Bilinear modelling, control and stability of directional drilling

This paper proposes an approach for the attitude control of directional drilling tools for the oil and gas industry. A bilinear model of the directional drilling tool is proposed and it characterises the nonlinear properties of the directional drilling tool more accurately than the existing linear model, hence broadens the range of adequate performance. The proposed bilinear model is used as the basis for the design of a Bilinear Proportional plus Integral (BPI) controller. The stability of the proposed BPI control system is proven using stability notions for LTI and LPV systems. The transient simulation results show that the proposed BPI controller is more effective, robust and stable for the attitude control of the directional drilling tool than the existing PI controller. The proposed BPI controller provides improved invariant azimuth responses and significantly reduces the adverse effects of measurement delays and disturbances with respect to stability and performance of the directional drilling tool.