Abstract: A method of using a quill to steer a bit when elongating a wellbore, with the method including receiving real-time data associated with elongating the wellbore, wherein the real-time data associated with elongating the wellbore comprises data associated with: actual toolface orientation; surface-measured mud motor ?P; surface-measured quill torque; surface-measured weight-on-bit (“WOB”); and surface-measured quill position; learning, based on the real-time data, relationships between: surface-measured mud motor ?P and surface-measured torque; changes in surface-measured WOB and surface-measured torque; and changes in surface-measured quill position and actual toolface orientation; accessing, after learning the relationships, a desired toolface orientation; comparing, by the controller, the desired toolface orientation and the actual toolface orientation; and affecting, by the controller and based on the comparison and the learned relationships, a first change of the quill position and one or more of: mud moto

Abstract: An automated sand dump system for oil and gas wells is provided that uses sensed parameters to determine and effective sand level within a sand trap. When the control system determines that the effective sand level reaches a predetermined level, an automated dump sequence is executed.

Abstract: Systems and methods facilitate sensing and tallying defecation events of subjects, such as participants in clinical trials for treatments for treating digestive diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and chronic constipation. Systems and methods may also be used by individual patients for sensing and tallying defecation events, and resulting data may be reviewed by a healthcare provider when evaluating patient gastrointestinal health and/or treatments.

Abstract: An automated sand dump system for oil and gas wells is provided that uses sensed parameters to determine and effective sand level within a sand trap. When the control system determines that the effective sand level reaches a predetermined level, an automated dump sequence is executed.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method may include providing a system, where the system includes one or more physiological sensors and a micro-server that includes a communication interface, memory storing instructions, and a processor. The method may include instructing a subject to deploy the one or more sensors at a residence. The method may include receiving physiological data detected by the one or more sensors, storing data in the memory of the micro-server representative of the physiological data detected by the one or more sensors for later sharing. The method may include receiving an instruction to withhold an indicated set of the stored data from sharing and withholding the indicated set of the stored data from sharing. The withholding may include deleting the indicated set of the stored data from the memory of the micro-server and/or refraining from sending the indicated set of the stored data to an external device.

Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods for implementing a cloud-based private area network. In aspects, various customer devices may be connected to a cloud-based carrier or wireless carrier. The carrier may use identification information associated with each customer device to group devices by, for example, customer account. For each customer account, the carrier may create and/or assign a customer-specific gateway. The customer gateway may enable devices identified as associated with an account to detect and communicate securely with each other over a cloud-based private area network. Additionally, each customer gateway may provide several functions typically found in private or home gateways and local area networks (LANs) to the devices associated with an account.

Abstract: A system and method of directionally steering a bottom hole assembly (“BHA”) by receiving data indicative of a directional trend of the BHA and a projection to bit depth; determining a location of the BHA based on the received data; comparing the location of the BHA to a planned drilling path to identify an amount of deviation; automatically creating a modified drilling path based on the amount of deviation and a predicted trend of a downhole parameter; detecting a trend of the downhole parameter while drilling along the modified drilling path; and automatically creating a further modified drilling path when the trend of the downhole parameter is a reversal of the predicted trend of the downhole parameter. The predicted trend of the downhole parameter is an increase of a d-exponent factor or a d-exponent-corrected factor with an increase in depth.

Abstract: A system for automated testing of a high-pressure pump comprises a choke valve, actuator and actuator drive for operating the choke in response to receiving control signals. A system control unit includes a processor unit, system memory, I/O interface, human-machine interface, and display device. A pressure sensor is connected to the pump outlet line for sensing and reporting outlet pressure to the control unit. The control unit can execute a test phase by causing the pump to run at a test speed and causing the actuator to change the restriction value of the choke until a predetermined pressure is sensed in the outlet line and reported to the control unit. The control unit can cause the actuator to maintain the predetermined pressure for a predetermined period of time. The control unit can cause the display device to show a result or print a report of one or more test phases.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for graphics processing. The apparatus can obtain at least one input image including a plurality of pixels. Additionally, the apparatus can determine shading information for each of the plurality of pixels in the at least one input image. The apparatus can also determine a shading map based on the determined shading information for each of the plurality of pixels in the at least one input image. In some aspects, the apparatus can generate at least one output image based on the at least one input image and the determined shading map. The apparatus can also enhance a quality of the at least one output image. In some aspects, the quality of the at least one output image can be enhanced based on machine learning. Further, the apparatus can generate the at least one input image including the plurality of pixels.

Abstract: A system and method of directionally steering a bottom hole assembly (“BHA”) from a drilling rig to a target location including by receiving data indicative of a directional trend of the BHA and a projection to bit depth; determining a location of the BHA based on a directional trend and the projection; identifying an amount of deviation from a drilling path; automatically creating a modified drilling path that intersects the planned drilling path based on the amount of deviation exceeding a first threshold amount of deviation and being less than a second threshold amount of deviation, automatically creating a modified drilling path that does not intersect the planned drilling path in response to the amount of deviation exceeding the second threshold amount of deviation, and determining a curve profile of the modified drilling path having the smallest rate of curvature to avoid drilling overshoot; and steering the BHA.

