Vibration Error Correction for the FOGs-Based Measurement in a Drilling System Using an Extended Kalman Filter

Fiber-optic gyroscopes (FOGs)-based Measurement While Drilling system (MWD) is a newly developed instrument to survey the borehole trajectory continuously and in real time. However, because of the strong vibration while drilling, the measurement accuracy of FOG-based MWD deteriorates. It is urgent to improve the measurement accuracy while drilling. Therefore, this paper proposes an innovative scheme for the vibration error of the FOG-based MWD. Firstly, the nonlinear error models for the FOGs and ACCs are established. Secondly, a 36-order Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) combined with a calibration method based on 24-position is designed to identify the coefficients in the error model. Moreover, in order to obtain a higher accurate error model, an iterative calibration method has been suggested to suppress calibration residuals. Finally, vibration experiments simulating the drilling vibration in the laboratory is implemented. Compared to the original data, compensated the linear error items, the error of 3D borehole trajectory can only be reduced by a ratio from 10% to 34%. While compensating for the nonlinear error items of the FOG-based MWD, the error of 3D borehole trajectory can be reduced by a ratio from 44.13% to 97.22%. In conclusion, compensation of the nonlinear error of FOG-based MWD could improve the trajectory survey accuracy under vibration.