Hybrid Power System for Drilling Rig Load Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Natural gas engine/generators used in drilling rigs face challenges in matching transient power demands, leading to reduced reliability and increased fuel consumption and emissions, due to their limited transient response capabilities compared to diesel engines.
Innovation Solution
An energy storage system is integrated with natural gas engine/generators, utilizing a silicon-controlled rectifier and phase microcontroller to switch power between the engine/generator and energy storage, allowing for improved load management and responsiveness, reducing the need for auxiliary diesel gensets and optimizing fuel usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If natural gas engine/generators are used to supply power to drilling rig loads, then fuel cost and emissions are reduced compared to diesel engines, but transient response capability and reliability are worsened due to inability to match peak power demands
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines natural gas engine/generators with energy storage systems (batteries, capacitors, or flywheels) to create a hybrid power system. The energy storage component provides instantaneous power during transient peaks, while the natural gas engine operates at steady state, achieving both low emissions and high reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The energy storage system is pre-charged during periods of low demand and automatically discharges in advance during peak power demands before they occur. This preliminary energy accumulation allows the natural gas engine to respond quickly to transient loads without compromising emissions performance.
2Reliability
If oversized power systems are used to meet peak power requirements during tripping operations, then reliability is improved, but fuel consumption and emissions are worsened due to continuous operation at low efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuously operating oversized natural gas engines at low efficiency, the system uses partial action by deploying only the necessary power from the energy storage system during peak demands. The natural gas engine operates at optimal efficiency levels, avoiding excessive fuel consumption while still meeting peak requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The energy storage system charges and discharges periodically, accumulating energy during low-demand periods when the natural gas engine operates efficiently, and releasing energy during high-demand periods. This periodic energy exchange eliminates the need for continuous oversized engine operation, reducing overall fuel consumption.
3Reliability
If auxiliary diesel gensets are added to provide backup power and meet transient demands, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and fuel consumption are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The energy storage system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides instantaneous power during transients, acts as a buffer during load changes, and can supply backup power during engine failures. This multi-functionality replaces the need for separate auxiliary diesel gensets, reducing system complexity while maintaining reliability.
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
The energy storage system enhances the reliability and responsiveness of natural gas engine/generators to match diesel engine performance, reducing fuel consumption, emissions, and vulnerability to wellhead gas variations, while providing uninterruptible power supply during fuel interruptions.
Implementation Method 1
A silicon-controlled rectifier converts the AC power to DC power
Data Source
AI summary
A system for providing power to a load of a drilling rig has a natural gas engine/generator and an energy storage system. The load is switchably connected to one or both of the natural engine/generator and the energy storage system. The natural gas engine/generator and the energy storage system have a capacity suitable for supplying requisite power to the load. A rectifier is connected to an output line of the engine/generator so as to convert the AC power to DC power. This rectifier is a phase-controlled silicon-controlled rectifier so as to be responsive to a power requirement of the load. The energy storage system is a battery.