Abstract: A system for automated testing of a high-pressure pump comprises a choke valve, actuator and actuator drive for operating the choke in response to receiving control signals. A system control unit includes a processor unit, system memory, I/O interface, human-machine interface, and display device. A pressure sensor is connected to the pump outlet line for sensing and reporting outlet pressure to the control unit. The control unit can execute a test phase by causing the pump to run at a test speed and causing the actuator to change the restriction value of the choke until a predetermined pressure is sensed in the outlet line and reported to the control unit. The control unit can cause the actuator to maintain the predetermined pressure for a predetermined period of time. The control unit can cause the display device to show a result or print a report of one or more test phases.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of automatically altering proposed sliding instructions to comply with operating parameters is described.

Abstract: Scheduling image composition in a processor based on overlapping of an image composition process and image scan-out operation for displaying an image is disclosed. The processor is configured to periodically schedule a composition process to generate composition passes on the received eyebuffers to generate a display-corrected image for scan-out to a display device. To reduce the motion-to-photon latency, the processor is configured to delay scheduling of the composition process to be closer in time to the scan-out deadline such that there is an overlap in execution of the composition process at the scan-out deadline and image scan-out operation. The scheduling of the composition process can be delayed to only generate a desired number of display lines for the display-corrected image before the scan-out deadline such that lines of the display-corrected image can continue to be available faster than needed for scanning out by the image scan-out operation without scan-out delay.

Abstract: A system for locking a bearing assembly to a rotating control device (RCD) housing is provided. The RCD housing can be coupled to a blowout preventer, and the bearing assembly can be received within the housing, and can comprise a stationary bearing housing having a perimeter channel. A plurality of locking block assemblies are each supported by the housing and are operable between a locked position and an unlocked position. Each locking block assembly comprises a movable block configured to interface with the perimeter channel when in the locked position, and at least one elastic component is situated between the housing and the movable block. The at least one elastic component is configured to automatically bias the movable block in the locked position. Upon supplying fluid pressure via a valve device, the movable block moves to the unlocked position and the at least one elastic component compresses to facilitate removal of the bearing assembly from the RCD housing.

Abstract: A rotating control device (RCD) having an anti-rotation locking system for restricting rotation of a bearing assembly housing of the RCD comprises an RCD housing operable with a blowout preventer, and a bearing assembly operable to be received within the RCD housing and comprising a stationary bearing housing. The bearing assembly can be configured to receive and engage with and seal a pipe of a drill string of a drill rig. The stationary bearing housing can have secured thereto a locking ring. The anti-rotation locking system of the RCD can further comprise one or more anti-rotation devices moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The anti-rotation device(s) are operable to engage the locking ring, when in the locked position, to lock the stationary bearing housing to the RCD housing independent of the rotational position of the stationary bearing housing relative to the RCD housing.

Abstract: A pipe tally vision system may be positioned on a drilling rig. A drill string may be positioned within a wellbore using the drilling rig. The drill string may be observed with the pipe tally system during a wellbore operation. A pipe tally database may be generated by the pipe tally system based on the observations of the drill string made by the pipe tally system and observations may be made as the drill string is moved into or out of the wellbore.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing or eliminating stick-slip are described. The system includes a controller and a drawworks. The controller is configured to collect downhole information, detect one or more stick-slip conditions, determine correlative relationships, model a stick-slip region, generate a control algorithm for top drive RPM and WOB that avoids a stick-slip region, determine a WOB autodriller set point for a particular top drive RPM using the control algorithm and provide one or more operational control signals that limit the WOB to the WOB autodriller set point for the particular top drive RPM. The drawworks is configured to receive the one or more operational control signals from the controller, and limit the WOB so that the WOB does not exceed the WOB autodriller set point for the particular top drive RPM.

Abstract: A rotating control device (RCD) for a drilling operation comprises a housing operable with a blowout preventer, and a bearing assembly operable to be received in the housing, and operable to receive a pipe of a drill string. The RCD comprises a plurality of locking pin assemblies supported by the housing. Each locking pin assembly can comprise a movable pin operable between a locked position that locks the bearing assembly to the housing, and an unlocked position that unlocks the bearing assembly from the housing. An RCD comprises an RCD housing coupled to a blowout preventer, and a bearing assembly received within the RCD housing and comprising a lower sealing element sleeve having a perimeter channel. The system comprises a plurality of locking pin assemblies supported by the RCD housing and operable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The movable pins can be automatically biased to the locked position by elastic elements upon removing fluid pressure from the housing.

Abstract: A casting method for titanium and titanium alloys, the casting method including obtaining an investment casting mold composition having calcium aluminate and aluminum oxide, the calcium aluminate combined with a liquid to produce a slurry of calcium aluminate, and wherein the solids in the final calcium aluminate/liquid mixture with large scale alumina is about 71% to about 90%. The method further includes pouring the investment casting mold composition into a vessel containing a fugitive pattern, curing the investment casting mold composition to form a mold, removing the fugitive pattern from the mold, firing the mold, preheating the mold to a mold casting temperature, pouring molten titanium or titanium alloy into the preheated mold, solidifying the molten titanium or titanium alloy and forming a solidified titanium or titanium alloy casting, and removing the solidified titanium or titanium alloy casting from the mold.

Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods for implementing a cloud-based private area network. In aspects, various customer devices may be connected to a cloud-based carrier or wireless carrier. The carrier may use identification information associated with each customer device to group devices by, for example, customer account. For each customer account, the carrier may create and/or assign a customer-specific gateway. The customer gateway may enable devices identified as associated with an account to detect and communicate securely with each other over a cloud-based private area network.