator and takes a survey
of the downhole environment. A s w e y , depending on the
parameters requested, can require several seconds and the tool Vibration
s h g should remain motionless during this time. Drilling never
Vibration
occurs when the mud flow has stopped. When mud flow restarts,

+--
30 Hz to 300 Hz random characterization
the survey data will be transmitted to the surface and displayed by 3 Axis: 4 hours each
the computer system.

Search for
300 Hz to 2 KHz -+ micmphonc
Random responses

1R Millisecond damping
Sine Wave response

Field,ready
qualdicatlon

Manufacturing

Figure 4. Flow Switch Block Diagmn Figure 5. Design Screening Test Prccedm

The flow switch assembly combines a piezoelechic accelerometer,

a mechanical amplifier, and a state machine circuit as shown in
Figure 4. Drilling mud flow, which ranges from 100 to 1000
gallons per minute, produces a constant low-frequency vibration
(noise). The flow switch detects this 100- to 300-hertz noise as a
signal that drilling mud is flowing.
The piezoelectric sensor does not require power for operation and Thermal shock tests on components aid in eliminating marginal
produces a charge output of 50 pico-coulombs per G of components that could fail under the extreme temperature and
acceleration. The accelerometer is mounted on a metal bracket vibration variations found in the drilling environment.
which contacts both sides of the pressure b m l . This bracket Components are cycled through 10 temperature changes between
effectively acts as a mechanical amplifier to the surrounding -50’ C to 150’ C at a rate of IOo per minute for 30 minutes per
noise, significantly increasing the output of the accelerometer. cycle.
 of the board. This enables the electronics to survive a higher
I Assembly 1 shock and vibration environment. Use of surface-mount
components, hybrids. and Field-Programmable Gate Arrays

Benchtestat
ambient temperature
I, hour Uniformity to
specifications
(FPGA) will reduce PC board size. The use of hybrids will also
advance the upper temperature limits. Currently used plastic
packaging of microcontrollers are susceptible to electrical
problems at temperatures over 200'C. Using these same die to

-
create hybrid packages which have greater heat dissipation
0 Cycles
characteristics enable these same circuits to operate successfully at
higher temperatures.
30 Minutes per cycle
1 Powered
No Vibration I Digital processing power requirements will increase as new

+
sensors are added to the downhole system. Digital signal
I processors will be qualified and implemented in downhole systems.
I Search for Future Requirements in M W D Telemetry
The Measurement While Drilling pulser systems can on average
module at transmit two pulses per second. The addition of new sensors to the

1
operating temperature drill string and the requirements for higher-resolution geological
formation data, and for faster directional updates have created the
need for the increase in the data transmission speed (baud rate).
2 hours A variety of encoding techniques such as unipolar, Return to Zero
,I
(RZ), and constant width pulse telemetry have been used for
Search for MWD mud telemetry with limited success due to the low data rate
and low synchronization reliability. A digital bi-phase encoding
technique called Group Code Recording (GCR) increases the
I 1 - transmission rate and synchronization reliability by using the
following rules [3]:
Conformity to
specification Use of five-bit code with at least one pulse transition to indi-

'-
1 Flow Loop 1 1 hour I-,
simulatlon
Send to Job
Fi
w 6. Manufacturing Screening Test Pmcedures
After assembly, electronic systems are given a final shock test
(See Figure 6.) at 750 G, 1R millisecond, 1/2 sine to characterize
the overall damping response of the assembly.
The fully assembled tool string is then placed in the flow loop to
perform an overall operational test under varying flow rates that
the tool could encounter during its lifespan. This helps insure that
only fully functional, highly reliable systems are placed into
operation in the field.
Future Electronic Requirements
The future of electronic development in Measurement While
Drilling systems will see incremental increases in operating
temperatures, miniaturization of electronic packaging and increase
in digital processing power. Current integrated circuits operating
temperature specifications are limited to 125'C. Downhole
temperatures of drilling wells can easily reach 125'- 150'C. Some
deep wells or those near geothermal hot spots can reach 200'C.
Electronic circuits must be designed and tested to operate at these
temperatures for thousands of hours, Mean-Time-Between-Failure.
Miniaturization of electronic packaging will be a continuous goal.
Packaging space is very limited in a downhole tool and the size of
the package determines the total length of the tool. Reducing the
size of the PC board increases the natural frequency, or resonance,
cate a four-bit data value
No more than two consecutive zeroes during the data trans-
mission
The required pulse transition within a three-bit time period
Flow
provides a self-clocking capability to the GCR technique. A pulse
transition from open to close or close to open indicates a logic
level 1. A steady pressure level indicates a logic 0. This
Non-Return to Zero ( N U )capability of the GCR increases the
reliability of the mud pulser by decreasing the number of pulses
required to transmit the downhole data.
The implementation of advanced data compression techniques,
and digital signal processing algorithms should further increase the
mud telemetry baud rate of pulser systems.
The use of mud telemetry systems have prevented MWD from
being utilized in boreholes drilled with air,and hostile fluids.
Two-way communication between the MWD downhole system
and the surface has been limited to a very few commands based on
starting and stopping the flow of mud in the wellbore.
Electromagnetic transmission systems are being evaluated as
substitutes for mud telemetry. The most promising system is the
Drill StringEarth Communication (DSEC) method. The DSEC
uses the drill string and the earth in a pseudo-two-wire
transmission mode [4]. The DSEC method has achieved an eight
bit-per-second transmission rate at depths of up to 8000 feet.
The main goal associated with the EM telemetry is the reduction
of signal loss to achieve the following:
increase transmitbdreceiver distance at deeper wells
increase data rate
Conclusion
Measurement While Drilling services have proven to increase the
speed, efficiency, and accuracy of completing oil and natural gas
wells. The additional benefits of real-time acquisition of
geological formation parameters are valuable time savers.

222
Three types of pulser systems are available for downhole to
surface data transmission; positive pulse, negative pulse, and mud
siren. The positive pulse system described in this paper includes a
power source, an actuator and main valve assembly, a pilot valve,
a pulser driver, and a mud flow detector. The pulser operates at a 2
pulse per second transmission rate.
Electromagnetic telemetry systems have the potential of increasing
the tzansmission speed (baud rate), provide two-way
communications between downhole and surface, and allow M W D
to be used in air drilled and hostile mud boreholes. The reliability
of high temperature electronic components will continue to
improve the efficiency of the drilling operation. Electronics
operating at higher speed, increased resolution, and with more
processing power will be introduced in downhole applications.

Bibliography
[l] Desbrandes Robert: An overview of Measurement While Drilling-
Logging While Drilling Technology, Louisiana University Measurement
While Drilling Symposium,February M27,1990.
[2] Sheppard, Michael: Method of Drilling a Direclional Well Bore,
Canadian Patent No. 1251778.
(31 Monrw, S.P.: “Applying Digital Data Encoding Techniques to Mud
Pulse Telemetry”, SPE 20326
[4] Rubin, LA:Wireless Electromagnetic Borehole Communications-A
State of the M Review, Louisiana Swte University Measurement Whik
Drilling Sympcsiurn.Febnrary 2b-27,1990.
[SIHarris SaniconductorCmp.:“Linear & Telecm ICsFor Analog Signal
Processing Applications”,Vol. DB500.1.1591.

223