SUSU Master Student Develops an Electric Drive for the Oil and Gas Industry

A master student of South Ural State University proposed improvements of oil and gas production equipment. It creates a draw works differential electric drive that will increase the energy efficiency of hydrocarbon production. The graduate student received a grant for the project, becoming the winner of the UMNIK competition.

The first oil and gas wells were drilled more than a century ago. Since then, hydrocarbon production technology has changed several times. The modern methods used now also need to be improved. Due to the increase in the depth of boreholes, the requirements for driving electric motors have increased. Nikita Maksimov, a master student of the SUSU Institute of Engineering and Technology, proposed to improve extraction equipment for raw materials. Making the electric motor more powerful increases weight, size, energy loss and makes installation more difficult. To increase the efficiency, the undergraduate offers to enhance the performance of the draw works drive.

“Innovation lies in a differential electric drive based on asynchronous reluctance machine with independent control over the excitation channel. This type of electric drive has a high overload capacity and reliability due to the presence of a multi-phase winding, as well as providing simplified switching of the drive from high-torque to high-speed operation mode,” Nikita Maksimov said.

An electric winch is required to raise and lower drill pipes. The new differential electric drive contains two drives and has continuously variable torques (the force with which the crankshaft rotates) and speeds of rotation of the output shafts. The energy efficiency of carbon raw materials production will increase.

Nikita Maksimov presented his idea, and the jury of the UMNIK competition confirmed the significance of the project. The master student won the competition and received a grant of 500 thousand rubles for the project development.

In two years, Nikita Maksimov will create a computer program for a drawworks control system using a synchronous reluctance machine with independent control over the excitation channel, develop a mathematical model and perform the necessary calculations. The project manager is Senior Lecturer of Institute of Engineering and Technology Nikita Savosteenko.

“A mathematical model is necessary for conducting research that will show us how the engine or control system behaves in any situation, will evaluate our work. The computer program will include a control system for a differential electric drive and the drive itself, already pre-configured and debugged,” added Nikita Maksimov.

Now Nikita studies the relevant literature all the necessary information about drawworks, their operation modes, capacities, their overload capacities.

South Ural State University is a university of digital transformations, where innovative research is carried out in most priority areas of science and technology development. Following the strategy of scientific and technological development of the Russian Federation, the university focuses on the development of large scientific interdisciplinary projects in the field of the digital industry, materials science, and ecology. In 2021, SUSU won the competition under the Priority 2030 program. The university performs the functions of the regional project office of the Ural Interregional Scientific and Educational Center of the world level.


 

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