Energy Storage System for Drilling Rig Power Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drilling rigs face inefficiencies and high emissions due to the variability in power demands, which current dual fuel engine/generators struggle to manage, leading to reduced fuel efficiency and reliability, especially during dynamic load changes and high gas substitution rates.
Innovation Solution
A power supply system that utilizes an energy storage system to meet the majority of the drilling rig's power needs, with engine/generators operating at steady-state conditions to minimize fuel consumption and emissions, and featuring a dual fuel engine/generator configuration that isolates engine/generator power from the load, allowing the energy storage system to handle peak demands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If engine/generators are used to meet peak power demands during drilling operations, then power supply capability is improved, but fuel consumption and emissions increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The energy storage system is charged in advance during periods of low power demand (base load operation) and discharged during peak demand periods (tripping operations), allowing the engine/generator to operate at steady-state conditions and avoid frequent start-stop cycles that waste fuel
Solution Approach 2:
The energy storage system acts as an intermediary between the engine/generator and the drilling rig loads, absorbing power fluctuations and providing peak power supplementation without requiring the engine/generator to directly respond to dynamic load changes
2Power
If engine/generators operate to meet intermittent peak demands, then power availability is improved, but operational reliability decreases due to dynamic load changes
Solution Approach 1:
The energy storage system is pre-charged to provide immediate power during peak demands, eliminating the need for the engine/generator to respond rapidly to sudden load changes that cause operational instability
Solution Approach 2:
The energy storage system serves as a buffer that isolates the engine/generator from the variability of drilling rig loads, providing a stable operating environment that enhances reliability while maintaining power availability
3Loss of energy
If dual fuel engine/generators are used with high gas substitution rates, then fuel cost is reduced, but system stability deteriorates during dynamic load changes
Solution Approach 1:
The energy storage system provides immediate power supplementation during dynamic load changes, allowing the dual fuel engine/generator to operate at steady-state conditions where combustion stability is maintained even at high gas substitution rates
Solution Approach 2:
The energy storage system acts as a stabilizing intermediary that compensates for the inherent instability of dual fuel combustion during transient conditions, enabling high gas substitution rates to be used without compromising system stability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system reduces fuel consumption, emissions, and vulnerability to wellhead gas flow variations, enhances generator reliability, and eliminates the need for auxiliary sets, enabling near-steady-state engine/generator operation and improved responsiveness to dynamic loads.
Implementation Method 1
an energy storage system having a capacity greater than a maximum power requirement of the load
Data Source
AI summary
A system for supplying power to a drilling rig has an engine/generator with an output line so as to transfer power therefrom, an energy storage system connected to the engine/generator, and a load connected to the energy storage system such that power from the energy storage system is directly transferred to the load and such that power from the engine/generator is electrically isolated from the load. The engine/generator has a capacity greater than an maximum power requirement of the load. The energy storage system can include at least one battery.